How To Make Fun Photos In The Orange Groves
Fun photo of actor, Alex Dimitriades, in the orange groves, Mildura, Australia.
Making fun photos in the orange groves, while working as a stills photographer on Summer Coda, the first full length film directed by Richard Gray, was a truly great experience.
Set in and around the orange groves of the Sunraysia region, where the Murray River borders northwest Victoria and southwest New South Wales, Summer Coda provided me with opportunities to make lots of portraits, both formal and candid, in addition to nature and landscape photos.
This post features several of the orange groves depicted in the film and, importantly, the actors who brought the script to life with so much sensitivity.
The above photo features actor Alex Dimitriades whose performance brilliantly captured the intensity and anguish of his character, Michael.
Fun photo depicting a candid moment in the orange groves near Mildura.
Fun, Candid Moments in the Orange Groves
Here's some of the other actors, who worked so hard to make this film, in a fun moment between takes.
Due to commitments back in Melbourne, I was unable to stay in Mildura throughout the entire multi-week Summer Coda shoot.
But every time I arrived back in Mildura I was greeted with brutal heat. I tell you, summer in Mildura is not for the faint hearted.
Despite the fun and camaraderie that goes along with working on a film shoot, there was always a measure of relief when other commitments called me back to Melbourne.
I remember flying into Mildura late afternoon, to hot and humid conditions, the day before my first official duties.
Some of the actors had been taken to a commercial orange grove, not far out of town, and it seemed like a good opportunity for me to meet them and get them used to me bobbing around with a camera.
Fortunately, as you see here, the unusually humid conditions provided nice, soft light which made it easier to control contrast within the scene.
Candid action caught in the orange groves near Mildura, Australia.
Orange Grove Action: When the Fruit Flys
This photo, which came about quite intuitively, shows actor Daniel Frederiksen, who played Miklos in the film.
I could sense he was looking to start an orange fight.
To record the photo of Daniel throwing an orange I simply locked my focus on his eye and waited for the moment between him taking aim and actually throwing the orange.
This approach allowed me to both depict the intention and concentration in his eye, as well as freezing the action, at a relatively average shutter speed, within a single exposure.
I was okay with the orange recording a little bit blurry, as that enhanced the sense of action in what was, otherwise, a sharp and somewhat static photo.
It's my view that, if you rely too much on the technology inside your camera, you'll likely lose the skill to see and record interesting moments in time.
Photographing action is not as simple as setting a high shutter speed and engaging continuous shooting mode on your camera.
That's just technology, and I don’t believe it’s particularly creative to continually rely on a spray and pray approach to your photography.
Historically, great action photos were made long before such technology existed.
About To Travel?
Make Better Photos By Studying The Past
The first great action image I'm aware of is the famous picture of a man being shot, while running, during the Spanish Civil War.
It’s said to be the first action photograph portraying the moment an individual died in battle.
Photographer, Hungarian-American Robert Capa, made an image that was, for its time, both shocking for its realism, and groundbreaking for the subject matter it depicted.
To create this unrepeatable image, Capa had to overcome the limited technology of the day through excellent powers of observation and a very keen sense of timing.
Over recent years the authenticity of that photo has been challenged. Some now say it’s a fake.
However, I can remember how profound the experience of viewing the image was the first time I saw it, projected onto a classroom screen, way back in 1986.
I was in Melbourne, Australia, during my first year formerly studying photography.
The facts associated with the making of Robert Capa’s classic Spanish Civil War image, true or otherwise, can't take that profound experience away from me.
Cold blue light of an approaching storm above the orange groves, Australia.
Rain Brings Renewal and Restores Mind and Body
Amongst the excessive heat, with temperatures into the low and mid forties (celsius) for most of the shoot, it was a great relief when a heavy storm fell.
Rain continued the next day with much more pleasing temperatures.
While the filming schedule had to be reorganized, on account of the deluge, I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to recover from the heat and recharge my body for the days ahead.
Besides, the rain opened up opportunities for me to catch up on image processing and make some behind the scenes photos of the crew, an amazing bunch of hard working and fun people.
I remember the moment the heavens opened and pelted the landscape all around us.
I'd travelled up from a few days working in Melbourne and was really looking forward to an important sunset image of the film's two primary stars Rachel Taylor and Alex Dimitriades.
The idea was to photograph them relaxing, at the end of a hard day's work, in the late afternoon breeze on the roof of a large farm shed.
Sadly, shortly before sunset, the rains came, the actors fled and I lost the opportunity to make that photo. And boy did it rain.
The photo above illustrates the brooding sky moments before the storm front hit. Check out the bluish color of the rain-filled clouds.
While disappointed at missing out on the opportunity to photograph Rachel and Alex, I made the most of the situation and photographed the approaching storm and how various crew members managed the situation.
It was exciting, and I remember experiencing an immense burst of energy as I ran around responding to a range of photo opportunities presented by the storm.
From brooding sky to violent downpour and sodden landscape, the experience was an absolute blast.
Fun photo of AJ in the orange groves near Mildura, Australia.
Fun Photos in the Rain
Take a look at Steady Cam Operator, A J, toasting the rain in a brief moment between showers.
Working on Summer Coda was a tough gig. But all members dug deep and produced, to my mind, a wonderful film.
Given the opportunities I had, I'm very happy with my own contribution and I remember the fantastic people, cast and crew alike, with whom I was privileged to work.
I also remember and am grateful for the rain and the great photographic opportunities it provided.
Needless to say, no matter how difficult circumstances appear, you just have to find a way to have some fun.
And the best way to do that is to bring some fun into the lives of those around you. Even if it’s just for a few moments.
And that’s what I try to do, each and every day.
Peter Wells working, adjacent to the orange groves, near Mildura.
Having Fun Capturing a Study of Concentration
I made this candid image of Assistant Camera Operator, Peter Wells, getting the work done, despite the rain pelting down in the orange groves just metres away.
The lighting illuminating his face is soft and flattering. And a black and white rendering of the photo allowed me to better explore the range of tones and shapes within the scene.
This candid photo was made within just a few short seconds, without me interfering with Peter or the work he was undertaking.
And that’s important. Schedules are tight on a film set. Yet, despite all manner of trials and tribulations, the work just has to get done.
Needless to say, the last thing I would want to do is to interfere or hold anyone up.
So, given all of that, I’m really happy with the result as the photo is a great keepsake for Peter and the team responsible for the film’s production.
Juicy orange, on a rainy day, in orange groves near Mildura, Australia.
Memories of Our Time in the Orange Groves
This image features rain-sodden oranges, hanging from the branches of trees totally saturated by the heavy rain.
It's amazing how a good wash, and some nice light, can enhance subject color and produce a really vibrant image, even under such extreme weather.
I think the lesson to draw from this post is that great photos can be made, day or night, under a variety of weather conditions.
What contributes, as much as anything else, to the success of your photos is the attitude that underpins them.
And I'm talking both about your attitude, as the creator of the images, and that of the people you photograph.
People based photography is, after all, a highly interactive and collaborative process.
I think that's why I love it so much.
If ever you have the opportunity to spend time making photos in an orange grove, I recommend you take the opportunity.
It’s great fun for a range of interesting nature, landscape and portrait based photography.
And, please, do try to find a way to support the farming family involved. I can tell you that I’ve never savoured orange juice anywhere near as fresh or sweet as what I tasted in the orange groves near Mildura.
