Which presentation is better?

What is your feeling or emotion while looking at the same product but in a different composition?

It’s the same acoustic guitar in both photos; however they are presented in extreme differences.

Photo EmotionGuitar mood

The first photo has much more color, depth and has that country guitar feel to it because of the surrounding.   I get a feeling that I could picture myself playing the guitar.  It has that warm inviting kind of feel to it.  However it doesn’t display any detail and even though it is a deep blue color, it picks up some of the surrounding colors onto the guitar. 

The second photo is seems more sterile, bland and flat. Just says “I’m a guitar”.  I don’t feel any real attachment to it but I can see the features better and its true color without any distractions.  If I were buying this product I would probably want to see this photo next to other guitars that I might be considering.

So again, which one is better?   Well the answer is both.  Each photo is a tool used in different presentations to give its specific purpose.   The company selling the product wants to first grab your attention using the first photo and show its features in the second.
Kinda like the automobile companies that don’t show much of the car in their TV advertisements.  Just a bunch of people saying…  “Ohooo, Ahhaa”.  You need to go to the showroom for more information.  But the TV advertisement grabs you attention and wants to make you imagine yourself in that car.

Knowing how your client wants to use the photos is key to delivering a effective image.

Photo one:  1/125s  f3.5  28mm  off camera flash.
Photo two:  1/30s   f3.5  28mm   off camera flash.