Fall Still Life

I have a confession to make. I’m not the biggest fan of classic paintings. Every time I go to an art museum, I have the best of intentions to truly take in the art. Absorb its energy. Understand the techniques used. Appreciate the skill and mastery that went into its creation. And every time, I end up . . . bored. And then I meander to the photography section of the museum and feel at home again. The one and only exception to this is old Dutch masters still life paintings. The use of light and shadow in these paintings could be taught in master classes on photography. The dark backgrounds often employed allow the vibrance of the food and its mouthwatering textures to be front and center.

So when our town hosted its annual photography contest and I was randomly assigned the category of “Still Life,” I immediately looked to those Dutch masters for inspiration. I chose a classic fall fruit - persimmons- and utilized natural light like those Dutch painters to highlight the texture and bright orange color of my chosen fruit. Achieving that “dark and moody” aesthetic while still maintaining bright, clear colors can be tricky and I found myself reaching for my black foam core boards to help absorb some of the excess light coming from the top and right side of the frame. That method also helped produce more crisp shadows, similar to those seen in 16th century Dutch still life paintings. Overall, I was quite please with the outcome. My entry ended up winning first place in the Still Life category!

The winning image

Two runners up in my mind. I had a hard time choosing what to submit but ultimately decided on one that really featured the fruit as the star.

Ben, my furry assistant. Don’t worry, I do not enlist his help for most food dishes because, ya know, fur . . . :)