For the most part I don't like taking pictures of anything that doesn't include people. But, part of the fun of being a photographer is enjoying the challenge that comes with shooting something that you don't particularly like.
My Into to Digital Workflow class assignment was to shoot still life: fruits/vegetables.
I actually groaned out loud when I read the assignment... but I'm glad I did it.
I know precisely what the photos of all my peers are going to look like... just google "fruit" and look through the images. That's gonna be my entire class.
Looking to get something a little different, I decided to do just one piece of fruit, simple black background. Whereas most of my classmates could set up their photos on their own, the shot below required three people to make. Me at the camera, one of my group members holding the strawberry and one pouring water from a Nalgene bottle.
It's a simple one-light setup using a White Lightning flash camera-left and behind the subject through a 3' or 4' diffuser. The flash had some serious power to it: I was shooting at 1/250 and F14 ISO 100. I usually despise selective color, but I feel that it works really well with this image, so I'll keep it.
Also new for these images: double border and a new logo that I'm trying out. I sign my prints with a simple M inside a B and then the year of the print, so I made it into a logo. During this year's redesign of my website (whenever that happens) the images will likely get these borders with the logo. This shot will definitely be in my edited portfolio.
It feels really good to add something to my portfolio, something I haven't done in a couple months.
Off to shoot some landscapes of the gorgeous aspen colors changing in Flagstaff this evening... I hope to post something either tomorrow or Monday.
