im just wondering if you've learnt anything from your previous 5 tries.
problems here,
poor composition- the 5 partial muffins are distracting and irritating. Aim for a clean composition, so either zoom out or remove the offending 5. either shoot 1 or 3, if 5 then have a uncomplicated pattern, be creatively uncreative.
Colour- a choc muffin being a choc muffin it doesn't offer any colour other than brown. so you have to freshen it up some. your aim is not to attract people who are already wanting to have a muffin; your aim is to attract people who had no intention of eating your muffin to want to!
Choice of plate, the muffin holder, any supporting chars like kit_fisto's milk, cloth napkin, etc
Harsh lighting- can you see all the specular highlights on the choc chips? do you find that distracting?
Subject choice- if you're really really serious on improving, choose a better muffin! ask your wife to make an extra muffin with top-up choc chips placed selectively. an ugly muffin won't get you far.
I've seen those colourful chocolate rice kind of thingy... Maybe adding them will make the muffins more colourful? :think: Just put a little on top will do... Just my personal suggestions... but this picture surely made me felt hungry... ;p Maybe also include a beverage that goes well with it... milkshake? Tea? coffee? I dunno... I agree that the paper cups looks kinda dull... A cute and colourful paper cup will definitely attract kids more and I believe that they will love it too!
im not sure how many pictures you take, but once you set up for the shoot... i really would try and take a lot of pics. try different uses of flash, different flash exposures, maybe even some shots without flash etc. im sure if you did, you will most likely find a better picture than the one you have here.
re the composition, that is a bit harder... i can only say... go dig up your wife's cookbooks and look at all the pictures there to see how they do it.
2) Composition is VERY messy. Food shots need to be "clean", elegant.
3) Give your subject more space. Tight crops don't always work for food. Next time, leave more space around your food, but pls. do it creatively. You'll need to judge how to best give your subject "space"
4) Arrangement of choc chips must be improved, but its not the main issue here. But its usually the finer details that seperate the amateur from the pro.
5) Next time, try shooting about 3 cakes at most. The only time you show show more is if you're shooting the whole tray.....ie fresh out of the oven shot.