Apple Tree in Sunlight and Shadow (Posterized)

Apple Tree in Sunlight and Shadow (Posterized) Originally uploaded by randubnick

This image began with a photograph that I took a few weeks ago during a walk at Long Hill Gardens here in Beverly. The main road is lined with fruit trees, mainly apple and crabapple. I saw the bright red apples on this tree, and started taking pictures. I remember thinking at the time that the photos might work for Rosh Hoshana (Jewish New Year), when we dip apples in honey to reaffirm that life is sweet. The composition of this shot captures the sense of being right up under the tree, which I was. I posterized the image in Painter IX to emphasize the play of the dappled light. Getting a good image is complicated by the fact that some of the apples are in full sun and some are in deep shadow. On the other hand, I like the metaphoric possibilities: apples, and the sweetness of life, sunlight and shadows.