Still Lives with Oreos

chaselton · July 27, 2013

I've got limited equipment, budget, time, and subjects, so my focus since I started photography has been on finding ways to shoot ordinary objects so they look anything but while I wait for the European wasps to return.

I did a shoot with Oreos and cream a while ago (after 1%, 2% and whole milk wouldn't cut it)

If I ever win the lottery, the very first thing I'd get is a decent macro lens.

Angelo · July 27, 2013

I think your use of cream is a good choice to provide contrast and texture. I think your basic compositions are lacking.

ian408 · July 28, 2013

I'd love to see the cookie falling into a glass of milk

chaselton · July 28, 2013

Angelo wrote: »

I think your use of cream is a good choice to provide contrast and texture. I think your basic compositions are lacking.

How so?

--sent from mobile

chaselton · July 28, 2013

ian408 wrote: »

I'd love to see the cookie falling into a glass of milk

Hmmmm...

Not sure that's possible given my setup but I can always try...:)

--sent from mobile

Angelo · July 30, 2013

chaselton wrote: »

How so?

--sent from mobile

Hi chase:

my thoughts....

#1 is very nice but I would've off-centered the aim a bit more than you did. While you seem to have attempted asymmetrical composition you're not off center enough.

#2 could be a great abstract "portrait" of the cookie but it rather looks accidental. I would compose so the top edge is not cut off. cropping part of the cookie out of the frame is fine, preferred even, but make a choice! Don't have multiple, minor crops. Another creative choice would be to come in even tighter, with "oreo" being almost the only thing in the frame with a bit of border and cream peaking through one side or under. Also, the cookie is rotated only about .5 degrees - either get it dead level or make the rotation angle significant!

#3 This just doesn't do anything. The mouth of the glass is too small, your catch light is prominent in the edge of the glass which is distracting.

If you have / had fast enough glass and a strobe I think Ian's suggestion is dead-on - catch the cookie falling into the milk creating a splash.

chaselton · July 30, 2013

Angelo wrote: »

Hi chase:

my thoughts....

#1 is very nice but I would've off-centered the aim a bit more than you did. While you seem to have attempted asymmetrical composition you're not off center enough.

Noted.

Angelo wrote: »

#2 could be a great abstract "portrait" of the cookie but it rather looks accidental. I would compose so the top edge is not cut off. cropping part of the cookie out of the frame is fine, preferred even, but make a choice! Don't have multiple, minor crops. Another creative choice would be to come in even tighter, with "oreo" being almost the only thing in the frame with a bit of border and cream peaking through one side or under. Also, the cookie is rotated only about .5 degrees - either get it dead level or make the rotation angle significant!

Noted. FYI: I was more focused on the pattern of the milk than the rotation. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by multiple, minor crops...any crops I make are carefully chosen.

Angelo wrote: »

#3 This just doesn't do anything. The mouth of the glass is too small, your catch light is prominent in the edge of the glass which is distracting.

Noted.

Angelo wrote: »

If you have / had fast enough glass and a strobe I think Ian's suggestion is dead-on - catch the cookie falling into the milk creating a splash.

Nope. As I mentioned in original post, I've limited budget/equipment.

I'll repost changes when I have a minute or two.

chaselton · July 30, 2013

I've managed to make recommended changes to photos 1 and 2 as per comments:

Let me know if the above is what you had in mind.

Still Lives with Oreos

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