September Week 1: The First Fruits of Harvest (Sept 6 – 12)

The First Fruit of the Harvest Challenge: A Step-by-Step 

1. Inspiration Walk: Start by taking a walk in nature, a garden, a local farm, or just in your neighborhood. Allow yourself to take in your the surroundings and get inspired by the early signs of harvest.

2. Detail Scouting:

  • Zoom in on the details. Look for seeds, ripe shoots, or first fruits that catch your eye.
  • Keep the theme of contrast in mind. Feel the textures around you and observe the contrasts – the roughness of tree bark, the silkiness of a leaf, or the crinkles on a drying fruit.

3. Time Your Adventure:

  • Get out in the early mornings or late afternoons. This is when the light is soft, making textures stand out and colors pop.
  • The morning dew can be a great element to incorporate, especially against dry dirt or leaves.

4. Frame with Intention:

  • When you find your subject, think about the composition.
  • Remember the rule of thirds: Picture your frame divided into nine equal parts, like a Tic Toe board. Try to put your subject at one of the intersections of these lines.

5. Capturing Contrast:

  • Place your subject so that the contrasting textures pop. For instance, place a smooth apple against the rough texture of a tree.
  • Feel free to be creative and rearrange, move, or change a bit. Maybe you could lay your harvest on a pile of dried leaves.

6. Experiment and Play:

  • Take many shots from different angles. This helps in finding the most interesting view of your subject and its contrasting background.
  • If you’re using a camera with adjustable settings, play with the depth of field to make the subject stand out even more.

7. Review:

  • Once you’re happy with the shot, take a moment to review it. Check if the contrasts are evident and if the rule of thirds improves the composition.

8. Post-processing (optional):

  • If you’re familiar with photo editing tools, you can enhance the contrast or tweak the brightness and colors to make your image pop even more.

9. Share and Reflect:

  • Share your best shots with our group.
  • Think about the process, note what you’ve learned, and think about how you can apply these things to the next challenge.

Remember, these steps are guidance help you use you camera, the most important thing is to have fun, try new things, and enjoy capturing the beauty of the harvest through your lens! 📷🌾🍂