Critique Ratings

I see, I think, what you were going for here; the patterns and textures in the wood and the colors and shapes in the sign and the metal bands. Thus, the "abstract" part. I think it doesn't work as you intended, though, for one simple reason you can easily fix: the elements mentioned earlier need more abstraction from the everyday. That means, in this case, a more narrow depth of field, and a much sharper focus on something - most likely, on the grain of the wood. Also, try using bounce flash, or a reflector, so that the lighting isn't so harsh. When you see the results, I think you'll find they are more like what you envisioned.