10:28AM, 10/07/2009 - Edible Nasturtium Flowers at Union Square Market

When fresh flowers, or any fresh fruit or vegetables for that matter, are placed into a clear plastic container or bag, they continue to breathe. They exhale carbon dioxide, creating condensation, vapor and water, becoming the artist’s thumb, smearing and distorting the under painting.

This isn’t the first time I’ve photographed edible flowers in boxes; in fact, I may have a few hundred shots like these from a half dozen attempts. This is however, the first time the contents have been right. The colors were right. The condensation was right. The light was right.

If at first you don’t succeed, blah, blah blah.

Which do you prefer?

3 Zucchini Flowers on white background in the studio

7/31/09, 2:57PM - Zucchini flowers on display at the Union Square market in NYC

As I continue to shoot the Union Square Farmer’s (Green?) Market, I see a pattern. My studio work of Union Square produce over the past three years has clean crisp lines and, with a tip of the hat to Avedon, is shot unadorned with simple lighting.

On the other hand, the “as is, where is,” technique I use for the Shooting from the Hip series has an earthy, gritty look due, in part, to higher contrast curves and vignetting in post production.

One has the elegant, but not quite blemish-free, perfect look of food for advertising; the other is a raw, nearly random capture of food as it appears close up and personal, blemishes and all.

I like them both. Which do you prefer?

Which do you prefer?

3 Zucchini Flowers on white background in the studio

7/31/09, 2:57PM - Zucchini flowers on display at the Union Square market in NYC

As I continue to shoot the Union Square Farmer’s (Green?) Market, I see a pattern. My studio work of Union Square produce over the past three years has clean crisp lines and, with a tip of the hat to Avedon, is shot unadorned with simple lighting.

On the other hand, the “as is, where is,” technique I use for the Shooting from the Hip series has an earthy, gritty look due, in part, to higher contrast curves and vignetting in post production.

One has the elegant, but not quite blemish-free, perfect look of food for advertising; the other is a raw, nearly random capture of food as it appears close up and personal, blemishes and all.

I like them both. Which do you prefer?

Mesclun Salad with Edible Flowers at Union Square Market, NYC

Union Square Market – 3:59PM July 31, 2009

It must have been the ozone in the air from today’s storms.

I had better than usual vegetable activity at the Union Square market today. Zucchini flowers were lining up like dancers and baby purple eggplants were laid out like an old master’s painting. And this, a mesclun salad dripping with flowers, compliments of the wonderful woman behind the market table who decided, on her own, to gently shake down fresh new edible flowers over the greens as I took my photos.