Rose & Flute

What could be simpler?  A rose, green leaves, a shiny silver flute, and a highly reflective crystal vase, all strategically placed in front of a red wall.  Light it with a 2 X 3 softbox, maybe use a white reflector for fill.

Well, since I asked, lots of things could be simpler.  The wall is too shiny, the wall is too dark, the wall is too sharply in focus, the wall has uneven lighting.  The leaves are too dark, the leaves are too bright, the rose is out of focus, the flute is out of focus, too little depth of field, too much depth of field...you get the idea.  This turned out to be a study in lighting compromise.

This still life pushed my technical skills.  I never did get the highlights on the silver flute just like I wanted, however I did finally manage to get a fine focus on the rose using nice soft light.

JRT