My first challenge for this year is peppers. Any size, shape or variety; just peppers. I confess I have always loved photographing peppers, so this felt like a great way to start my challenge and reminded me why I love food photography. In short it was easy to feel motivated at the start of the Challenge. I had intended I would do one photograph per Challenge, to be realistic about what was achievable, but it seems like I may do more. Whenever I photograph peppers I think of the amazing work of Edward Weston. Even though I choose to specialise in food photography I think it is important to know the wider field and its history. I often find I am drawing on influences from other photography genres, as well as visual arts more generally and even on some occasions poetry and literature.
I think it is important not to limit our creativity and drawing on lots of influences is what helps me to keep developing my work. In red peppers I created a moody and dark atmosphere to bring out the shapes and textures. In bucket of peppers I introduced some smaller peppers and added the green ones to create a dynamic colour range. It was also a slight spoof on those little buckets of chips that gastro pubs seem so keen on serving. Red and Green was a deliberately simplified styling, making sure the peppers are really the stars, with one green pepper in each bunch adding some energy and drawing the eye in.