Friday, January 30, 2009

Alien landscape

Yes, this is Belgrade! These alien creatures sprouted on one of my potatoes before I could cook it, so I decided to capture them with my new macro lens. Much produce sold by farmers here on the green market has not been sprayed, or at least sprayed to inhibit or prevent sprouting. You can even find apples with actual spots on them, rather than the picture-perfect ones often sold in chain grocery stores. Last summer in the US I bought a sweet potato to sprout the lovely vines I remembered as a child, but it sat and rotted on my daughter's sill; I imagine it had been sprayed not to sprout.

In any case, though I didn't cook this potato, I still put it to good use in this photo!

21 comments:

The Good Life in Virginia said...

that is some seriously bad looking fungus/spores...

and... a fab photo op for your new lens :)

airplane5312 said...

Now I've seen potatoe sprouts before, and had to squeeze them of, but I've seen ones that looked like that. Is that normal?

ninja said...

Ain't it just a rotten root? It looks like a potato root, only infected. Not edible of course.

Clueless in Boston said...

Now that is Digusting!

Kim said...

LOL @ Clueless' remark!
This is so fun to see. Which lens did you go with for a macro? I've been saving for a macro, but now am droooling over the Carl Ziess Canon mount for the plannar-t 85mm. I think the hardward/techie acquisitions must never end. . .Whatever it is, its a wonderful shot!
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

Pat said...

Hi! Actually, these disgusting little guys have now blossomed into beautiful green shoots. (I couldn't part with my potato...not yet anyway!)

Kim--this was taken with a Sigma 60mm macro lens; not so expensive, and quite satisfactory for me.

Chuck Pefley said...

What fun! Perhaps not so much from a culinary point of view, but artistically? Heaven!

BTW, when you come to Seattle we have a date at Cafe Revo!

Tash said...

they look like a cluster of black mice with pink noses...a very cool shot.

Marie Reed said...

That is a potato!!! Wow it is wonky! My boys will love this picture!

Belgrade Daily Photo said...

Hi Bibi,
Ooh I'm jealous about the macro lens. I've got a sigma super wide angle at the top of my wishlist, though.

And I agree with the others, that is scary-looking!

B SQUARED said...

Have fun w/the new lens.

Jane Hards Photography said...

This is what photographers do- put things of waste to good use. Disgusting when you know what it actually is but artistically a splendid catch.

Bella@That damn expat said...

Coming over from MuseSwings.

Greetings from a yankee in Croatia;)

Anonymous said...

That sure makes you think twice about potatoes doesn't it? =)I need to get myself a macro lense - how many times I've wanted to take close-ups like this! Nicely done.

Hey, thanks for visiting my site!

Christina Klas
Tillicum (Almost) Daily Photo

soulbrush said...

help these are scary!

Virginia said...

DId you put the sweet potato half way down in water? And the right end too? HA I always rooted them in my classroom and had fines that were sometimes 3 f eet long or longer! This photo was a little creepy but I like the purple color!

marley said...

Yay! An excellent macro shot. You and that new lens are made for each other!

Thérèse said...

I must say that I like the shot better than the "nature" of the shot!!!

Chris Overstreet said...

Now THIS is the potato you should have planted. :)

Anonymous said...

You're coming to Seattle? I'd like to meet you too!
This picture is very interesting and disgusting at the same time. I've never seen anything like this before!! Molds and funguses must be totally different on the other side of the world!

Suburban Girl said...

Oh that's great! Macro photos give me a whole new world to photography. Alien worlds and all!

SPRING FASHION

 This is a post that would be better in color, but maybe not. These colors were soooo pale.