Photographer: Richard Gwin

Camera: Nikon D1H

Lens: 165mm

ISO: 200

Shutter: 1/250

Aperture: 6.3

I often try to think of story ideas for the Food page that not only would make for a good read but also for an interesting photo. I know a farmer who lives south of Eudora, Floyd Ott, who grows Asian pears. It occurred to me that a story about these unusual fruits might be a good alternative to the typical fall apple story.

So I headed to the Farmer’s Market to see if Ott was selling his pears. Sure enough, his booth was overflowing with pears, and he was slicing off pieces to eat. I asked him if I could take a few to illustrate a story, and I went home with six.

I thought of dressing them up in Asian costume, but that would have hidden their natural beauty. So I gathered some Asian items — a carved wooden platform, a fan and a folding screen — and placed them on my wood floor next to a door letting in natural light.

I placed three pears on the platform and shot five frames. I checked the light, adjusted the aperture for more color saturation and took a few more shots. I like the subtle but nice light.

“Behind the Lens” is an ongoing weekly series that features an image selected by the Journal-World photo staff that previously ran in the newspaper or online. Wondering how a certain picture was created? Nominate it for “Behind the Lens” by contacting chief photographer Mike Yoder at 832-7141 or myoder@ljworld.com.