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We Can’t Stop Looking at These Mutant Fruits and Veggies
Boston-based photographer Bruce Peterson’s mutated fruits are fascinating to behold, but they also serve a critical purpose. These shots, commissioned by the CML Response Project, were created to illustrate an advertisement for cancer screening technology. Hidden within a grid of perfectly proportioned healthy produce, each abnormal specimen highlights the difficulty of detecting leukemia and other cancerous cells. The copy reads “Locate the Mutation.”
Each of Peterson’s mutant fruits were constructed post-production, as it was impossible to locate aberrant but photogenic organisms within the given time table. Finding attractive produce in general was a challenge, as the shoot took place in winter, when strawberries in particular are out of season. Even in warm climates like Florida and Los Angeles, notes the artist, the timing was not optimal for finding fresh produce. After numerous scouting sessions, he was finally was able to find vibrant, ripe pieces that worked seamlessly with the project.
The shoot, explains Peterson, centered completely around the fruits, and the absence of other factors in the frame left little room for error. Of the flawless and minimal images, he says, “I believe it takes a sophisticated approach to arrive at simplicity.”
© Bruce Peterson / Offset
All photos featured in this post can be found on Offset, a new curated collection of high-end commercial and editorial photography and illustration from award-winning artists around the world. Offset is a category partner on Feature Shoot.