Apple orchard harvest

Old-fashioned apple orchard harvest (Jonathan and Delicious). You can see another cluster of bushel baskets in the distance.

View on Black and LARGER.

While visiting Payson, Utah a few years ago, we came across a small, family farm that raised apples (it's on the right side of the road, just before you drive up Payson Canyon). Ever since that first visit, we've tried to stop by around the last week of September.

Styling: As a former commercial photographer, I rarely photograph a shot just as I see, except when I'm doing editorial or environmental photography. My wife and I polished the top layer of apples (taking off the haze and dust) in the four or five closest baskets, in order to increase the color saturation; and I rearranged the position of the baskets slightly to make the shot more visually appealing.

A little styling BEFORE the shot will dramatically improve most photographs. I strongly believe in "fixing" problems before you start shooting, instead of trying to correct it later in Photoshop. The difference between a polished apple and an over-saturated apple in Photoshop is the difference between "appealing" and "garish".

Camera info: This image was shot on film, the last week of September, and not scanned digitally until a few years later. (I forget how nice EXIF is. ;-) The camera was a Nikon FM2, using a 24mm F2.8, and the exposure was probably about F11 @ 1/8 second, using Fujichrome Velvia 50 (taken in open shade, about an hour before sunset).

Breaking the rules: Can a photographer create his own unique style and following by breaking one of the basic rules of composition? Phil Koch did. Please check out the new 'Horizons' gallery i recently created for 18 of Phil's best images, and get some ideas on how you might bust out of your rut.

Sharing, Downloads, and Prints: Need a free image for your personal blog, or want to discuss a commercial license? Contact me or send an email to royce.bair at gmail dot com. Prints and Downloads are available on SmugMug.

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