How to Photograph Still Life
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The still life photograph is dealing with form, texture, the relationship one object has to another, the lighting on the objects and the overall composition within the format of the finished picture. A still life photographer works in a studio and is busy arranging things as s/he strives for a pleasant and simple composition to create a harmonious picture for his clients. Artificial light is necessary to create depth to the objects being photographed. When recreating an effect with studio flash, use the modeling lights to see where the lights fall on the objects. |
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Most of still life professional photographers use large format cameras but if you are a beginner, you might as well try it with a normal SLR or digital camera. You will be surprised how interesting and creative it can be.
The most important rule about this kind of photography is to experiment till you feel that the light is right and apply it to your subject. You can also use a natural light coming from a side window to take a great shot, it all depends on the object and the needs of your clients. As a start you should know that top backlighting makes objects stand out from the background. Use reflector to fill in light into the object if necessary.
A still life photographer will store several props to use when working in the studio so keep collecting stuff and keep it close by you as you never know what will be your next shoot and maybe one of the props will suit the object. Buy colored sheets for backdrops and mainly use black and white. Silver and gold can be your reflectors, stones, coral, pebbles, seashells and wood are always needed and they can be a picture of their own. You can also involve your family in collecting such objects for future use.
My recommended equipment requirements for still life photography are:
* Studio
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19.11.2006. 07:30