Introduction to still life photography

1. STILL LIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Take a handout from the island.
https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/still-life-photography/

2. Still Life Photography
In still life photography you have control over lighting, mood,
and composition.
Because photographers directly influence the image creation
process, still life photos reflect the creativity and style of the
photographers themselves.
https://www.thephotoargus.com/35-superb-examples-of-still-life-photography/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Kz62IEjyw

6. Still life photography encourages you to
view your subjects artistically.

7. Subject Matter
Subject matter doesn’t really matter. Generally the words
“still life photography” conjures the image of traditional
paintings of a vase of flowers, and a few carefully arranged
items. But essentially as long at it stays still, it is a still life.
You could group a bunch of items together simply because
you like them, or they look pleasing, or you can gather related
items to tell a story.
You can use things that are simply visually pleasing, or you can
make it personal. If you’re stuck for a still life subject, I suggest
finding some things that are personal and important to you,
give the photograph some meaning.

8. Backgrounds
A good background can really make a still life.
Fabric, cardboard or paper, or an existing wall,
are all easily accessible backdrops.
Just make sure whatever you use is not too
distracting from your subject matter. Keep it
simple. If you’re using fabric, make sure you iron
it first! Few things are more distracting than a
wrinkled backdrop.
You can also experiment with focus and depth of
field, having the whole image completely sharp or
certain elements, such as the background, in soft
focus.

9. Lighting
It’s important to take the time to experiment and move
the lighting equipment to see how it changes the
photograph. Move the light in. Move it away. Add lights.
Take away lights. Modify the light. Try a lot of different
things. Most importantly, critically analyze what is
happening. You may not have an interest in being a still
life photographer but following along and investing some
time experimenting and learning to “see” light will
improve your photography even if you are a street
shooter or a landscape photographer.

10. Light is the most important tool a photographer has.
Understanding how light plays on an object and being able
to control and manipulate the light is vital to convey the
desired message or mood of the photograph. The first
step to mastering light is to get a background on light as it
relates to the photographer.

11. Hard light gives hard edged, clearly defined shadows.
Think about what the light is like at mid-day on a bright
sunny day. The light is harsh with bright reflections off of
metal and glass. The shadows are deep and dark with very
precise edges. It can have a high contrast range. I call it
“contrasty.” The contrasty nature of hard light makes it
dramatic and good for showing texture. The smaller the
light source, relative to the subject, the harder the light is.
Soft light has soft edged or not well defined shadows. It is
typically a lower contrast light. Picture a totally overcast day.
The entire sky is now acting as the light source making it
much larger than the sun. The resulting shadows are soft
and not very dark. There isn’t much texture in the subject.
Soft light tends to wrap around a subject showing shape and
volume. It is also good for minimizing texture. Soft light is
typically more flattering on people than hard light is.

12. Direction
Where the light is coming from. There is some overlap with quality because the position of the light can also enhance or
minimize texture. Light coming from straight on, or on lens axis, will flatten the shape of an object and minimize any
texture. Light coming from the side or back will give more shape and volume to the objects.
https://photographycourse.net/lighting-for-still-life-photography/

13. Composition
Good composition skills go a long way with still life,
and is as important as good lighting. Understanding
things like the rule of thirds can be very helpful, even
if you choose to then ignore it.
With still life photography, if you just keep moving your arrangement around, you will find one that
works. Don’t just settle on the first one you set up. Keep your eye out for overly empty gaps, or too
much going on. Placing an item on an angle will lead the eye in that direction, does the item lead the
eye nowhere, out of the frame, or subtly towards another part of the arrangement? A small tweak of
the angle of your subject’s placement can make all the difference.

14. Composition
Also try photographing from different angles, even if you need to shoot directly front on, try raising or
lowering your camera for a few shots, then zoom in or out a bit and see what happens. It might work, it
might not, you won’t know until you try.

15. 7 Things to Keep in Mind
About Still Life Photography

16. 1. Plan your photo
You should take charge of the entire creative process. The
more you plan out your shoot, the better the result is likely to
be. So take some time to brainstorm ideas and how you can
execute them. When reading through the other items on this
list, think of how you can plan for them in advance.

17. 2. Tripods
Use them.
Anything slower than 1/60 you should be on a tri-pod and use
either a shutter release cable or your timer.

18. 3. Composition
In still life photos, you have more freedom
to move your subjects around. This gives
you the opportunity to play around with
composition (without your subjects getting
bored or upset).
● Move things around
● Pay attention to the negative spaces
● Pay attention to proportional
relationships between objects.

19. 4. Lighting
As with all other types of photography, good lighting is essential in still life
photography. Because you have virtually complete control of your environment,
there’s not really an excuse for poor lighting. In other words, figure out how to
perfect the lighting in your still life shooting environment. If you’re relying on
natural light, figure out the best time for a shoot or wait until the light has
improved. When using a flash, you should consider diffusing the light, using an
external flash and directing the light with a reflector.

21. 4. Lighting continued
1.Find the brightest spot in the house -- Seriously, spend a day figuring out when and where you get the best light
in your house. You're looking for lots and lots of sunlight, and that beautiful glow.
2. Work that indirect sunlight-- You do NOT want direct sunlight or harsh shadows on your food photography pics.
If sunlight is flooding a room, set up your photography station just barely out of reach of the direct light. Or, place it
right next to a bright, large window when no direct sunlight is coming in. North- and south- facing windows are
great for this.
3. Soften the light -- If you have direct sunlight, diffuse it by hanging a semi-sheer white curtain or a white bed
sheet from the window. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a scrim, which does the same thing. Anything that
turns direct sunlight into soft white light will do the trick.

22. 5. Background
You want to make sure that the background works well with your main subject. For
example, think about how the background will look in-focus and out-of-focus.
Maybe you can find a background with an interesting texture or no texture at all. A
single-color background can be an effective way to make your subject stand out. If
you have the option, try out different types of background with the same subject.
Use white (or black) backdrops and backgrounds -- We will use white posters that I have for the backdrops and
backgrounds a lot. If you have a brightly-colored wall, you'll want to cover it with something white so the color of
the wall doesn't reflect onto your food. Plus, these white posters will bounce more light onto your subject.

23. 6. Take it outside
With still life photography, you’re not limited to staying inside. You can find plenty
of excellent still life subjects outdoors: leaves floating down the river, a nice
composition of street objects, or an interesting rock on the beach. It might be
harder to control the shooting environment, but outside you can find unique
subjects and backgrounds.
NOT THIS TIME! BUT IN THE FUTURE….

24. 7. Release your Inner Creative Genius
There are no limits on what you can do with still life photography. So play around
with ideas and the contents in your cupboards! Maybe you will be the first person
to photograph a rubber ducky in a bathtub filled with watermelons. You can also
create your own message. Still life paintings were infused with meaning and
symbolism, you could do the same in your still life photos.
https://www.adorama.com/alc/0014282/article/Create-A-Classic-Fine-Art-Still-Life

39. Notice this is shot
from above, you
can stand on a
stool or have your
still life set up on
the floor by a
sliding glass door
to get the natural
light.
Brainstorm...