How about a quick game?

[curelightwounds]

Camera:
Nikon D5000
f/5.6
ISO 200
18mm

Treatment:
bracket/blend
increase clarity
increase contrast
drop brightness
vignetting

Critique plz :3

No, just kidding. My biggest issue is making pictures that are striking and eye catching. I used to have an issue staging photos as I thought it was like cheating. This is one of my earlier attempts at staging a photo to try to make it eye catching.

I know, 'how do I make it eye catching,' is a bit of a broad area but what have I done wrong? How might I have done it differently? What should I have looked out for to make it more appealing?

[NgaiHill]

I like how the cue & spider lead your eye towards the balls, which I imagine are the focus here but I find the bright window too distracting. I like you idea though.

[curelightwounds]

I've been hearing that a lot, that there's an unhappy balance between the table and the window. I pretty much agree.

I also took it in vertical but I think it suffers the same problem. My concern was breaking up the window as that would have been really distracting, so I dropped my angle so it would just fit in the frame. I'm guessing if I had a wider angle lens I might have been able to capture more of the table and still capture the full window.

I'm going to go work on the vertical version and see if I ca really bring up the table a little more. I'll post it after the 24 hour limit.

[NgaiHill]

Do you have any extra lighting? Perhaps you could go back at night when there isn't the light coming in the window the same. Look forward to seeing this photo progress.

[curelightwounds]

Originally Posted by NgaiHill

Do you have any extra lighting? Perhaps you could go back at night when there isn't the light coming in the window the same. Look forward to seeing this photo progress.

I have tons of extra lighting... too much really... comes with the associated hobby.

Without going into too much detail, there a lot more eyes on this place now so getting in any time besides early morning is a little difficult. I had too close of a call the last time I was there so I probably won't be going again until the time gods have made it such that twilight is earlier in the day.

This was shot between twilight and sunrise. I had to do a long exposure which is why the window's blown. I actually like the blown window because I don't actually care what's on the other side and it allows me to see the pattern on the cage a lot more clearly.

I could make another night trip but how should I set up? I've only done a few shots in the dark with very little success.

[sk66]

Honestly, I think it is the heavy vignette which draws too much attention to the window....
And there is confusion as to what the "subject" is due to that.

[edbayani]

since your idea is about the game, why not reverse the position of the balls and cue to foreground and move closer, so the balls will be bigger making them the object of focus.

[curelightwounds]

Out of curiosity, if this was intended to be a photo of the window how would I have done?