Club assignment: Take simple photo of fork with coloured shadow

[deonholt]

Hi all and thank you so long for your help. (Mods can move this to another thread if not belonging here.)

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o15/DeonHolt/colouredshadow.jpg

I need to create a picture of something very simple, like a fork, with a white blown out background but a coloured shadow.
I have battled a bit to get the background blown out but have managed to do this with a slower shutter speed. Still I think the fork is a bit to shiny as is, and this is where I need your help.
Stuff used:
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS on tripod
Main flash to blow out the background: Canon 550EX
Second flash with gel: Canon 430EXII
PVC white background.

Settings with this shot:
1/125 sec at f 4.0, ISO 100 with lens at 58mm
Main Flash: Full power very close to fork (master flash triggered with wireless flash trigger)
Second flash with gel in front of lens: 1/64 power but not as close as master (slave triggered by master flash.)
Both flashes at same level as fork at either side on floor

Things to change or better:
1. Is the shot over-exposed? I need to wash out the background in order to wash out the background but also not over-expose the fork.
2. With Camera at f 22.0 I managed to get the purple shadow of the gel on the second flash, but it also shed a purple cast splashing onto the PVC background and colouring it from white to purple.

This is an assignment for our next club meeting and I will really appreciate your help.

Regards,
Deon

 

[Compaq]

It seriously needs cropping. Frame it diagonally across the frame, perhaps. Maybe bump the curves and make it a high key with white background?

 

[deonholt]

Yes, I know, thank you. I am not worried about composotion now. I needed to master the effect I wanted to create and then work on composition.

 

[Egam]

Yes, I know, thank you. I am not worried about composotion now. I needed to master the effect I wanted to create and then work on composition.

For the blow out background try puting the fork on a softbox or set light on the background... For the colored shadow, ha you tryed a snoot with a colored gel?