The composition is the biggest problem here. The strong vertical element offset middle in the picture, underlined by the procession of items along it for depth, demands attention. It makes it feel like a vertical picture, rendering the red/yellow tarp an un-needed eye sore and the bucket a peripheral clutter.
When you take still life pictures, take the time to consider the image as an array of geographic elements. Arrange the elements in a fashion that please or serve you *purely* in terms of geometry. Of course the lighting and other facets play a role, but without composition, still life pictures suffer heavily. A portrait with poor composition may be mediocre, but it still retains a level of effectiveness because the face is there. A picture of solely objects has no such thing to fall back on. Here lies the challenges of good still life photography!
Randy, thank you for the quote. That really spoke to me, I will remember it!
