Hi Blake,
I wonder why there is none of the surface showing through the rear of the largest glass at the bottom? Maybe that is helping to contribute to the illusion that the glasses are behind each other? Personally, they look like they are inside one another to me because the highlighted rim of the large glass is visible above and behind the rim of the shot glass.
Not knowing what you are looking to do here, if I were looking to light the chess pieces frontally I would composite the image. The lighting looks good with the second version for the glass to me. Nice job there. I also like the chess pieces rim lighted myself.
Did I notice some remnants of the cleaning job or am I suffering from more optical delusions?
And I have been looking at this shot for a while now and I’m just not seeing where the middle chess piece is leaning! Do you think Mike might have his Ex Officio’s on too tight?
(Been nice talking to you Blake! Probably be my last time since if Mike or Manfred reads this I’ll be tarred and feathered! I already had to kill myself! Twice!
)