Step 1: Understand the Problem
Consider what the goal of your photography is
Honestly, the goal of my photography is to take some cool looking pictures of fruits and vegetables, something more interesting than just a picture of fruit and vegetables seems on the surface.
What will you communicate?
I want to communicate an appreciation for the form and texture of the fruits and vegetables, to show off their intrinsic value.
Why are you photographing Fruits and Veggies?
I am photographing fruits and veggies to show compositional skill, even with a seemingly boring object.
What are you exploring in this assignment?
I am attempting to explore how I can use my creative abilities to make a simple subject appear interesting and miraculous.
What might be your greatest challenge to reach success?
I think my biggest challenge to success will be finding fruits and vegetables and finding an interesting environment to place them in.
2. Research Information and Topic Thoroughly
Researched your purpose. Clarify what is needed to be successful
Through looking at other photographers attempts at this problem, I think that to be successful I need to create interest in the fruit. Inherently pictures of just a piece of fruit are going to be boring, to alleviate this something needs to differentiate the photo.
What would a food photographer say it takes to be successful at a career in food photography?
I would think that someone in this field would say that the basis of their career involves making food look appetizing in the photograph, and manipulating the subject and the photograph to get people to eat it. The best example of this is fast food where the pictures of the food look delicious, but the final product is overall sub par.
What types of lighting are you going to explore....how?
The main type of lighting I want to do is a softer light, like at the brink of dusk where it's bluer, and not very bright. It creates a strange atmosphere and I think it will hopefully look like the fruit doesn't belong, creating a more interesting photo.
Stage 3: Generate Possible Solutions
3. Brainstorm ideas for visual imagery representing elements of your topic -- Show your brainstorming as idea webs, clouds, lists, found imagery, small sketches of elements (the more the better)
-Juxtaposition
-Weird stuff for fruit to be doing
-Strawberry on a Banna
-Banana stuck in a watermelon
-Strawberries or apples in places where there shan't be strawberries or apples.
-Really up close pictures, focused on detail
-Later amber lighting
-Cloud cover lighting, softer, bluer.
-Something like this would be cool but idk
-Get good sharp color saturation
-Shallow depth of field for up close fruit
-Stacking the fruits
4. Begin sketching thumbnail ideas for your concept.
Sketch at least 4 different rough design solutions
Thumbnail sketches should be about 4" sketches in sketchbook
Designs should be ORIGINAL though inspiration is commonly found from other artists!
Think about qualities of Light and Shadow
STAGE 4: Select and Develop Best Solution
Select the best solution
-I think I'm gonna do the one of the stacked fruits, and also the up close of the apple, but maybe not with an apple.
Notate why you have chosen it
-I think the stacked fruits provided an interesting concept, and shows the fruits well, while creating something visual interest. I also think that an up-close photo would be better suited to something like a strawberry where there are intricate. finer details that can be captured on the surface of the fruit.
Finalize a new detailed sketch of best solution
Sketch the layout of entire design with sizes being accurate
Focus on possible color schemes
STAGE 5: Model and Prototype (Create)
This is a section of images I shot but for various reason I did not choose to be my final two images:
STAGE 6: Test and Evaluate
Self-reflect and carefully evaluate your successes and failures
My ideas for composition were overall pretty good and i turned out a few good pictures, however I definitely had some weaknesses. One of them is that I need to shoot more, and adjust more on each shot. There were some shots which may have turned out well except they were out focus or frames poorly, if I had shot more this would have been avoided. I also need to take more time in taking my images to ensure mistakes such as exposure and focus don't effect my shots.
How could you take it further or improve?
I think a big aspect that could have taken this project further would have been to shoot in a more interesting location. I think I did well with just shooting in my backyard, but a new location opens up more creative opportunities and could have imagined my original vision better.
STAGE 7: Produce
Self Reflection
In this project I believe I produced some very strong photographs, both of the focus on the fruits in a different environment, the first focuses on the detail of the strawberry, the other on the juxtaposition of the fruits balanced in the tree. This being said I definitely think that the first image of the strawberry was stronger, it uses emphasis well and does a good job showing what I wanted, which was the detail and interesting colors and contours of the berry. The second image is interesting but I don't think its as strong as the first. I believe this could've been improved with a more interesting environment and background for the stacked fruit. If I had stacked them somewhere were it really looked like they didn't belong I think the contrast of the picture would have been more extreme and the final image would have been better. I think moreover I learned that effort into creativity and the process will result in a better image. The first image I planned and I knew what I wanted more exactly and it turned out better, while the second I left my plan kind of vague and it didn't turn out as good as I thought it would have. Overall, I'm happy with the result of my project, but I definitely see some room where I could have improved if I were to do it again.
