Hands; rotten; apple; michelangelo; sistine; chapel; aids; foundation; studio; amsterdam; the netherlands; handen; verotte; appel; sixtijnse kapel; aids fonds

Hands, Aids foundation

The Netherlands

Aids Foundation

This shoot was a request from the Aids foundation to create an image that reflects the problem of aids in a creative way. We chose to shoot the passing of a rotten apple between healthy hands, symbolizing the seemingly innocent exchange of AIDs between two well-meaning people.

At first, the shoot was easy. The hands were shot separately, and the background was created entirely using the computer.

The trouble with the shoot came down to capturing the apple. We had rotten apples in different stages, but they all turn brownish like a kiwi. No one would be able to recognize the fruit as a rotten apple if we shot them as is. So, to solve the problem, I shot the apples separately and retouched the stains on top of a fresh apple to maintain the shape. Now the symbol, and the message, was perfectly clear.