Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Now that the contest is over how about a C&C. This was my entry for mirror mirror....
Any thoughts or comments what I could have or should have done differently.

littlebiddle Loc: Yakima Wa USA

I think ya shoulda finished the cake and sent it to me! But as far as the shot I think the handle on the sifter and the basket could have been completely in the shot! But I am not really good at setting up these kind of shots! I like what you presented though!

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Thank you. I agree. My "studio" had some limitations. I needed a bigger piece of plexiglass. LOL.

btrflyangel357 Loc: Dongola, Illinois

Cake? I thought she was making cookies, and didnt invite us over to help...he he I really cant critique as I am just not that good at those things. I do like the photo

Itpurs Loc: Carson City, NV

Hi Country Momma...beautiful colors and good idea. Here's my first impression. There's too much stuff. Less is often more. The plexiglas is reflective, but not a "mirror" effect. The colors and set up were quite impressive at first look, but became cluttered the more I looked at it. That's just my opinion, and I am often out in left field.

photogrl57 Loc: Tennessee

Maybe some noise reduction.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

I agree the cropping was just a little off, I think it either all needs to be in or a really creative crop needed to be used.

Lighting loos just a little flat to me as well as well as a little underexposed. I know you're trying to not blow the flour and the eggs but it could have been upped a little to give it more of a punch.

I do like the idea.

T Loc: New York State

Hi...
Table topery is a great way to fend off the doldrums of winter! But the "bowl of fruit" stylized by echos of the elete European daubbers is not the same as the rich PHOTO world we can dive into.

As a table set up your props were presented "flat" No depth. And "split". Whites are drawing the eye on both sides and a warm brown something in the center (chocolate?) competes with the nice warm color of the rolling pin.

You might enjoy working with the depth of the shot, perhaps close enough to the chocolate bar to show it really well, since it's the hardest item to identify, but has a warm and comfortable color, details, and texture and contrast it against the sifter, eggs and flour subdued (less focused) in the back ground.

The whole of an item need not be included. Just enough for easy identification and to take advantage of it's color, lines and texture and to please the eye, or taste buds, with whatever cookie characteristic it has. Or that it suggests.

An alternate, and in some ways far more productive approach, is to get about half way through any given operation in the actually making of some cookies, and then hunt for scenes. Play with things! Get shots of the egg/s breaking, wooden spoon stirring, finger prints on the bowl, unusual angles of the cookie sheet, views of a raider in, or trying to get into, the batter...

That way you get to eat (share?) the cookies while looking over what you cooked up in the camera! (After you have gotten the butter and flour off the camera gear and cleared the smoke from the kitchen, of course.....)

Have fun. Lots and lots it...
Cookies too!

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Thank you everyone for your critique. I think I will have to set this up again and have another go at it using the suggestions you have given me.
T the chocolate bar in the center is actually a springerle press that was my grandmothers, possibly carved by her uncle who was a sculture. The more I think about it it would make a wonderful photo op to shoot the rolling pin( also my grandmother's) , with the press and some of the cookies.

frank bruce Loc: Albuquerque,N.M

the 1st thing that comes to my mind is all eggs in 1 basket.personally i think ur a little short on the sides. i would like to c the whole things. my eyes r cut off. great subject matter. keep up the good work

jaymi1028 Loc: Los Angeles

there does seem to be a lot of noise in the darker parts of the photo. What was your ISO? try it again at a really low ISO and maybe with some good natural light pouring in the window. But the composition is really nice.

frank bruce Loc: Albuquerque,N.M

cool idea country mama! keep us updated.

T Loc: New York State

See? You fooled me and right off the batter came up with an excellent subject to really get into... Not many people know what a springerle press is so you have a mission!

With cookie rewards awaiting! Start shooting...

(Ah...just what IS a springerle press anyway?)

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Springerle are a type of German cookie. The press is used to put a design in the cookie. They make rolling pins that do the same thing.
I will try to do this sometime next week.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

I shot it at 200.