Much effort goes into typical cover shoots and this one was no exception. Burpee managers provided rough ideas on how best to showcase this new collection. The colored tomatoes were wrangled up by the talented farm staff at Fordhook and an antique-loving employee provided the perfect scale. The background surface was built from old oak shelves we found in the Seed Barn – they were covered with grime but came up beautifully after a thorough wash. When all the elements were gathered, the AD and I roughed out the composition to allow quiet space for the Burpee logo and sell lines. To create a sense of depth while maintaining sharp focus on key aspects required a minimal lens aperture and a perspective controlled lens. Finally, we finessed the fruit, shooed the flies off the cut tomatoes and softened the hard morning sun with a diffusion panel. Click.
Yeah, yeah, but how did they TASTE?
Rich, I have no idea! At this point in September, I’ve completely lost my appetite for fresh tomatoes. I’ll bring them home, slice and dehydrate them and then savor them through the winter months when that flavor is SUBLIME!