Honestly, at first glance, I thought it was just a photobook full of mundane, domestic items. Although, later I realised that it was much more.

Sparkling Past uses studio photography and the images look almost like illusions, and when looking at them I found that the background of each photo somewhat disappeared. Consequently, the mass-produced consumer products that are depicted are enhanced and appear dominant. The contrast between the product and background made me concentrate on the whole photo rather than just looking at the product. When I did this, I was amazed – it made me look in a new way at advertising photography.

In this book, the photographer shows photographs that have never been shown before, rather than the final show. The authors explain, “each of these pictures had been discarded because it wasn’t quite right yet”.

I would certainly recommend this book for those who are seeking alternative and original shots which show the fragility and beauty in everyday objects.

Overall, this style of photography can be up to interpretation. Mine is that this is a clever technique to focus minds on the subject and intrigue the observer. It can be an effective way of advertising. As stated in the Sparkling Past, "error and imperfection give life to this book of images".

– Elena Kehtarnavaz