Either, or, neither?

I am trying to understand artificial lighting and the plays of the

shadows & highlights. Your suggestions are most welcome, as always...

I think you understand it very well, no problem there. From am aesthaetic point of view I myself would remove that candle. Very good work though

Ton,

Thanks for the suggestion. I am aware that the candle did not work exactly as I have planned. Still, its removal makes the photo almost a "product photo", which was not the purpose. Maybe a more "ornamental" candle might have been a better choice. Maybe the whole idea wasn't good.

Anyway, I still like the process (preparation of the background, placement of the objects, lighting, changing positions, trying different exposures, post-processing...) even when the result itself is not ground breaking! It is still time well spent...

Nice!