The Evolution of a Still Life Image-Memory Book

Using the old, yellowed and crumbling pages from a 1910 scrapbook for the base of my still life image, I added a vintage 1930's Sheaffer fountain pen, some dried roses, an antique green glass ink well. Below I will show some of the images I shot to achieve this final image.

The hero of my image was the fountain pen and the ink well. This beginning image showed more of the scrapbook page with three old books, one lace trimmed, set on the diagonal with the dried roses. Fujifilm XT-1, 18-135mm lens, 135mm, f5.6, 1/35s, ISO 3200.

A closer view and although I liked the composition, I but didn't like cropping out half the pen and the ink well is empty. Looking up how to make fake ink from food coloring. F/5.6, 1/60s, ISO 3200.

The composition here is pleasing, however, the focus is off the pen and on the ink well. F/6.4, 1/60s, ISO 2500.

I would be pleased with this image, but it shows a lot of the handwriting, so raising the camera some would have made a more pleasing image. F/5.6, 1/60s, ISO2500. I made the fake ink from food coloring.

I like this composition, but  the pen is blurred. I would not have minded the focus in the background, but seems distracting in the foreground. f/5.6, 1/45, ISO3200.

A much tighter crop,  but shows my hero props. F/5.6, 1/60s, ISO 1600.

Final image before adding Lightroom presets and textures. F/5.6, 1/60s, ISO 1600.

Final Image showing layers.