Well I think that @jernst1779 is the master of still lifes. She might have some pointers for you. But I would say that the composition looks really nice, the black background really makes the orange standout. I also like the light on the flowers.
It is very pretty. I like the composition and the colours work really well. If I were to make a suggestion, I might want to muss it up just a little. The tablecloth against the black background makes a very sharp line and the orange is in absolutely perfect halves. I would be interested to see a slightly less tidy version.
I love the composition. The colours complement themselves perfectly against the black background. I have to admit I do like the neatness of it, so a slightly less tidy version wouldn't work for me.
A well thought out photo that works perfectly for me. fav.
excellent set-up, ellen. the contrast of the vivid colours of the flowers and the fruit against the dark and silver is rather nice. the silver tray would look nicer with a darker background (just see how that pitcher stands out against the dark background yet does not distract from the rest of the set up) as imho it does not benefit from the weaved lines of the table cloth. also, the napkin is "too neat" and distracts from the pattern of the pitcher's lower half. i'd have the napkin unfolded and scrunched up a bit so that it follows the curves of the pitcher with the corner showing the designs on it. i'm itching to paint it the way i see it in my head. the only problem is i wouldn't know how to paint "silver". big ACES though!
@onewing Thanks, so interesting that everyone sees things differently. The tray is somewhat formal as is the the design on the plate, so maybe that influenced me. I really like the feedback I'm getting. Thanks for taking the time to answer my request for critique.
@summerfield Thank you so much for your feedback and good critique. Yeah, I wonder if the elements weren't very congruent, the tray and plate are formal, and the pitcher isn't. Also the rough string on the bow of the jar is pretty casual. This may be a good a photo to update. I really like all the suggestions and I think by keeping them in mind I will improve my still life's. I know you could paint it, you seem to be able to tackle what ever you set your mind to.
It works very well for me. My very first thought was to have 3 pieces of orange fruit to go along with the rule of thirds but then the flowers do that to bring the thee orange colours together. It would be interesting to see what the white cloth on the handle looked like draped rather that folded but I like that every thing is neat and ordered.
Regarding Popular Page question: Go to the discussion page and search for "Popular Page by Alexis Birkhill." This is a very roundabout way to find the answer to your question. I'm sorry that I can't be more direct. I set mine up long ago and just can't remember how I did it. Alexis Birkhill is the member who set this up for others and there is a link to use and you just type in your own name to access the PP stats. You could also message Alexis on his site for info. Wish I could be more helpful!!
Love the composition. I wonder if it might have been better for the tray to have been on black, as well as the backdrop being black. I love the contrast of the orange items.
I like this still life a lot. To me it's a modern take on the Masters with the striking contrast of the black and orange. And like Babs, I prefer the "neat" version over a messier one, BUT I do like the suggestion of the napkin being draped over folded or placed below the handle of the picture coming off of the tray (I think I prefer the latter.) Some have also pointed out the color of the tablecloth. The gray/cement color is not terribly distracting but it does lower the impact of the orange and black. I wouldn't make it black, but maybe a charcoal gray if possible. White might be too bright although off-white could work. So there's my 2 cents' worth!
@carole_sandford I got a comment that things look as if they’re floating if they are on a black surface and background. Probably a mid- tone to almost dark table cloth would work as Ann suggested. Thanks for your feedback.
@olivetreeann Thank you for your well thought out comments. All very well depicted. I am planning to photograph this again with all these great suggestions and do a comparison between the two. A good project to tackle! I just need to buy some more oranges!
Dang this is beautiful and so artfully done. Love the details, the lacy handkerchief on the pitcher, the gleaming, elegant tray, the black BG and the silver metal tones just make the sliced orange and those perfectly matched wild/field/rustic (?) flowers tied up with the simple thread (can't think of the name of that kind of thread/material at the moment), the even lighting, you've put a lot of thought into this - still lives are one of those things that look like they shouldn't be too hard to do, but to do well takes thought and practice and you've really nailed it here - would love to see more and again now I'm tempted to try some still lives myself!
@catcarter19 Oh! Cat, what wonderful compliments and feed back! I like setting a "stage" and photoing it. I got some great critiques and feed back as I requested and have re-shot this taking the recommendations of the group. I will post them tonight. I think you should try some still life, you'd be so creative with it.
On this one, I think a darker tablecloth might work better. Also it’s off white and the other whites are bright white. I might play with the light and try different angles on the tray. Play with where you place the flowers - the pitcher kind of dwarfs them. Take everything I said with a grain of salt. I am no expert. I find it’s all about experimenting both in the shoot setup and in post. I’m afraid I’ve said too much. You are really doing very well.
May 25th, 2021
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A well thought out photo that works perfectly for me. fav.