Kiwi Bear

a possible crop to help balance the photo better.

Image used for Campaign magazine (4th May, 2007:32)
and
Friends of the Earth 'Green Film Competition':
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-q2exNdrwA
---
I set up my photo shoot for the juicy fruit that is the Kiwi fruit, and I spotted this 'animal' in the core of the fruit.

I either think it is shaped like a 'bear' either dancing or 'being exploded' (the pips moving away from the core). I hope you like it.

How I did it? This is going to sound ridiculous, but I used my flexible desk lamp (100W) and set that on a chair, with the lamp tilting upwards, placed next to a table which I then balanced a clear, saucepan lid over the edge of the table (thus the lamp light would be under the lid) and place a 5mm slice of Kiwi onto the lid to get the backlight coming through the seeds.

I haven't got any lighting equipment so I had to make do :)

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Comments

saxon says:

My guess is Winnie the Pooh... did you buy the kiwi from the Disney Store?
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

David Prior says:

Change from a tenner at the Disney Store ;)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

hugefluffy says:

Striking image and colours. Never would have thought of doing that.
The World Through My Eyes
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

1blessedmom Photography says:

I never thought I'd see a bear in a kiwi. Great observation & wonderful detail and lighting.
flickr.com/groups/3-2-1/
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

belgiumpsy says:

stunning colours! Great lighting! wonderful picture!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Cernícalo-e says:

Great shot –123
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

@mp says:

Love your vivisected kiwi! And when you said you'd seen an animal, I looked and thought, "Oh, a dancing bear", before reading on. Funny!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

martinswelt says:

Great shot!
1-2-3
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

∆ toma01 says:

Hmmm, I like it! 1-2-3
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

orsike says:

nice colors! i like it!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Grumpy Chris says:

Very nice! Love the colors and the lighting. How did you light it?

(123)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

David Prior says:

Thanks for all your kind words.

- Grumpy Chris - This is going to sound ridiculous, but I used my flexible desk lamp (100W) and set that on a chair tilting upwards, placed next to a table which I then balanced a clear, saucepan lid over the edge of the table (thus the lamp light would be under the lid) and place a 5mm slice of Kiwi onto the lid to get the backlight coming through the seeds.

I havent got any lighting equipment so I had to make do :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

clairity says:

Cool slice!
(1-2-3 Nature)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Gabriel Heley says:

shot dude, gx
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

fittzer says:

cool....kiwi never looked so good!!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Grumpy Chris says:

Hey, I think improvisation is more impressive than store bought. Excellent work, David.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Sergio Lubezky says:

Thank you for rating and posting in the group!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

blinked says:

Beautiful! Thanks for your explanation of the setup. LOL. Very creative!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

jpopp says:

looks great, nice color !!!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

dre.e says:

i like the tone and the macro view. =D

1-2-3
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Nav A. says:

amazing image. there are so many little things that are making me love this image.
perfect tones.. you are talented
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

curiouz says:

Wonderful detail!

--
Seen in 1-2-3 Nature (?)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

hhsc/Greg says:

Very cool!!

3-2-1
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Cynthia M. Cavalcanti says:

Delicious!!!!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Seoulwoman says:

Very nice shot!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Shrimaitreya says:

I'm rating this one extra for you, because I'm amazed by your dancing bear. What a great eye... I didn't see the bear until you poited it out. The rudimental but very creative way of taking this picture deserves my highest marks for a great macro.

Rating #1:

Rated 10 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Anuj Nair says:

Excellent ! Good lighting,its worth your efforts in experimenting.
Rating #4:

Rated 09 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Sergio Lubezky says:

@ 100 Point members : Next Rating is #3.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Puneet_B says:

Lovely colours! And it does look like a gummy bear.

I did a similar thing, with a similar setup (see tinyurl.com/yb85uh) but your photo's colours are far nicer.

I like the image a lot, and off-centre composition is a great touch. The fruit looks so fresh and juicy -- very appealing. Lovely image, great colours!

