When it comes to produce, American society has an obsession with complete aesthetic perfection. We’ve been taught to seek out only gleaming ideals—the plumpest peach, the brightest carrot. And any organic matter that doesn’t stand up to this visually high standard—a potato with too many lumps, an onion just past its prime—is tossed. This creates a system of incredible waste and a cognitive dissonance between people, produce and the natural world.

This series examines food that is not perfect, even past its prime. By photographing the produce starkly and simply, we begin to see the beauty in the imperfect, the natural grace of irregularity, of oddity, of aging and decay. I encourage the viewer to find a use and an appreciation for the discarded.