idiosyncratic

Caleb Charland photographs his backyard experiments proving fundamental scientific phenomenon.

“Particularly awesome are Charland’s experiments with fruit- and vegetable-powered lamps, a take on the old science fair standard. (Quick refresher: The acidity in fruit interacts with metal, generating an electrical current.) For one photograph, he wired 300 apples from his orchard to a single household floor lamp, capturing its organically powered glow as dusk set. According to Discovery, Charland spent 12 straight hours staging the photograph, inserting a zinc nail into each apple (still on the tree) and connecting it to the lamp via a copper wire. Another image parodies still lifes of the Old Masters, with baskets of potatoes and lemons arranged artfully on a farmhouse table, trailing dozens of copper wires. Other “alternative batteries” include vats of vinegar and stacks of quarters.”