Sekitou
by qachyk

Comment by Konador:
i think theres a bit too much in the photo competing for attention.

Sekitou
by qachyk

Comment by rickhd13:
i think i would have liked to see more cropping around the little statue, that to me is more interesting thant the other stuff around it

Sekitou
by qachyk

Comment by WesF:
Nicely composed shot.

Crafts 'n Things: Soapmaking
by qachyk

Comment by qachyk:
Regarding the lighting:

Yeah, I saw how bright the molds ended up. In dim light they're just slightly whiter than the block of coconut soap, but they're EXTREMELY reflective and lowering the lighting more made the rest too dim. Spot-editing isn't allowed for the challenge, but it would be for a magazine shot, so I figured 'too bright' was better and easier to clean up, which I did for a lark along with assembling the cover fully. I'd post those but I've kinda lost interest in the idea. Maybe later, though.

Regarding labels:

Lots of magazines prefer to not show brand names on the cover because they don't want to endorse a specific magazine. Combine that with the fact that from the front you cannot tell those are coloured dyes, and the decision to turn them may make more sense.

I had some versions of this with a paler background but the soap didn't stand out well on it, so I reverted to this. The backdrop is a towel. My choices were that, black (which would be worse for emphasizing the brightness of the molds), and pale blue (which the soap was not as easily visible against it). I think if I'd had a softer red it would have worked out better, but alas I did not.

Crafts 'n Things: Soapmaking
by qachyk

Comment by frisca:
I like this, but the colours seem a little off and the carpet isn't complementing the composition well. Also seems a bit grainy and out of focus without real purpose.

Crafts 'n Things: Soapmaking
by qachyk

Comment by HBunch:
I think I'd prefer a lower angle on this so that we are not looking at the tops of the bottles, but rather looking straight on at them (or close) so that we can see what it even is. Also, maybe better had the labels been turned our way. Focus seems a bit soft. not really as crisp as I'd like to see for a magazine cover. Good products though. The shot is a little unballanced by the large block on the right sticking so far out of the photo, and for the most part, the left is mostly in the frame of the photo.

Crafts 'n Things: Soapmaking
by qachyk

Comment by briphoto:
Way too dark.

But you can stay and play a while...
by qachyk

Comment by kyrielle:
I like this. You had a real challenge going for you with the focus, which others have noted. A chair, table, or rail to steady your elbows on might have helped, if movement during the shot was the problem (happens to me a lot with my camera, I fear).

You might also try the shot again, with the curtain on the window as your right edge - and not the last inch of it, either. It will cut off part of your subject but I suspect it would address the glare.

The oh-so-serious sign is hysterical next to the whimsy of the toy behind it!

But you can stay and play a while...
by qachyk

Comment by dsidwell:
I love the inherent humor found in the sign and toys behind. Good eye! The image is a bit out of focus, though, when I think you'd really want that sign and colorful toys sharp and clear.

But you can stay and play a while...
by qachyk

Comment by CLarson557:
I'm not quite understanding this picture. I realize that it's a erecto-set sclpture but I'm unsure of what it is of. The lighting from the window ended up being a little too bright, so it's overexposed and uneven. The picture is also pretty much out of focus. I like the colors in the sculpture but that's about the only positive thing about this.