Still Life Photography

Ever look at the wonderful pictures in magazines and brochures – especially where you have these yummy looking photographs of ice cream or fruits? How about pictures from an advertisement of your favorite pizza? Don’t they just make your mouth water?

There are also other kinds of photographs which also depict different kinds of groups of objects which create an impression in your mind. These are generally known as ‘Still Life Photographs’.

What is Still Life Photography?

Still life photography is the depiction of inanimate subjects or a group of objects which are either natural or man-made, via the means of a photograph.

It is a highly appreciated art form, wherein each photographer has a certain style. The idea is to convey a 'story' with the means of a photograph. Still life photographers always experiment with different compositions and the play of light and shadow over the objects of their composition.

Basics of Still Life Photography

Composition:

The first thing to consider while shooting still life photographs is the object or objects that you are going to capture in your picture. The idea is to let the photograph tell its own story. The picture has to communicate with the viewer on a very subtle yet sensory level. It has to appeal to the different sensibilities of the viewer.

Therefore the object(s) which are used in the picture need to be arranged in a certain fashion. This is called the composition of the photograph. Still life photographers often experiment with different groups of objects and arrange and re-arrange them several times to get the right composition so as to convey their ‘story’ effectively.

Background:

The second thing to consider is the background on which the objects are being kept. That too becomes part of the ‘story’ being told by the photographer. They add to the picture by providing a contrast to the collection of objects in the photograph.

Different backgrounds create different effects of light and dark. Cloth will have folds while paper will have creases and so on. This has to gel with the composition that the photographer has in mind.

Still life photographers use black velvet cloth to absorb the light so that they do not get unwanted reflections and bright spots in the picture.

Lighting:

This is the third aspect of still life photography which is as equally important as the first two. After all, these photographs use the play of light and shadow effectively to convey the ‘story’ of the picture.

Still life photographers use natural light as far as possible because natural light gives a special glow and effect to the composition. Ideally, they place the composition near a window or a light source. If they are shooting in nature, they even experiment with different types of light. For example the kind of light one has just before it rains.

Still life photographers also use different types of exposures with their cameras to achieve different results.

They often also use a sheet of white paper on the side opposite to the light source to reflect some light into the shadowed areas.

Some Tips for Creating Stunning Still Life Photographs

• With regards to composition of your photograph, you can try to place one object at a time and experiment with the arrangement accordingly.
• With regards to backgrounds, you can also experiment with different image manipulation or editing softwares to change the way the background looks or ‘feels’ in the picture.
• With regards to lighting, you can try to experiment with different colors and types of artificial light to enhance the shades of light and dark in the photograph.
• Another tip to enhance your still life photography skills is to collect and study examples of different still life photographs of famous photographers. Observe their compositions and the use of light and shadow. Study their styles and gain a sense of different aesthetic styles.

So go ahead, pick up your camera and begin experimenting. Tell a story with a picture!