How to Do Still Life Photography
photo by Photo-Menc via iStock
Given the seemingly endless global pandemic we are all living through at the moment, a ton of people have been looking for types of photography that they can do at home. It’s why you saw all of those news stories last year about photographers who were doing photoshoots via Zoom.
While I’m definitely not going to recommend you try this given everyone’s Zoom exhaustion at this point, you can try still life photography.
Still life photography techniques are applicable to tons of other photography niches. So, while still life photography may seem sort of outdated to you, the things you learn during a still life photography shoot definitely aren’t.
Plus, it’s fun to challenge yourself with photography niches you just aren’t comfortable with.
This Mango Street video is filled with ways that you can do still life photography at home with items you already own. Below is a summary of some of their still life photography tips.
Get Some Inspiration
photo by Dragi52 via iStock
If you’re either not really sure what still life photography is, or if you have trouble visualizing scenes that you want to create, then you can get your inspiration from still life paintings.
There are tons of still life painters that you can draw inspiration from, like Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse.
But, what you’re likely going to do is Google “still life photography ideas,” which will work just as well.
You don’t need to recreate the paintings you find exactly. Rather, you just need to visualize what still life photography looks like so that you can create your own scenes. So, feel free to replace an odd 17th-century instrument with a guitar or an exotic piece of fruit with something you have in your own pantry.
Keep Your Subjects on Theme
photo by martateron via iStock
One of the most important still life tips is that you have to keep everything on theme. Every still life painting has a specific theme and all of the objects on the table will tie back into that theme.
Some easy themes to get you started are themes that involve the seasons, since the seasons were so important to the artists that used to paint still life portraits.
If you’re shooting some still life photography right now, then you could use an autumnal theme. You could also theme your shots around a specific holiday.
Keep in mind that each season also has specific colors that “go” with that season. You don’t want to use a bright yellow flower in a winter-themed shoot. Likewise, you don’t want to use a poinsettia in a summer-themed shoot. It would just look weird.
Learn More:
As Always, Focus on Lighting
photo by Alberto Gagliardi via iStock
One of the main characteristics of still life photography is moody lighting.
This is actually really good news for a photographer who is brand-new to still life photography because it means that you can just use natural light (although the photographers from Mango Street used a natural light as well as a white backboard).
Just make sure you set up your table close to a natural lighting source, like light filtering through a sheer curtain on a window. It will give you very delicate lighting for your shots.
Make Your Scene Feel “Lived In”
photo by Photo-Menc via iStock
If you’re dabbling in still life photography, then an easy way to make your scenes look more realistic and less two-dimensional is to make them feel “lived in.”
If your photo includes objects like fruit, then you can easily cut some of those pieces of fruit open in order to make it look as if a group of people is just about to enjoy a meal.
If your photo includes other objects like glassware, feel free to fill up some of those glasses with a colorful beverage, like wine.
Just don’t style your image too much or it may start to feel stale.
Do Not Put Every Object on the Table
photo by Parsadanov via iStock
Admittedly that subtitle is a little confusing, but what I mean is this: do not put every object directly on the table. Put some of the objects on different types of platforms so that your photo has some layers to it.
For instance, you can stack up some books to place some of your objects on them. Or, you can use baskets to ensure that your objects have some layers.
Another way to add some layers to your still life photography is to simply use objects that are of differing heights. If you’re using a glass filled with some wine, then use the wine bottle in the background. If you’re using different types of fruit in your shot, then include other cooking ingredients, like a bottle of olive oil, in the background.
So, there you have it...some quick and easy tips to help you learn how to do still life photography. Now it’s time to assemble the items for your scene, set up your gear, and get to it!
