I didn't really want to enter this challenge, but I needed a break from work. We'll see if I should have kept on working ;-)
The challenge for me was to try to fill the frame while keeping a balance on the lighting. I experimented with all different WB settings, as well as some different filters for the desklamp. Ended up muting the light with a single sheet of typing paper.
I tried to get as deep a DOF as I could without losing interest.
Post: very slightly cropped, adjusted brightness/contrast, hue/saturization, and sized.
Ok...this was the original shot. didn't too long to realize this was going nowhere fast...
so, we introduced apples, and played around with lots of compositions and angles before settling on the submission. this is what the setup looked like
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Took me a bit of time to work out what was going on here. Everything seems crammed in to the frame, with 4 or 5 distinct compositional elements battling for attention and control. Not too sure that it is as strong as a result of that clutter.
It is certainly an interesting object and the bright red colours with the blue background also have potential - but then you've got the apples and the stalks and peel and the metal all clustering in.
White balance appears a bit warm, though you mention you were experimenting with them.
Yep, I would have had a hard time with this one too. Having never seen one of these (I know, how weird is that), I wouldn't have been able to figure out what was going on here. I do like the bright blue background against the other colors here.
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