photography (continuing the theme of art)

by wertyui

First published

from the writer who brought you the most boring fic in years

applejack and rarity learn about photography with photo finish (based on one more spitting image sketch)

update: I'm not very popular on this site, am I?

in wich only Applejack knows how to work a camera

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Continuing from their time in the art gallery, Rarity decided to introduce Applejack to the studio of one of the biggest influencers in the fashion and art world. the two elements enter into the studio of a well-known gerMANE (god, horse puns are so painful) photographer, photo finish.

They catch her in her usual state of TOTAL CONCENTRATION and GENERAL DIRECTION. Wich included the following statements
"Zat's it, hold still!"
"Keep your hooves crossed dahling!"
"Get zhose jaws out, show me angah!"
"Zats right, chew ze camera, make it your own!"
"ENOUGH! I GO!"

''boy, ah didn't realize there was so much going into takin' a picture" Applejack noted walking by the INTENSE photo finish.

"But of course, darling" Rarity replied, "you may not think it so, but photography is another form of art, there's a lot of work involved in taking the perfect picture and who better to tell you than equestrias most renown photographer."

The two walk over to ms. Finish, who had just finished her INTENSE session "Applejack..." Rarity introduced "...this is photo finish, photo finish, Applejack."

"Pleasure tah meet ya" Applejack extended her hoof to the (whatever the camera equivalent to fashionista is). "Ze pleasure is all mine!" the orange pony was then greeted with an enthusiastic handshake.

Applejack dizzy from this had to lean against the wall for a moment. With her, was a scrapbook from granny smith containing unbeknownst to Applejack, a veritable goldmine of Instamatic's just waiting to be explored.

Rarity then commented "I must say, I adored your last exhibition" photo returned the compliment "ah, zank you, a lot of ponies don't think zat photography is an aht form, but basically its ze same"

Applejack deadpanned "'cept you don't get the wrong paintin frum the pharmacist" the joke earned a hearty laugh from the whole group. "You know, speakin' of which..." she continued "ah've got this scrapbook in mah saddle bag, all made by granny smith herself"

She took out the faded scrapbook full of memories and stories that stretch generations of apples. A shiny glow came from the book as finishes jaw flung wide open at the sight

"Oh, mein chelestia" she said to herself "zese. Are. INCREDIBLE! What heart! Vhat passion! Vhat inspiration!" the stetson clad farmer pony, slightly unnerved by this reaction responded "why th-thank ya ma'am"

Photo finish observed each photo, pointing to one specific photo "oh, vhat about zis one!?"

"ah, this one" Applejack pointed to it as well "funny you should ask, Sweet Apple Acres, twenty moons ago. Granny Smith was lookin' for her favorite pie tin. She looked in the kitchen, but it wasn't there. She looked in the barn, but it wasn't the..."

"NO TIME FAH FINE DETAILS!" photo suddenly shouted "how did she do it!?" Applejack summarized the ending of the story "Huh. Turns out Granny Smith didn't know how to make a pig do the backstroke."

Rarity also was fascinated by these pictures "my my my, these are some ingenious setups"
Photo turned again to Applejack "tell me, applejahck! When zis granny smith is shooting, vhat element does she look for vhen she approaches a shoot!?"

Applejack, being unfamiliar with the industry term, shrugged, and said "ah guess the right equipment, camera, lil' standee tah take the picture" "AH!" exclaimed photo "ze tripod"

"Yeah, sure" supposed Applejack "gues she also concentrates on the angle, course the best angle ah think is t' have it pointing away from yer face"

Applejack being facetious, got this surprisingly normal reaction "ah yes, z number of times ahve takin shots of mein muzzle vhen it should've been miss hearths varming, vuckily, zhey vere so blurred nopony noticed"

"Now Applejack, I hope you don't mind me picking your brains," Rarity said, Applejack shot backed worried "whatever that means, ah do now!" Rarity could only giggle at the response. "But how DID she get that AMAZING shot of you and apple bloom standing next to a big hoof?"

Applejack asked herself are they serious or jus trying to be funny? regardless she answered "oh, see that wus an ol photographers trick right there, she took that Lil round black thing off the end of the sticky-out-bit"

Both ponies gasped in shock, Rarity asking "surely you don't mean the-um, the"

"Yep" answered Applejack "the lens cap"

"That's it" realized Rarity. Photo interjected, "ooooooooh, zat comes off now?"

"Absolutely" replied Apple horse (I'm just tired of using Applejack ok)

"Vell, zat would explain last year's photoshoot" photo finish points to a wall containing empty photos covered by a lens.

with that. Photo finish and Rarity huddled around the scrapbook-like foals gathering around a fireplace, photo took out a camera, and began to take picture after picture of about 50 years of apple history.

behind her, was a line of customers, still waiting to have their own pictures taken, seeing the dilemma at hand, Applejack sighed, picked up a spare camera, and a tripod (with her teeth) over to the green backdrop, she carefully placed the camera down on the floor, set up the tripod, placed the camera on top, removed the "lil round black thing" from the lens, stood behind the camera, told the pony to strike a pose and say cheese, then took the photo, next pony came up, photo, pose, cheese, flash, repeat.

she did this for what seemed like hours after the last pony had his/her photo taken. (I don't focus on the distinctions of gender)

"Thank ya kindly, and have a lovely rest of yer day" were the parting words of that business day, with that, she put the lens cap back on, put the camera and tripod away, and saw Rarity and Photo finish still mulling over the photographic bible before them.

"uhh, scuse me," Applejack asked the two, no response

"Scuse me!" Applejack said a bit louder, no answer

"DOGGONE IT! am ah the only one here!?"

Rarity and Photo look up from the scrapbook clearly tired.

Applejack smirked "hmm, take it ya like the book" the two ponies nodded (and yawned) in agreement

"vun qvestion!" asked the WEARY ms. finish "how did she get ze pig into ze water"
Applejack simply put her hoof over her face and thought yall as clueless as a P.I with amnesia