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Tomatoes are good for you
2nd PlaceTomatoes are good for you
IreneM


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Healthy Food (Basic Editing)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D
Location: Kitchen
Date: Apr 26, 2008
Aperture: f16
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500 s
Galleries: Still Life, Food and Drink
Date Uploaded: Apr 29, 2008

 I started off with a grape on the fork - no good. Then a very thin slice of grape "draped" over the fork, also no good. I then bought some tomatoes and warned my hurband not to touch them till I was finished photographing them ;-) Did a load of shots and decided on this one because of the colour combination and the line of the fork.

Post challenge:
These have been THE most unbelievable couple of weeks for me! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I’m in seventh heaven!

On the technical side, this was a very difficult lighting job (blown highlights all over the place because the tomato was so smooth and waxy looking). I ended up having to build a makeshift light tent (which was good practice for the future, I suppose).

For those who thought this was a red balloon(?) or a plastic ball, I promise you, it’s an ordinary tomato. When I bought them, I assumed they were cherry tomatoes. After reading that some were doubting the authenticity of the tomato (can’t believe I just wrote that ;-), I went back to the shop to confirm that they were indeed cherry tomatoes. However, apparantly they are “Pflaumenstrauchtomaten”. I translate this as being plum bush tomatoes which, according to Wikipedia, are slightly larger than cherry tomatoes and slightly smaller than normal tomatoes.

Sorry about the shabby fork, it was the best one I could find. Can’t understand why it’s so scratched, it’s only 25 years old ;-D

Some mentioned the missing half of the border. I don’t know how this happened, I can see the border no problem on my file at home but after uploading to dpc part of it seems to be missing or very faded. Strange. Oliver mentioned it first and I hadn’t even noticed. Arrggghh….

Anyway, here are two outtakes. One from the first evenings shooting and a cleaned up fork version for Abstract.


Btw, thanks also for the great score, you guys.

Violinist123 asked how I lit the scene. My makeshift light tent was 4 high tumblers with a sheet of glass propped on them. I covered the lot with a white sheet. The fork was taped to a mustard glass so I could flash from outside the sheet but under the tomato. The other flash was pointing in the same direction as the first but was waaay over to the right to avoid the blown highlights as much as possible.

Statistics
Place: 2 out of 109
Avg (all users): 7.5338
Avg (commenters): 7.8125
Avg (participants): 7.3478
Avg (non-participants): 7.5702
Views since voting: 13400
Views during voting: 513
Votes: 281
Comments: 72
Favorites: 23 (view)

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AuthorThread
 06/28/2008 03:07:04 PM
The tomato looks luscious and luminous! I like this shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/12/2008 02:32:33 PM
Great shot Irene!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/11/2008 05:24:51 PM
Keep bringing on the fantastic shots!!!!Way to go Irene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/11/2008 07:57:05 AM
Great work!! Wonderful composition brilliantly executed! Congrats on the Ribbon!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/11/2008 03:41:38 AM
brilliant photo Irene Congrats on your ribbon
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/10/2008 12:33:41 AM
Still wowing them go Irene..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2008 08:48:01 AM
Its it so wonderful, an absolute eye catcher and striking. Great work Irene!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2008 09:29:24 AM
This was great, glad to see it did so well. Can you post a sentence or two on how you lit it?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 11:02:36 PM
Irene, Irene, Irene Wow! :-D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 08:14:01 PM
so perfect. Suits you profile well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 06:12:02 PM
Congrats Irene! Who needs water... ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 05:09:09 PM
Congrats! Another great shot!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 02:08:17 PM
Great Capture! Great Set-Up! Congratulations! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 01:36:21 PM
Irene, to me you have really developed your unique style in the last few months. I'm not suprised when I see your images in the top 10 or as ribbons. Good work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 01:04:45 PM
I'm sorry I didn't vote on the challenge, but when I reviewed the images, this was my favorite. Great job, all of your work payed off!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:22:35 PM
Hey Lady!
Save some ribbons for the rest of us!!
YOU ARE AMAZING! Dang Proud of ya!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 10:41:56 AM
Congratulations! This was my top image. I love the lighting and the way the tomato seems to almost glow.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 09:40:20 AM
It's a good Ribbon Week for Irene, huh?! That's great! Congratulations on a shot well-deserving of the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 09:40:10 AM
WOW, two Iren'e on the same page!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 09:13:02 AM
Brilliant shot Irene, into my favs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 08:32:33 AM
Congratulations to an other success. 7.5+ and not the blue, tough challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 08:01:06 AM
AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 06:54:44 AM
Congratulations Irene, great work congrats on another ribbon you are on a roll. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 06:36:38 AM
congrats on the red Irene
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 06:03:43 AM
Irene you never cease to amaze. Ribbon hog. Keep it up!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 05:07:07 AM
Irene, alles, was man zu Deinen Fotos sagen kann, wurde schon gesagt! :-)
Du bist einfach eine super tolle Fotografin!

