Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments

The July assignment in my still-life photo project for this year requested “Seasonal Fruits and Refreshments” and I knew exactly where to look for it – in our own garden.

For gardening, this year was quite generous in terms of weather. The spring late frosts did not cause much damage and the early summer brought just enough rain. And there’s definitely something deeply satisfying about photographing fruit you’ve watched growing on your own trees and bushes – it transforms a creative assignment into something much more personal.

The blueberries have become my favorite breakfast addition, brightening my morning oat flakes and yoghurt with their pleasing tartness. They’re not only beautiful, they’re delicious too!

While editing, I experimented with converting the blueberry image at the top to black and white, curious to see what would happen with the atmosphere of the image. The result intrigued me enough to create an entire monochrome series from the original three shots.

The transformation surprised me. Where the color versions document a moment, the black and white images with a slight blue tinge feel dreamier, more contemplative.

And perhaps that’s what I’m learning photography can do: not just show what was there, but evoke memories and emotions.

The assignment for August featured “Music and Sound,” which I’ll be sharing next time…