Mandarin Orange Portraits in the Afternoon

The mandarin oranges were just sitting on the dining table. I was on my way to the kitchen for a coffee refill in the late afternoon. The light peeking through the window was dramatic and gloomy from the leftover rainy day. The dramatic mood of the orange and green called to me.

My wheels started turning—here’s what developed from the spark of inspiration.

When I was playing with the composition of the fruit, I drew on the idea that I wasn’t just positioning a piece of citrus. I personified it—I wanted it to feel like a presence.

Photographs by Stephanie Snyder on Sony a7iii