Mont Blanc

I would like to know what you think of this shot, and don't be easy on it.

The end of the far pen is blown...
I think this would be hard one to take a photo of considering the BG is really important to the presentation..what about a grey drop?

Pens aren't clean enough. I can see smudges all over the one closest to the front.

thanks for making go and do better. what about this?

I don't feel the towel under the pens is a good choice...the end of that one pen is taking the light again...ach....
Maybe the logo could go on the far right side instead of center...

Do you have a dark grey paper handy?

this is the actual box the pen came in and I don't have anything gray.

thanks Karlos to point out the smudge, I never notice it. But I just fixed it.

I also think the reflection around the chrome on the left pen where the script is is distracting, maybe a filer or less direct lighting?

I like the original, just find another pen that does not have a white end on it and I think you have a winner.

the pen with the white end is a $350 pen here and the other one is the 100th anniversary limited edition with the diamond in the clear end. this one I don't use, It's like a collector item, I paid $550 for it and you can't get them anymore. here. I'll let the value go up one it and sale it in a decade or two.

So those are the pens or as they call them "writing instrument" that i want in the picture.

So any other idea then I could try, to make this shot better?

My first attempt would have been:

- A reflective surface on the bottom (A small piece of Glass would do)

- No Box/logo you're better off adding that in later electronically. It will be sharper.

- Reduce the angel of the pens to the camera, DOF is killing the furthest point.

- Less direct lighting. You probably need 2 lights and a reflector.

--- Main Light: I would light from the left of the frame - 45 degrees from camera (2/3 power).
--- This can be on camera light: point up to a white bounce-able mater (heavy white paper or even a 2nd reflector) About 2 feet above he frame. Parallel to the top of the frame so it bounces down onto the pens. [[This can be thought of as the hair light for portraits]]
--- Fill: Reflector on the right ( 90 degrees) to do the fills - parallel to the frame.

- If at all possible use a black background in a dark room so that the light fades away into nothing.

I think you should use something with a bit more class than a towel perhaps velvet. Or even some nice table linen but a towel just doesn't do it for me I am afraid. I agree the logo can be added afterwards that way you are not restricted to where you place it. Send us another shot.

I don't think that is a towel, I think that is the actual box the pen comes in. The "diagonal line in the middle is the tell tale sign, that it what it rests in.
I think it is a pretty cool shot, I like the fact that the logo is out of focus and you have highlighted the "more important" stuff-the "cap" ends. If this were a fountain pen with a high detail scroll on the nib it would be a different story.
Now that you have cleaned the pens, clone out the reflection of you in the same spot

See, this is for a competition and I'm not allowed to do any selective edit, so I can't clone out or add anything to the picture. But tomorrow I will try different lighting angles and see if I can solve some of the reflections and maybe try a different background.

and you're right SOT, this is the box the pen came in to.

Hmmm, do you have a light meter? Maybe a larger f/stop would be a better choice but you need to know the light values before going full manual and doing the right way.

I don't have a light meter, but it is on my wish list. I do shoot manual tho, but I'm still learning.