I wanted to highlight a wood ant as I have the opportunity to see some of them around my house. The idea was to get a minimalist image that could echo calligraphy. In order to execute this kind of image, I like to work on a paper sheet or a graphic tablet because it allows me to better focus on equilibrium and the composition of the image. Once the sketch is achieved I try to apply it in the field. In that case I used vegetation that I bend and fixed.
The next step was to try several shoots in order to get close to the result I had in mind. In this particular scene, the vegetation is in the shadow and the background is filled by a milky cloud. Then everything gets complex, as the ant needs to be on the curve, showing an interesting movement or attitude. There are several solutions to tempt the ant – the most simple is to delicately put it on a the desired stem with the help of a twig or another rigid support. After several trials, I managed to get what I had in mind.
