Still life photography practise

[Mystgicus]

Had some time after work to fiddle with stuff at home. How did I do?
Camera: A7RII + Mitakon 50mm f/0.95

 

[Jeff1550 50]

Nice one......

 

[Mystgicus]

Nice one......

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

To be honest, it seems rather too busy and disjointed to me. I think I would have eliminated the camera and liquor(?) bottle altogether, and moved the roses off of the card and closer to the top/LH side of the frame. That said I really like the colour & overall tone.

 

[Mystgicus]

To be honest, it seems rather too busy and disjointed to me. I think I would have eliminated the camera and liquor(?) bottle altogether, and moved the roses off of the card and closer to the top/LH side of the frame. That said I really like the colour & overall tone.

Maybe I was trying too hard... I was trying to bring out the orange tones in the brandy and leather camera case... guess I overdid it lol. I'll try to use a deeper depth of field and simplify the scene by taking away distractions next time. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Designer]

How did I do?

For me, the thin DOF is a put-off. No need to do that, and it becomes a distraction. Balance is off as well.

It might have been better if you had begun with some story-line idea in mind before you set it up. This is just a collection of non-related objects, which is why it appears "too busy and disjointed".

 

[Mystgicus]

How did I do?

For me, the thin DOF is a put-off. No need to do that, and it becomes a distraction. Balance is off as well.

It might have been better if you had begun with some story-line idea in mind before you set it up. This is just a collection of non-related objects, which is why it appears "too busy and disjointed".

Could you tell me more about why you think it’s unbalanced?

 

[Designer]

Balance can be perceived in several ways; symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Hit this link and scroll down to about halfway to read about compositional balance.

Visual Elements | Boundless Art History

 

[Mystgicus]

Balance can be perceived in several ways; symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Hit this link and scroll down to about halfway to read about compositional balance.

Visual Elements | Boundless Art History

I have a basic understanding of compositional balance, but would like to hear how you think this photo is not balanced. Specific examples would help me grasp this concept better and improve

 

[Derrel]

Regarding "balance", the camera appears to be tilting...the ink bottle appears to be tilting...look at the base of the camera, and see that it has a clockwise tilt to the baseplate, which we visually understand to be resting "on the table"..and yet...it appears off-balance, literally off-balance, tilted downhill right. The same thing with the ink bottle, which is placed on the right frame edge, which carries a lot of visual "weight"...placing the ink bottle literally on the edge, cutting into the bottle, draws a huge amount of visual attention to the bottle, which makes the side of the frame "heavy". The bottle is also being rendered with what is known as keystoning, a type of shape distortion caused by angling the camera upward or downward, toward a building,bottle,or cylinder or other object.

The right side of the picture has four major elements, the let side has two elements, and that also creates imbalance.

I hope these descriptions can assist you somewhat in seeing how this composition/arrangement of objects is un-balanced.

I really think you needed more than "thday" on the birthday card, and also, more depth of field. The thin DOF is not really helping things here, but is drawing negative attention, at least to designer, and to me, and perhaps other folks.

 

[Mystgicus]

Regarding "balance", the camera appears to be tilting...the ink bottle appears to be tilting...look at the base of the camera, and see that it has a clockwise tilt to the baseplate, which we visually understand to be resting "on the table"..and yet...it appears off-balance, literally off-balance, tilted downhill right. The same thing with the ink bottle, which is placed on the right frame edge, which carries a lot of visual "weight"...placing the ink bottle literally on the edge, cutting into the bottle, draws a huge amount of visual attention to the bottle, which makes the side of the frame "heavy". The bottle is also being rendered with what is known as keystoning, a type of shape distortion caused by angling the camera upward or downward, toward a building,bottle,or cylinder or other object.

The right side of the picture has four major elements, the let side has two elements, and that also creates imbalance.

I hope these descriptions can assist you somewhat in seeing how this composition/arrangement of objects is un-balanced.

I really think you needed more than "thday" on the birthday card, and also, more depth of field. The thin DOF is not really helping things here, but is drawing negative attention, at least to designer, and to me, and perhaps other folks.

Thanks! The keystone theory is something new I learnt today. Much appreciated. Good catch on the “birthday”; I should’ve payed more attention to details. Yes, I agree the DOF is making the viewer frustrated about what’s going on in the background. Thanks for the critique!

 

[snowbear118 49]

I agree with tirediron - lose the camera and Crown Royal (?) bottle; maybe the walnut or whatever is in the foreground, as well.

What pen is that? The bottle looks like Emerald of Chivor

 

[Mystgicus]

I agree with tirediron - lose the camera and Crown Royal (?) bottle; maybe the walnut or whatever is in the foreground, as well.

What pen is that? The bottle looks like Emerald of Chivor

Thanks! Good advice. The thin DOF is indeed frustrating.

Looks like we have a pen/ink connoisseur here! Indeed, it’s the Emerald of Chivor. The pen is an ST Dupont line D.

 

[snowbear118 49]

OK.
I have a couple. There's a thread around, somewhere with a few pen sketches.

You can try bracketing the aperture and compare to get the right setting.

 

[Designer]

As for DOF, you can use the online DOF calculator (for free) and set up your shot with a lot more accuracy from the start. Knowing that a table-top composition will be pushing the limits of most lenses, you should plan your DOF carefully. Having some elements OOF is acceptable, but you should use the blur to your advantage, and not allow such a thin DOF as to spoil the shot.