My readers know that I tend to be a healthy eater. One thing that makes eating healthy easier is that I have very little “sweet tooth.” The result is that I seldom have added-sugar foods in my home, foods like candy and cake, and only eat them sparingly when I encounter them elsewhere.

And I know that I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, but we have all seen a body of evidence showing that refined sugars are among the worst things you can consume.
Okay, Richard, if you want something sweet, where do you turn?
It’s also no secret that I have a small peach orchard where I live in Byng, and when my trees make fruit (which is about every other year), there is nothing better than a fresh, home-grown peach.
I’m always looking for fruit in the grocery store. Some bulk-sold produce is consistently terrible, since it is usually picked green and allowed to ripen in a truck as it is hauled across the country.
Oranges and their cousins like lemons, limes, mandarins, and grapefruits seem to travel better, and are in pretty good shape when we get them in the produce section.
I have discovered that I am picky about my oranges. I love a couple of varieties, blood oranges and Cara Cara oranges, for example, but I don’t care for regular navel oranges or grapefruit.
This time of year is Cara Cara season, so I get them when I see them. I’m also open to trying new varieties.
There is an interesting subtext here: people who are overly-dedicated to only one variety of something. I know someone (a nice lady I went to high school with) who outright refuses to even consider buying any apple variety other than Fuji.
“You might enjoy ‘Cosmic Crisp’ apples,” I say.
“No, I’m going to stick with Fuji.”
“You also might like ‘Cameo’ “…
“No! Only Fuji!”
Anyway, I thought of all this recently at the grocery store, where I picked up another bag of Cara Cara oranges, and saw what looked interesting, Minneola tangelos.

See, I’m open to trying new varieties.
I have tried to like these brightly-colored little orange-like fruit, and though I didn’t hate them, I discovered they were a bit on the sour side, and tangy but in a harsh way. I still ate them, but also decided that their bright skin and smooth shape made me want to photograph them.
I set up a couple of reflectors and flashes in the kitchen, sliced open a few tangelos and a couple of Cara Cara oranges. Photographing brightly colored spheres, then eating them, is a next-level fun activity for someone like me.
You can make pictures just like this if the inspiration strikes – it’s a relatively straightforward setup.
While you are at it, taste-test whatever fruit or vegetable you are photographing, and send me a recommendation. I would love the hear about your favorite orange!
