Project 365 – Day 34
September 8, 2009
“The Potato: Part One”
Right. Not the type of shot you would expect to see from me. I guess I’ve got some explaining to do. A week ago I took a photograph of that same potato, laying on a burlap. A very innocent subject albeit its intriguing shape. People see strange things in Rorschach inkblots, clouds… the gnarled potato triggered that kind of response. It was very interesting to experience what others were seeing. A comment struck me: “Possibly putting it in a suggestive situation would be better. Something people wouldn’t want to do with it.” Some ideas were put forth and it really inspired me to get a project started. Working with a perishable makes you act fast, too.
I have planned four scenes so far, each more thought-provoking than the other. It won’t be for everybody’s taste, but I hope people can get past their initial reaction and understand the concept behind it. This is the introduction. I haven’t decided yet where the next parts will be featured. I need to make sure it cannot hurt sensible eyes first. I will be taking some liberties with my editing during this project, which I will fully disclose. In this shot, I desaturated the yellows and oranges to make the whole scene more evocative. As usual, I welcome any constructive criticism and will be happy to read what you have to say.
Further reading:
“The Potato: Part Two”