Fruit, in real life
October 26th, 2008 by Dan Bodenstein
Apple Stand
Remember those “still life” drawings of a bowl of fruit you had to draw in art glass? I was the one who got in trouble for asking for an “action” shot instead. Why is fruit considered still life? Aside from smashing a pumpkin with a sledge hammer, fruit really doesn’t have action shots.
I prefer to photograph fruits and vegetables in a setting that is typical for them. Driving along Centerline Road on the Mission Point peninsula Michigan, one can find a variety of pumpkin patches, and apple orchards selling road side fruit. Most of these are done on the honor system, providing a means for you to pay them without the owner being present.
Pumpkins
When I stepped out of the car with my family, I started taking photographs of apples arranged on a table in small baskets for sale. At first I could see some glances from them wondering what I was doing, but once I showed them the shot, they understood.
Fruit shouldn’t sparkle or glow, or be perfectly colored … this is not a commercial shoot, and the fruit is not plastic. It should show the natural coloration’s of the fruit.
Grapes on the Vine
Grapes on the vine are best shot in the morning, in my opinion. You get great lighting, and you get the morning dew. The dew drops that form on the lower bundles of grapes add to the photo experience. As I stated, I like the natural look, so I try to get the vine in the photo as well.
My next goal is to do some macro work on fruit, just to see what it looks like.
If you have fruit trees, an orchard, farm, or vineyard, go outside and take a few shots of the fruits and vegatables in real life.
Comments
Great shots, I like the water droplets on the apples.
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