[Mychael]

Shaving old Style

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[Adam]

The composition here is nice, and this arrangement works well as a still-life. The only issue where is that the background is boring and that the colors are flat.

[Mychael]

Thanks Adam. I wracked my brains trying to think of a suitable bg but in the end decided that plain was safest if not the best.

[SpecialK]

I would probably increase the exposure a tad and bump the contrast. The gray background drains the energy from the shot. Perhaps a plaid towel or something in the BG would give it a sense of belonging, or maybe a textured black rubber mat with water puddles. As it is there is no "there", there :-)

[Mychael]

Thanks SK. By increase exposure I'm assuming here you mean longer exposure?

[kwetiaw]

yes, longer exposure or fill in light, try off shoe flash.
try adjusting your white balance accordingly, buy a white card to help you getting the correct white.
Color Correction How to Set Custom White Balance in DSLR Camera

[Schraubstock]

Hi

You need to decide what the image is.
As a Still Live it fails, as a product shot, which to me would be the correct classification, the background is the correct choice but as others said it lacks punch, it's too flat.

Greetings

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Last edited by Schraubstock; 03-07-2012 at 09:47 PM.

[Mychael]

Thanks, I'd not heard the term product shot used before but it makes sense.What defines the line between still life and product? Is still only confined to living things/ Or things that would be 'doing' something?

[Schraubstock]

Hi

Product shots or product photography is almost exclusively used in advertising. In its truest form there is no artistic consideration. The only overriding consideration is to present a product in the best light literally. They are photographed by themselves unless, as would be the case in your image, what is photographed is meant to be sold as a multi item kit. You see them in magazines and sales catalogues. Their main purpose is to sell goods.

Big items such as furniture or even cars are set up in front of huge curved back drops in a studio . All studios have them as a fixed construction. (Can also be used for portrait photography) Small items (such as yours) are taken in front of a smaller backdrop you can setup on a table. There are also light boxes available for this.

In the old days before digital photography the back drop would simply remain. That's why they would have been plain in colour. These days product images are invariably deep etched. (removal of background).

Still Lives, well where do we start. Perhaps the best way is to quote WIKIPEDIA:

Quote:
Still life photography is the depiction of inanimate subject matter, most typically a small grouping of objects. Still life photography more so than other types of photography, such as landscape or portraiture, gives the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition.
Still life photography is a demanding art, one in which the photographers are expected to be able to form their work with a refined sense of lighting, coupled with compositional skills. The still life photographer makes pictures rather than takes them. Knowing where to look for propping and surfaces also is a required skill.
End of quote.


I couldn't have said it better myself.

Greetings

[Mychael]

Product shots or product photography is almost exclusively used in advertising. In its truest form there is no artistic consideration. The only overriding consideration is to present a product in the best light literally. They are photographed by themselves unless, as would be the case in your image, what is photographed is meant to be sold as a multi item kit. You see them in magazines and sales catalogues. Their main purpose is to sell goods.

Well that all makes sense but does it alter when (taking your definition as the example) when the subject (like mine) is not new stuff. The Razor especially dates back to, I guess late 60's most likely, so it's sort of more (or at least was trying to convey) a lifestyle or perhaps more correctly a shaving period in time (though those blades & brush can still be bought new).
That definition of still life is good, thanks for that. I must search up some examples now.

Cheers,
Mike

[Schraubstock]

Well that all makes sense but does it alter when (taking your definition as the example) when the subject (like mine) is not new stuff. The Razor especially dates back to, I guess late 60's most likely, so it's sort of more (or at least was trying to convey) a lifestyle or perhaps more correctly a shaving period in time (though those blades & brush can still be bought new).
That definition of still life is good, thanks for that. I must search up some examples now.

Cheers,
Mike

Hi

The image could be for an antique auction catalogue.
The way the items are positioned, particularly the box of blades, is typical of a product shot. Even the label of the brush is in an "identify" position.

Please don't get me wrong, it is a fine image and you spent some time to set it all up. However if your aim was to produce a Still Live it is, without trying to hurt your feelings, a failure. The image just looks too "commercial". (In my humble opinion)

Still Live painting/photography is a complex undertaking. Some of the old masters even could not get it right. As for myself, I have tried but a lot of people called it "pitiful kitsch".
I now have abandoned my impoverished meddlings in this type of photography. But don't let me discourage you

Greetings

[Mychael]

Not hurting my feelings at all. In fact I very much appreciate your detailed feedback. Putting my images up for other photographers to critique is the whole idea for me to learn.

Cheers,
Mike

[JonPB]

I think these items would make for good subjects to experiment with different lighting setups. Shiny metal razor, textured brush, moderate bowl. The only thing I'd change would be to take the blades out of their plastic box; even if left in their waxed paper, it would tell a story about shaving (other than "buy Derby Extra!") better. I generally find words to be eye magnets.

[Mychael]

I think these items would make for good subjects to experiment with different lighting setups. Shiny metal razor, textured brush, moderate bowl. The only thing I'd change would be to take the blades out of their plastic box; even if left in their waxed paper, it would tell a story about shaving (other than "buy Derby Extra!") better. I generally find words to be eye magnets.

Thanks, It was not a hard one to set up so next weekend I might try a similer theme but with modifications.

[Schraubstock]

Thanks, It was not a hard one to set up so next weekend I might try a similer theme but with modifications.

Hi

Next weekend, set the whole thing up as if someone was actually using this gear and suddenly the telephone rang and the shaving was temporarily abandoned to answer the phone,
with some shaving cream splashes, a towel, that sort of thing.

Greetings