Rating #3:

Rated 9 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

HERR MONSTERFROSCH says:

IF YOU LIKE VISIT THE ****4 star fridge and gourmet dinner **** group
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

-Luong- says:

Beautiful color and subject! There is a bear indeed! However I would prefer a centered position.

Rating #4:

Rated 9 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Asad K says:

i love the colors, and i like the composition too, however on seeing it large size it doesnt look very sharp to me, also in large size it seems it has a yellowish tinge in the center which i guess could be fixed in photoshop, yellow hues, in order to keep it the same as the rest of the image...

Rating #5:

Rated 8 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

BryanShooter says:

Fruit photography is really a fun and effective way to make nice pictures. The natural form of the fruit, the patterns, structure and natural beauty are great attributes to photograph.

I like the lighting, the colors, the clarity here. I however feel that it is awkwardly cropped and feel the the seed part gets too little emphasis compared to the relatively boring left hand side. Try a tighter crop as suggested - which would also help to balance the photo better. zooming out may also work, but may be in danger of showing the edges of the kiwi. Overall, a great photo. Also well done with your innovative lighting.

Rating #6:

Rated 6 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

David Prior says:

Thank you all for your comments

- Bryan; I appreciate your comments as you are being honest. I would like to explain my thought processes behind the image; the image hasn't been cropped, I specifically wanted to have the 'bear' off centre as there are so many kiwi images that just have the core in the middle of the photo, and as this is quite an original image, I wanted the composition to be off centre.

I disagree about the 'boring' left hand side as the subtle lines of the fruit point to the core and give the image space to 'breathe' and illustrates the complexity of the fruit.

However I do agree with you about zooming out, I did try this but the edges began to show.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

BryanShooter says:

You took the photo in the right spirit of trying to get out of it more than the normal or average shot of fruit.

I feel that your greatest achievement was getting the light right which on its own makes it better than the average shot. I feel that the dancing bear affect is a curiosity, and adds margenally to the interest of the shot - which is already strong, being a natural looking one of an interesting fruit.

The left side just feels out of place to me and although compositionally it may seem to make sense with the lines and the off center nature, I don't feel that it is really as effective as it is supposed to be in cold analytical terms.

I believe that items in a photo like this should have a pictorial place and if they support the attention of the main subject, then that is even better. As they say, less is more.

Anyhow, I am not the authority of photography, and am just explaining what seems to work for me personally. How to get even more out a simple photo without ending up getting too much - well, its a tricky and sometimes frustrating business of balance, a few attempts possibly standing on their own as possible masterpieces.

I hope you keep experimenting and building on to the great start you have made with the excellent lighting by experimenting more with the setup. To me, a very interesting start with some great potential...
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

David Prior says:

Bryan, thank you once again for your comments. I too, can appreciate where you are coming from... it was a bold decision to make to have the left hand side bare, instead of a a centred crop or zooming out slightly.

Art is subjective and that is great for photography, and this photo is an example of it; my freedom of space is to show the 'landscape' of the dancing bear, where your closeness (crop) is to see more of the bear itself.

Thought provoking comments... thank you.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Ashenzil says:

Sometimes working with macros can be a daunting task. We are so not used to see things that close, that at first everything we capture feels interesting. But I think this macro is really beautiful. Your subject here is wonderful, and even more pretty with this soft, vivid light. I like off-centered composition. The negative space gives more importance to the seeds. I like it, it feels refreshing and original compared to many macro shots. The colors are amazing. Very crisp and detailed image. A beautiful shot. Nice work.

Rating #7:

Rated 8 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Steve from NJ says:

I like the creativity. The colors are very attractive, and I like the great patterns made by the kiwi. Good colors, with contrasting black seeds.As far as the crop, I feel the left is ok, I would actually like a little more left in top and bottom, to allow a complete set of the seeds.

Rating #8:

Rated 8 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

SheldonBranford says:

Rating #9:

I can definitely see the dancing bear here. This is a really nice shot. Love the colors, and the composition -- I don't think I'd follow the suggested crop if it were my photo.

