WW II Ration Books

[renegade]

What I wanted to do was showcase the ration books in an interesting way. I tried by themselves but not too interesting so I put a vintage portrait with them and I'm hoping it works. Interested in what else I could do?

[Hertz van Rental]

The problem with this shot is that it isn't really showing the ration books.
They are there but only as part of the composition - almost incidental.
They are on a 'busy' Chinese tray for a start. The background is competing for attention.
Then the photograph. As a person's face we tend to be attracted to it more than anything else. So that is competing for attention too.
There is no sense that the ration books are central to the image. There is nothing in the image that echos or reflects their use.
The background is from a different culture and the portrait is late 1920's/early 1930's at a guess - before rationing was introduced.
It would have been much better to have used something to do with food - like a butcher's block with a knife, say, or on a scales. Something to make the connection between the ration books and their use.
I understand you trying to put a period context on them but you can still do that whilst echoing their use.
The secret of a good still life is to focus attention on the main subject and, if the subject can't do it on it's own, give the viewer some visual clue. And most of this can be done by keeping it simple and using the composition/lighting.
It is always the little details that make or break an image.

[renegade]

Thank you for your critique. I knew that the portrait was not in the same period and I was conflicted in the use of my background. Butcher block would have been a better choice, I see now. I have a very old scale that I might try. I fear that not much will help to make these stand out in a still life and also be interesting. Perhaps it was just not as great an idea for an image as I hoped it would be. Doing still life is the hardest thing for me to accomplish. thanks very much.

[Hertz van Rental]

You can make a still life out of anything - it's all in the lighting and composition.
All you have to do is work out what you are trying to say about the books - what is it that you want people to see/feel when they look at them? Then concentrate on that.
Still Life (or Advertising) is the hardest discipline in Photography. You are always given the most unpromising material and have to try and make it exciting whilst doing nothing more than show the product.
It takes time and practice to learn to do it well so the qualities you need are patience and the ability not to get discouraged.
Try the shot again with a plain background and without the picture - just shoot the books on their own. Always start with the simplest set-up possible and build from there.

[renegade]

thanksj for the encouragement, I will work with it and see what happens.