Congratulations for another deserved ribbon!

Message edited by author 2008-05-07 08:25:55.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 04:50:41 AM
You have been on such a roll that they need to call this site IreneMChallenge! You of course amaze me every time Irene and once again you have delivered...Enzo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 03:36:20 AM
Congrats, Irene! When will you take a break from ribboning?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 03:02:37 AM
Congratulations. It makes a great stock pix, but it's a bit too sterile for my liking - the lighting on the tomato is way too flat, making it look a bit plastic. But given the job I'd probably won't make it half as good, so - good job, again.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 01:23:17 AM
Wow... Another ribbon...
Knew this picture was going to beat me...I too love this pic.
Congrats on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:45:46 AM
Holy Mackerel, it's you again. What a wonderful photo. It is so cool that you really are in your element right now.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:28:02 AM
Wow, this is beautiful Irene!! You are on quite a roll...congrats on a great score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:14:42 AM
Wow, what a roll! The Ribbon Hogs are gonna need a new member. Congrats! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:09:23 AM
WOW Irene...Just WOW - It's been fun following your ribbon trail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:08:09 AM
quit hoggin the front page Irene!!! :P Lovely shot, well deserved ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:07:19 AM
WOW WOW WOW, You are definitely on a roll..... PERFECT.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2008 12:04:01 AM
Congratulations on a star of an image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/06/2008 11:50:57 PM
Whetting the appetite scale: 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2008 11:44:14 PM
I like the reflections from the tines on the lower part of the tomato.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2008 04:39:15 PM
Very clean, concise and sharp image.
Should do well...good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/06/2008 09:23:12 AM
i liek the light coming from the bottom.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/05/2008 10:11:43 PM
So they are. Good one. Like the comp and colors.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2008 03:10:00 PM
Not sure why you would have a whole tomato on a fork, but nice picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2008 03:59:37 AM
looks like a balloon on a spoon ........ nicely done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2008 06:37:25 PM
Not voting just commenting. Excellent lighting and composition. Perfectly executed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2008 02:59:30 PM
Nice photo, the contrast between the metal and the red is greeat. The half border is a little on the odd side and did not add anything.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2008 01:07:40 PM
Very nice composition, black background gives nice contrasts to red.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 11:46:00 PM
Simple and clean!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 05:33:38 PM
the overall sharpness of your image really makes it stand out
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 03:10:58 PM
Nice work

Message edited by author 2008-05-07 17:03:24.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 12:54:28 PM
simple and elegant. i like the lighting, especially the one from below, a lot. wish you had used a new "shiny" fork though.
i dont take off, or give more, points because of frames, but i did not like the non-uniform frame.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 09:41:10 AM
tomato looks a little pink, other than that kool shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 08:57:08 AM
great use of lighting and composition
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2008 03:13:03 AM
That tomato almost seems to be glowing from inside
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 07:40:41 PM
Great lighting on the tomato!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 07:09:02 PM
Simplicity at its finest. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 11:14:25 AM
nice composition, lighting a bit harsh, it has made everything look plastic
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 10:32:54 AM
one of the best competitors in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 10:24:39 AM
good picture ..doesn't look like a real tomato
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 09:47:40 AM
The reflection in the tomatoe is a little strange
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 01:58:27 AM
so simple and so perfect! Very well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2008 01:03:37 AM
That tomatoe is so perfect it totally looks like a balloon with a stem stuck to it. Nice job, I like it :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 09:18:52 PM
Crisp, clean, studio dpc quality. The tomato looks so clean and perfectly round it looks more like a child's rubber ball than a tomato.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 05:21:27 PM
That tomato looks surreal. I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 03:28:08 PM
It doesn't look really healthy, does it? Kinda plastic. But still a good shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 11:41:51 AM
Nice presentation and the color of that tomatoe really pops out.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 11:36:13 AM
Very good. I like the translucency? of the tomato.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 10:37:36 AM
clean and simple, excellent focus, well composed, good lighting. the missing red border at left and top will cost you some points. nevertheless, one of my ribbon picks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 10:07:32 AM
Perfect.. Well done!!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 08:53:43 AM
Nice fresh and clean.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 12:30:24 AM
love the lighting...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2008 12:14:20 AM
wonderful color, i swear im going to reach in and steal your tomato to put in my salad!-10
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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