The thing that would make it complete for me, is seeing more of the seeds at the top -- I'm a nut for symmetry and it just seems a bit lacking without them.

Thanks for taking us through your procedure for capturing this shot. I love reading about the inventive things people do to try something a little different.

Rated 9 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

dhansak79 says:

Wonderful shot. I really like the colour and the abstract treatment of the fruit. This would probable look great as abstract art printed onto canvas.

I think that the suggested crop works too although they way you have it is equally good in my opinion.

Rating #10:

Rated 9 out of 10 in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Sergio Lubezky says:

Final rating in the 100 Points group is a massive 85 Points.

Well done!

Please request entry and publish this photograph in the 80-89 Points group and thank you very much for participating in the 100 Points group.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

=Tom= says:

I like this image and agree that the potential crop could help but then you wouldnt have effective use of space on the left of the image. You really could go either way on it. Nice job!
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

snekse @ Gastronomic Fight Club says:

Great idea with the lamp.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Ksionic says:

Great color!
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Fir..(slowly catching up..) says:

Very creative, I might give it a try :) Thanks for sharing :)
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

true love waits says:

great lighting, thanks for explaining how you did it to us!! and i don't agree with the crop suggestion... i like it off-center. otherwise you just get the core of the fruit and my favorite part of the photo is the juicy quality of the left hand side.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Marina Dik. [deleted] says:

heart..
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

iphotostuff says:

I know that there is some cultural misunderstandings here, but I am trying to educate without being too much of a pain in the butt. Sorry if it comes off that way.

a Kiwi is either a New Zealander (human) or the native New Zealand bird. What you have photographed is called "Kiwifruit." It should never be called "Kiwi." It would be equivalent to purchasing a candle from the store "Yankee Candle," going home, and then pointing to it and telling your friends that you purchased a Yankee.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

broadcasterTR says:

:)

Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

premasagar says:

This image is fantastically vibrant - bursting with activity.

Thanks a lot for your Creative Commons license. I've used the photo on a description of a new social media composting website:
dharmafly.com/projects/touchypeely
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

tallawah75 says:

wonderful colours... it looks like a painting...
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

miriness says:

wow its like a piece of artwork!
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

somethingmoore says:

Great photo and thanks for posting how you did it, I've been try to do something similiar and it was very helpfel. thanks
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

spax1867 says:

Using this great photo here:

www.manhelper.com/health_fitness/how_to_easil y_add_more_f...

Under the creative content license
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

Arkaitse says:

Great shot!
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken with a Canon Canon EOS 20D.
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Taken on November 25, 2006
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Kiwi Bear

Comments

*saxon* says:

David Prior says:

hugefluffy says:

1blessedmom Photography says:

belgiumpsy says:

Cernícalo-e says:

@mp says:

martinswelt says:

∆ toma01 says:

orsike says:

Grumpy Chris says:

David Prior says:

*clairity* says:

Gabriel Heley says:

fittzer says:

Grumpy Chris says:

Sergio Lubezky says:

blinked says:

jpopp says:

dre.e says:

Nav A. says:

curiouz says:

hhsc/Greg says:

Cynthia M. Cavalcanti says:

Seoulwoman says:

Shrimaitreya says:

Anuj Nair says:

Sergio Lubezky says:

Puneet_B says:

HERR MONSTERFROSCH says:

-Luong- says:

Asad K says:

BryanShooter says:

David Prior says:

BryanShooter says:

David Prior says:

Ashenzil says:

Steve from NJ says:

SheldonBranford says:

dhansak79 says:

Sergio Lubezky says:

=Tom= says:

snekse @ Gastronomic Fight Club says:

Ksionic says:

Fir..(slowly catching up..) says:

true love waits says:

Marina Dik. [deleted] says:

iphotostuff says:

broadcasterTR says:

premasagar says:

tallawah75 says:

miriness says:

somethingmoore says:

spax1867 says:

Arkaitse says:

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saxon says:

clairity says: