Still Life: Some Fruit, Some Light!

There were no plans for fruit this morning! I was going to organize my darkroom, but I got diverted! I was surprised this morning. There was soft diagonal light on a bowl of fruit my wife had left for me. All I did was to add two persimmons and ran for my camera so as not to lose the light. I got some grab-shots and was happy. Actually the light lasted about an hour but photography here was interrupted by a the noise of chain saws outside my house! A city crew was cutting down lovely tree on front of my house! After the diversion and saving some logs to dry for firewood and a few slices for a sculpture, I prepared this picture.



Enjoy! I do hope you will give aggressive feedback and make your own grab-shots, (or better), to share!

Asher

The light in this helps give the fruit depth, and is interesting because of it's shape, but I do wish the focus was more on all the fruit as the composition is very horizontal and it feels like only the fruit to the left seem to be in focus.

I also think that the shadow at the very edge on the right should be selected with a portion of the diagonal light and put on a separate layer and then using the Warp Tool, just use the outer right side of the warp tool and pull it out towards the upper right. That would keep your really nice diagonal light and take away both the distraction and the vertical line that is at the very right edge. the reason for this is not because everything needs to be perfect, but was when I looked at it, my eye kept drifting to that spot and since it didn't add anything for me, I consider it a distraction, so think it should be pulled.

Maggie Terlecki said:

The light in this helps give the fruit depth, and is interesting because of it's shape, but I do wish the focus was more on all the fruit as the composition is very horizontal and it feels like only the fruit to the left seem to be in focus.

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I'll check other images where I used a small f stop. The bowl was at angle and is quite wide. glad you pointed this out!

Maggie Terlecki said:

I also think that the shadow at the very edge on the right should be selected with a portion of the diagonal light and put on a separate layer and then using the Warp Tool, just use the outer right side of the warp tool and pull it out towards the upper right. That would keep your really nice diagonal light and take away both the distraction and the vertical line that is at the very right edge. the reason for this is not because everything needs to be perfect, but was when I looked at it, my eye kept drifting to that spot and since it didn't add anything for me, I consider it a distraction, so think it should be pulled.

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Thanks so much Maggie for this detail. It escaped me. your solution is simple as it's elegant.

BTW, so is this very tall composition you made for us!


Asher

Ha, no, I just wanted to show you the corner as I would see it; the shadow and line bothered me, but a crop wouldn't work as you needed that space to the side but didn't want to play with your image without your permission. Although you could call it "Bowl of Fruit" and people could simply imagine what fruit was actually in the bowl! :-D

Asher,

Lovely light. I agree with both Maggie's points. I took the liberty to make a few subtle changes of my own. Here's what I did to your photograph. Let me know what you think.

Zeeshan,

Thanks for your kind effort. Will study and absorb it!

Asher

Enjoy! Please continue aggressive feedback! Also post your own still life of fruit or vegetables!

Asher

As for this image, although I think the set up is fine, I personally would probably move things around a bit. I would like the bananas to be on the left side of the bowl, because they seem to naturally follow that curve and I would probably move some of the small fruit that seem squished under the grapes in front and then steal a few bunches of grapes from behind that wouldn't show and place them to fill in some gaps here and there in a very natural way. That's very fussy isn't it? :-D but it is fine, as it is and the light feels very soft and natural.

I like to shoot still-life photos, including fruit etc., so here are a few that I have done.

Maggie Terlecki said:

I like to shoot still-life photos, including fruit etc., so .............

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Maggie,

I appreciate this a lot as it seems genuine and has no pretense or artifact to it. None of this would be arranged this way by my hand! I'm glad to see such different ideas that to me are counterintuitive, but work. Impressively simple, but actually sophisticated. Bravo! The frame I could do without, especially the blur as it's distracting.

Asher

Maggie,

Thanks for looking at my still life.

