Shot with both the camera and item handheld (am I crazy?) in some early evening sun. Used the 50mm + a reversing ring. Cropped, adjusted the highlights and shadows separately with layers. Cloned a section of the upper right corner where I had caught a bit of a lighter color in the background and then blurred it in a bit. Oh, and it's staples inside a stapler.
Presents an ordinary object in such a unique way. So perfect for the challenge. Delightfully shot and processed. I thought it was window blinds -- but nobody thinks I know anything anway :) Nicely done.