Food In Focus: Summer’s Figs and Tomatoes Harvest

summer’s tomato harvest- edible gardening

I don’t usually talk about “photography” on the Teenie Cakes journal and used to save that for my photography blog (which is not live right now). There are many shoots that are not shared unless they’re related to a specific recipe. So now I’m asking myself, “but why not ?” This is a photography journal that has always centered around food and recipes. Just recently I’ve added the edible garden section because it’s such a big part of my life and love right now…and it fits and…it makes sense.

This is part of my “edible garden” category on the Teenie Cakes photography journal. A few captures from last year’s harvest that I never shared and these images never saw the light of day again after they were downloaded. Some thoughts and photographer notes…

With the small cherry tomatoes captures, I was going for a feel of yesteryear using objects around the garden harvest that one might have found in a kitchen that was set up several decades ago. From the rustic, well-used wood handled kitchen utensils in the canning jar, vintage (that’s what they’re calling these now) measuring spoons and cups and wooden surface – a feel from a kitchen well employed.

Natural lighting from the left and trying to set the time of day to somewhere in early morning, definitely before noon. The colors from both the fruits and vegetables provide just enough color to cause focus and attention to themselves – the focus and subject of the image.

summer’s fig harvest – edible gardening

There’s always something beautiful about capturing vegetables and fruits at their ripest and most beautiful peak time. However, there is something to be said about capturing the aged nuances too. These garden figs may be past their prime for some uses, but they’re just as interesting and beautiful to capture. I loved their graduated colors and defined textures as the pods begin its slow demise. Window lighting from the back.

summer’s tomato harvest- edible gardening

Spraying some water on the garden tomatoes on the smallish wooden board (it’s really a coaster shaped as a small cutting board!), lent a sense of freshness. The water droplets along with the bright green stems convey that these are unquestionably fresh from picking and perhaps are about to be prepped in someone’s next meal.

summer’s fig harvest – edible gardening

A different lighting angle and again, emphasizing texture, colors and age. These Black Mission figs didn’t need any props to tell their story.

yesteryear summer’s tomato harvest- edible gardening

Rounding out the theme for a feeling of yesteryear and nostalgia, some post-processing treatments from Lightroom. Playing and dabbling with the Split Toning adjustments in the Develop module, along with maybe adding some grain to the image under the Effects tab can give some interesting results. I enjoyed how after the tweaks the end result still let the beautiful reds and yellows just pop from the tomatoes and their fuzzy stems.

On another note – a photography series…

The Ovation channel airs a really interesting series called Capture with Mark Seliger. It’s on at a rather odd time for Southern California in my area, Sunday at 4:30pm, but if you have some time to catch it, it’s very interesting in listening to these professional artists and photographers discuss their thought process and experiences in the world of photography.© Images & content: Cristina A-Moore for TeenieCakes.com.