Maggie Terlecki said:

As for this image, although I think the set up is fine, I personally would probably move things around a bit. I would like the bananas to be on the left side of the bowl, because they seem to naturally follow that curve and I would probably move some of the small fruit that seem squished under the grapes in front and then steal a few bunches of grapes from behind that wouldn't show and place them to fill in some gaps here and there in a very natural way. That's very fussy isn't it? :-D but it is fine, as it is and the light feels very soft and natural.

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I'l try that, but I need to approach this in a more intimate way. Your work is inspiring and gets away from the formal bowl. I wanted to start with the fruit as it was arranged by my wife and therefore genuine. But it obviously can be improved using the natural shapes of the fruit to work together. It just has to still appear natural and not just a setup for the still life picture!

Asher

Thanks Asher, I agree for it is important not to make the fruit look contrived but I don't think it would. I think you just need to remember that big things normally go on the bottom and smaller things on top or around. Now the smaller fruit may already have been in the platter and she put the grapes on top, as it would be much less trouble that way, but if she started with the big pieces there would be room for the smaller. The bananas don't have to be on the left, it was just a suggestion.

I am a very visual person, when I place something somewhere, I'm always aware of the composition, even if it is just food on a plate. I can't help it. I've always been that way. And I don't mean I fiddle a long time to make it right, I do it quickly, just have an innate sense of some sort of balance. I know that sounds very like I'm boasting, but it was seriously not meant that way. I guess it's a bit like seeing a frame on the wall that is crooked, you just know it is without having to think why.

Asher, I love the light on your first one. Maggie has a point about "composing" the fruit arrangement without making it look contrived.

Zeeshan, I very much like the way you warmed up Asher photo.

Maggie, you know how much I like your work, but the pungent collage and the pears are simply marvelous!

Thanks to all for sharing.

Still life work is something I have long been wanting to do more of, especially to integrate it with an appropriate background. So far, the one I like best was in my show:


Jean

I really enjoy this thread! Especially the beautiful light in Asher's initial posting. I agree with what the folks before already said about the dof and some lack of focus. But still it's a wonderful shot.

Maggie, your pictures rock! Your use of light is very subtle and arranged with excellent skill. I like the way you construct your pictures, the simplicity of the frozen berries and the complexity of the pear pictures. Thank you for these!

Under the guise of ' still life ' we are being tempted by wonderful images, containing potent subliminal messages, to give up being carnivores!!

Asher, as usual, is leading the charge. Maggie with her painterly depictions of fruits bathed in wonderful soft light adds drama to the thread. Jean just hints at what winners photograph.

Beware the threats my friends. There is nothing better than a good rump steak. However wonderful the fruits in Eden might seem. This is beginning of the end I tell you.

fahim mohammed said:

Under the guise of ' still life ' we are being tempted by wonderful images, containing potent subliminal messages, to give up being carnivores!!

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Fahim,

Rest assured, I'm still a hunter and a carnivore. I love good food and as long as I have my strong canines in my mouth, I hope to be in a position to be feasting on fish, poultry and the finest meats. All taken with a conscience, but a good appetite!

Meanwhile, for balance we need to color, vibrancy and balance that fresh fruit bring to us! Here I am getting the fruit, for their beauty, but the bowl keeps getting emptied mysteriously!




The bowl is closer to the windows and the light is less attenuated. Yes, I resisted the temptation to move the fruit to the left to make the presence in the bowl more balanced, but this is the bowl as prepared today. Hope this works for you.

Asher

Good one Fahim!

Asher, what IS that many fingered friut? Is it native to California or where?

Jean

Jean Henderson said:

Asher, what IS that many fingered friut? Is it native to California or where?

Jean

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Jean,

No, it's not native here, but most citrus grows happily in California!. I'd say it's scent is as delicate as an etrog. It comes from the orient. It's called Buddhas's hand! The closed form is favored for offerings in Buddha temples. However, here it's used in salads or on fish as a delicate garnish or flavor.

Buddha's hand, Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis (also known as bushukan　ブッシュカン (Japanese) or fingered citron), is a fragrant citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. The origin of Buddha's hand plant is traced back to Northeastern India or China.[1] Source

Glad you asked!

Asher