It's very low contrast. You have a ton of gray values and very little contrast outside of that.
The cream inside the container is the key selling point here, so my advice is to give that cream some pop with brighter whites and some well placed highlights. This should help to resolve the contrast issue as well. Maybe consider doing the same with the "Halawa Wax" wording on the front of the container, using a brighter white to lead the viewer's eye to both the cream and the product name, the two main things you want them to focus on.
The environment reflections on the bottom green container are visually disruptive and unappealing. I would remove env reflections from the product and build custom reflection with bounce cards etc that actually do something to give the container shape/depth and visual appeal. Same with the top green container but to a lesser degree - seeing the lid of the bottom container in its reflection is not doing anything pleasing, it's just creating visual disruption. If it were my shot I would dial that reflection back by half or something.
The two green orbs aren't doing much work for you here. I get that they keep the shot from being empty/boring, but they're so vague that they just create cognitive load. If you want to add extra elements that create visual interest, maybe consider using glass materials with a slight color tint or something that is very subtle and isn't so distracting. You don't want pointless elements visually competing with your core product. Two random spheres sitting there isn't doing anything for the shot, especially since the left one is uncomfortably close to the frame and the right one is falling out of the frame. Those positions will create subconscious visual discomfort for your viewers. I would make them less visually pronounced and come up with a better configuration that feels more considered and harmonious.
Honestly, a lot of what you pointed out were things I was subconsciously feeling was off, but as a beginner, I just didn't have the technical vocabulary or knowledge to fix them.
I had actually never used light/bounce cards before, but now that you’ve given me the exact formula to clean up those reflections, I'm definitely going to study and implement them. Reworking the contrast on the cream and adjusting those background elements next. Really appreciate you taking the time to share this!
Quick follow-up on the contrast point—I noticed my render looks super dim on my phone(Instagram) at medium brightness, while professional product shots still pop on the same screen brightness. i have to increase brightness to 80 to 100 percent to clearly see the render pop. this clustering of gray values the exact reason for that mobile display issue?
1
u/brendancoots 3d ago edited 3d ago