When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Day 3

Some gerberas had unexpectedly arrived at my doorstep yesterday.

I had been a customer of these flowers while living in Hong Kong several years ago. These flowers don't take the hot and humid weather too well. My past experience landed me with drooping flowerheads by the next day.

This time around, each flower was cunningly wrapped with paper. Imagine a dog wearing a "cone" neck brace (not sure what they are actually called).

Even so, I didn't want to leave anything to chance. There is a sense of urgency to complete my photoshoot asap.

I went rummaging in my home refrigerator ala Macgyver style, since I hadn't done any grocery shopping yet.

What I made use in the photoshoot?
For the secret concoction called "Three citruses" - Plan A
juice of 1 orange
juice of 2 limes
juice of half a lemon-gone-mouldy
few tablespoons of Scott's Emulsion (orange flavour) for colouring

pineapple juice (expired last April) - Plan B
when diluted looks awfully like homemade apple juice!

Mains...
4 handpainted glasses and a jug

Props...
1 checkered table cloth
my pine desk
my latest olive tree oil painting
1 bunch of gerberas
serving bowl for displaying fruits
whatever I could dig out from the fridge - few apples, oranges and pears

Equipment...
IXUS 400 digicam and COMPAQ notebook

What I did ...
First, I made my secret concoction.
Didn't really care how it tasted, only how it looked.
I was rather lazy to squeeze all the oranges for juice (Anyway, one needs a lot of oranges for a jugful. Didn't think I had enough fruits.). So, it was water plus Scott's Emulsion to "colour" (not taste!) and the juice of 1 fresh orange and 2 limes.
Sliced 1 orange to get 2 orange rings. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.
Sliced 2 limes to get 2 lime rings. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.
Cut off the mouldy bits of lemon. Then, sliced lemon for half a lemon ring. Reminder squeezed for juice into jug.

Table set against an olive tree backdrop.
Apples, oranges and pears arranged in the bowl.
Glassware lined up.
I am ready to go!

*Shoot-shoot-shoot*

What didn't work?
Plan A - Three Citruses drink
... the colour was just not appetising. It looked rather artificial like the colour of Fanta Orange. This was despite desperate efforts to enrich and thicken it with more Scott's emulsion. So, I had to go for Plan B - Pineapple juice!
Ice
.... for the cool and refreshing effect. But it was a hot day, I risked staining the tablecloth in the process.

Why you don't eat what you shoot?
At first, my citrus rings didn't "show up" through the pineapple juice. The juice was too concentrated. So, murky liquid was watered down with tap water.
Minor tweeking of the fruit rings floating in the glasses by sticking my fingers inside got them in position.
Anyway, the juice has expired. No harm done.

Like American Idol show, photo results will be published tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful for my thirst-quenching secret concoction and the pineapple juice which became my pineapple bath for the ulimate cool and refreshing feeling at the end.