More Tabletop Photography

Nancy Koch spoke about Tabletop Photography at my local camera club meeting last Wednesday.  Nancy has a BA in Applied Art, has worked professionally in advertising and textile design, and at one time owned her own design firm. 

How timely, considering I had just been playing with tabletop photography.

During Nancy's presentation, I was writing as fast as I could, noting her ideas for backgrounds and making a list of the kinds of props* she uses.  I was also making line drawings of her setups so I could later recall what she had been talking about.  I came home from Nancy's presentation all fired up and inspired to try some tabletop photography at home.

A few days later, I got out some scrapbook paper and some dishes and gave it a go.  Here's what I came up with.

I'm pleased with the attempt, but here are the issues I see with this photo:

• The depth of field is too shallow.  The sugar bowl lid and front edge of the pewter tray are not as sharp as they could be. 
• The light is too direct.  I'd like to see softer side lighting.  Again, I was using window light, but there are things I could have done to soften it.
• The detail in the spoon handle is lost in the glare of the light.  There is a monogram there that doesn't show up.
• I need some additional height to the setup.  I don't like that there is not a lot of variation in the size of the pieces.  Because it is a matched set, I need to add height with another prop. 


• There's a weird, harsh gap between the table surface and the start of the background.  I need to work on making this transition more seamless. 
• The photo lacks spark.  It doesn't tell a story or impart a mood.  It feels one dimensional.

 And, what I like about it:

• I like the color choices I made.  I love the soft green with the oranges.
• I like the balance of the orange color at the bottom of the picture and the orange color above the sugar bowl.

 More things to consider as I try this again and again!

* I'm not sure "props" is the right word to use here, but this is the word Nancy used.  What she means by the word "props" is the aids she uses to style the setup.  For instance, floral wire to keep a flower stem straight, a toothpick to hold fresh berries in a stack, double-sided tape to hold a leaf in place.  Perhaps "styling aids" would be more accurate.