Socks and Shoes - C&C greatly appreciated

[Shu]

So I picked up a Canon T3 yesterday, and, needless to say, started shooting like a bat out of hell. I'd really like to get your opinions on this shot, and hopefully some ways in which I could improve it (different editing, better composition, camera settings, the works). As this is my first dSLR, I'm here to learn as much as I possibly can.

ISO 100, f3.5, 1/60. I would have preferred a slightly deeper DoF, but lying on the ground with a fractured clavicle didn't yield me much freedom in dialing in the shot I also would have liked to have put more on emphasis on the shoes and socks, but I'm not sure how to do that. Have at it, and thanks in advance!

 

[Jaemie]

The hose and wall (leading lines) draw my attention to the point of convergence, but there's really nothing there of interest. Several objects compete for attention (plastic things on left, shoes/socks, black box, cords, white paper, hose), but none is especially interesting in the present composition. The far background, still more or less in focus, persists as another distraction. Basically, you shot this at wide angle and included too many elements. What's the photo trying to say? If it has something to do with the shoes and socks, you could arrange them on their own focal plane and shoot at a longer focal length (keeping a low f-stop), thus blurring foreground and background more effectively while narrowing the FOV to exclude the periphery. The hose can help or hinder, depending on it's placement as it will tend to draw attention along it's path.

 

[Shu]

So stepping back and zooming in will give me a shallower DoF, while giving more attention to the shoes and socks?

 

[Jaemie]

So stepping back and zooming in will give me a shallower DoF, while giving more attention to the shoes and socks?

Right. Focus on the shoes and socks and try a few shots. Increasing your f-stop will expand the DOF, all other things being equal.

 

[Shu]

Thanks very much!