Trying Again (#8) Need C&C

slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,219 Major grins
edited September 20, 2008 in The Dgrin Challenges
Well, I took the comments from my first attempt and have now put this together. The reflection in the polished trophy is still a bit bothersome so I know I'll still need to work on that a bit. At least I didn't wear a red shirt this time, lol! I did re-work the composition and I do like this one much better. I still don't know if I should go color or black & white. I could also use a good title. I'm thinking about "One Down..." or maybe "Working on a Polished Performance."

Is this one any better? Any suggestions? Please keep in mind that I do not have any studio lights or light kits of any kind. All I can use is the flash attachment for my camera, natural light, and a couple of reflectors.

Thanks for looking & taking time to comment and/or offer suggestions for improvement.

1.
375864671_LDxNf-M.jpg

2.

375864570_zQCvN-M.jpg


Thanks,
Sherry
Visit my galleries at: http://psphotos.smugmug.com/ and/or http://pollettsquaredphotography.smugmug.com

Comments

  • leaforteleaforte Registered Users Posts: 1,948 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2008
    I like the idea, and basic comp. What is distracting to me is the plastic bottle of polish. It seems a bit staged. I think the comp would work with just the buffing cloth (used). The modern plastic clashes with the olden metal, IMO.
    Growing with Dgrin



  • VisualXpressionsVisualXpressions Registered Users Posts: 860 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2008
    If you are going for a still life type of shot, I agree, get rid of the polish... Or you could try something more dynamic with a little action... have someone holding and polishing the large trophy, making sure there is a well polished as well as unpolished area showing (for contrast) crop tight when you shoot, only hands, trophy and polishing cloth... you might want to make the cloth smaller also... my 2 cents, for what it's worth... thumb.gif

    The dash line at the bottom of your image is distracting...

    Winston
    http://www.vxphotography.smugmug.com/
  • idiomidiom Registered Users Posts: 132 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2008
    I am not sure what the polish actually looks like, or if this would work, but what if you tried choosing a single subject, and put some of the polsh paste (or whatever is it, haha) on it, and maybe have half of it polished, and half, or some of it left with polish on it still, to be polished. and maybe try a few different prespectives, like get one close in, with shallow DOF.

    It may be easier to control those reflections with just one subject.

    just my 2c, a thought for something a bit different. :)

    I do like the shot, but it's a bit busy I find. (again just my opinion, I am not nearly as experienced as soem of the vets around here)

    Thanks!
    Gage
    http://precisephoto.ca
  • slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,219 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2008
    Thanks for the feedback leaforte, Winston, & Gage. I appreciate that you took time to help a struggling & very frustrated amateur. :D

    My first attempt at this was just the two trophies with the polishing cloth hiding most of the bottle of polish. The suggestions from that one were to add something to show what the trophies were for & tilt the opened bottle of polish. Well, I tried that. The idea was to keep one trophy unpolished and show the 'polishing' as a work in progress.

    I think I agree that the bottle of polish kind of ruins the picture. If it were a metal can of polish it might work better, but I don't have that to work with.

    I like the idea of hands working on polishing the trophy, but I'd have to figure out how to get my hands in the picture & take the picture at the same time. I don't get much help around here once I get the camera out, lol. Everybody scatters!

    I don't really have the tools to get the lighting the way I think it needs to be to make this a nice shot. I hope to have time to try it one more time, but I may just have to give up on this one.

    Thanks again for the feedback.

    Sherry
    Visit my galleries at: http://psphotos.smugmug.com/ and/or http://pollettsquaredphotography.smugmug.com
  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2008
    As another struggling-and-often-frustrated amateur I totally hear you!

    I like this SO much better than the first ones you posted - the lighting is heaps better, and really brings out the objects, and the emphasis ON the objects themselves is so much better controlled.

    Personally, I like the different colours and sheens the different metals have in colour.

    Agree that the bottle is perhaps distracting. I dunno - maybe the message could be sent without the polish at all, just a with a rag (a white glove, perhaps?). Actually, looking at it again, I think just the darker (largerr) trophy and the trumpet go really well together, and the more burnished metal on both of those seem to have easier-to-control reflections.

    But, I really think the changes and improvements you made to it are impressive, especially with limited lighting equipment at your disposal. Brava!
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