Still life

[GB1]

Experimenting with fruits and veggies. Shot on Kodachrome. Comments welcome.

[Lava Lamp]

Experimenting with fruits and veggies. Shot on Kodachrome. Comments welcome.

I don't have any practical experience with this other than looking at this sort of thing in books and museums. But as a photographer I'd point out the hot spot at bottom left in the bowl and suggest that the cropped veggies at the edges of the photo seem awkward. It might be better without the bowl. I guess I tend to think simplicity is the way to start.

[jar_e]

I don't have any practical experience with this other than looking at this sort of thing in books and museums. But as a photographer I'd point out the hot spot at bottom left in the bowl and suggest that the cropped veggies at the edges of the photo seem awkward. It might be better without the bowl. I guess I tend to think simplicity is the way to start.

I have to agree. The hot spot on the bowl is distracting and out of place, and the subjects are almost 'too' busy. I'd, personally, enjoy maybe two or three pieces of fruit compared to half a dozen. On the other hand, I've never taken shots of fruit so my knowledge in that aspect is limited.

Great potential,

Jared

[drg]

Experimenting with fruits and veggies. Shot on Kodachrome. Comments welcome.

Still like those Kodachrome colors after all these years even though I haven't used it in a long time.

As as still life goes, the picture has the necessary centrism of subject, framing and it is a collection if you will.

But is it a still life exploring color or fruit and vegetables or arrangement or shape or realtionship of some all of these elements?

I don't care for the arrangement because of the the counterpoint (juxtaposition) of the potatoes and lettuce etc... The garlic bulb looks like an afterthought, (though it might work in the middle of the bowl)

The form is usually at is basic to display particular elements and/or technical virtuosity in one or more facets. How well shape and color is captured might be an example.

They are thus challenging to critique without having a clear vision of what is being caught (regardless of the medium) and thereby presented. As I said I'm not sure what combination you are going for here.

Still lifes in photography are tricky as they show both success and failure side by side in each attempt. Exposure, focus, DOF and all the other various technical aspects immediately are obvious and need to be accouunted for. Yet photography lets us create several variations quickly to find the optimum presentation.

This one has a lot of good technical features but the subject and its arrangement are not concise enough for my tastes. And there's an adversion among some (not me necessarily) about bananas. That's for another time!

I hope you won't take this as too negative. I sincerely mean this as a constructive critique.

Keep at it and good luck - CDP

[readingr]

Just started taking still life and trying to get to grips with lighting and all the problems you find.

I like the composition except for the garlic bulb which seems out of place. The glare in the bowl is off putting. I like the framing by the other veg.

other than that Iove the colours

[Ryguyinlj]

im getting hungry...

[GB1]

Thanks for the comments!

Yes this photo has some serious issues; I didn't want to inject thoughts into the critique process so I didn't say much in the writeup. I think it's a compositional experiment that simply didn't pan out, almost like an "X" shooting off in every direction. The glare is somewhat distracting, I shot this on a white cutting board that I never cut on - maybe it would have been better with a different background? But the hotspot on the dish would still be there.

For all its problems (way too many to call it a sucess), there's still something interesting about it. As DRG mentioned, it's hard to figure out what is happening here... Maybe it's the curiousity of trying to figure it out that even makes it worth commenting on? (note that even the photography has no idea.)

Also, funny how I thought that the bowl was the better part of the photo where 4/5 that commented feel the opposite.

Back to the drawing board on Still Lifes..

GB

[JK_Photo]

Just a quick comment since it's mostly been covered.
I think the lighting is too cool. Not very inviting. Warm it a bit and it would be more appealing.
Saturated a bit more also. See attached.

[CarbonTerry]

I think that your light source is too small causing small, almost specular highlights on the fruit. Try moving the light closer if possible. That in effect makes the light source larger. You could also put a layer of some sort of diffusion material between the present source and the subject.
A larger, softer high light will be more pleasing.
The hardest thing in the world to do is to make something look casual or natural. All of the fruit/veggies look staged. Sorry, but I had to arrange stuff like this for years and if there were 3 art directors on the set there were a possible 300,000 ways to arrange 3 items. LOL
Placing an object on each corner does not help at all.
Move in closer and eliminate some of the b/g.The red pepper has a “ding” right in the high light that’s distracting to me.
I think you need more or less objects in the bowl. (I sound like an art director!) You have an even number of objects. Try to work in odd numbers. (that’s what I’ve been told by lots of folks that thought they were smarter than the last art director that had the same job!!)
I think a darker toned b/g would not pull the attention from the bowl.
Also moving the light to one side a little may help get rid of the glare.
There is evidence of double shadows right at the front of the frame.
Maybe some water/glycerin/karo syrup “spritzed” on the objects to make them more appealing (no pun).
The stems of the peppers need to be re-trimmed to eliminate the dried up edges (personal taste there). Think about cutting them very short.
The potato does not work for me. A really dark object on the edge of the frame.
Still life is difficult....

[JK_Photo]

Terry: You said it...and then some!
Excellent suggestions.

[natatbeach]

Glad to see someone else playing with their food.

I like the variety of veggies and fruits and that you didn't feel confined to stick to one type alone. I also love the variety of textures and colors represented.

areas for improvemnet...hot spots can be toned down with about 30 seconds of editing...if you wanna avoid that try lighting from two separate directions (i'm no expert on lights I have had similar difficulties lighting from above with a single light source) I think maybe reshooting at a slight angle (moving yourslef around rather than the food) kinda adds a nice diagonal dynamic going on....less atright on...i would really like to see more...glad you posted

below are what I suggested and how it woukld potentially look...sorry the veggies were distorted
;)

[GB1]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I'm a little surprised at the response this pic generated. I thought it was a basket case of a photo, but I guess food attracts everyone.

JK_Photo, I think your suggestion about the warmth of the photo is right on, but I think it could use even more than what you added.. Maybe I'll try a warming filter next time (which will play some havoc on my exposure calculations since I'm using a lightmeter). Funny, they claim Kodachrome is a warm film... but it seems all the shadows are blue (hmmm...). CarbonTerry, your suggestions are great and much appreciated. The light source was already pretty big... a 1000w strobe about 6 feet from the subject (think I shot it at about 350w) but it definitely needs diffussion. Since I'm doing all of this myself it's kind of hard since I'd have to manually hold something (what?) between the light and subject and it would have to be consistent with the test shots for the metering. I think I could have used your art directors' help btw... the arrangement stuff can drive you nuts! It's also hard to find perfect subjects at the store when you want them (funny, even now when I'm doing normal grocery shopping I end up looking for unblemished fruit) - maybe that's a PS job? Natatbeach, I like the way you edited it (even though the edit at the hotspot is not 'perfect') esp the way you rotated the bowl (which everyone hates). I do need a second light... but the first one was so expensive that I haven't found the resources to get a 2nd yet. That's why most of my shots are at roughly the same angle as the camera (which is getting old already). Guess I need to check eBay and see what's available for discount.

Thanks for all the excellant comments everyone..
GB

[ckozo]

... the arrangement stuff can drive you nuts! ....GB

the challenge of arranging the elements so that they look random and natural even tho they were assembled by an ordered and unnatural method!!!

as has been mentioned, the arrangement of the elements appears unnatural....i would say a "forced" composition