Photojournal 5

I read Paco Underhill's essay "Photography Changes How we Shop".  I found the article interesting however it didn't present me with any new information. It is clear that we are often fooled into believing everything we see in photographs and as someone that takes photographs, I know that these photographs can be manipulated using various techniques and therefore can make us believe anything.  Like he states in his essay, "the presentation of goods has been a critical element of our commercial culture.... The creative drive has been focused on making good stuff look great."  I really tried to use this idea when creating my photograph.  I chose to photograph a bottle of wine, the name of the wine is "Relax".  I wanted to try and play on this name in how I presented the bottle to really make it look deserving of its name.  I first tried shooting pictures of the wine bottle by a water fountain because I felt like that gave a very tranquil feel.  However the images ended up look too artificial and not believable, I mean I guess who really sits by a little water fountain with a full unopened bottle of wine.  So I decided to try and make the photograph look more believable, but still relaxing by photographing it next to my bed.  I added a couple candles and a orchid next to the wine bottle to give it the full feeling of tranquility.  I felt like this image was successful in making the viewer believe that this wine would deliver complete relaxation, just as relaxing as the setting the bottle is in.  The article mentioned briefly about the man who sold vegetables and chose carefully where to place the vegetables and which went next to which based on color.  I think I incorporated this idea in my photograph by trying to stick with neutral colors that felt soothing, nothing too harsh.  Overall I'm satisfied with my image, it definitely makes me want to get into that bed and drink a glass of that wine with candles lit around me.  I think the only thing I would maybe do differently if I could do it again now that I think  about it, is wait until its dark outside so that the candle light is really amplified and their is more ambient lighting rather than bright daylight.