Introductory project: Stage 1: Gathering materials, continued

Sunday evening: Had another go at selecting, arranging and recording my objects for Tropical Tourist. Change the background to the blue tie-dye jersey (polycotton?) material and reduced the number of objects.

I think this arrangement works better than what I did yesterday.

Does the way you order or arrange the items help to tell the story and your personal interpretation of the theme?

Having just returned from holiday, it now strikes me that this group of items shows the sorts of thinks I like to take with me: sunglasses and a hat to protect from the sun, a good book (I chose this one because it is set in tropical Bougainville and its cover features tropical flora and fauna) to ready on the beach or by the pool, a pair of colourful flip flops, a colourful necklace to jazz up a simple outfit in the evening.

Do some arrangements work better than others?

Yes, definitely. When you are in the act of photographing, you think a certain arrangement has worked, then when you check the photos it can be disappointing as they don't seem to have worked as well as you thought. Sometimes, when you look at them again later on, you can end up happier with the result.

My favourite arrangements are the above photo on the blue background and the two below:

I think I should also try photographing the objects from a different angle, perhaps from in front and slightly above, like a traditional still life.