Play with still life photography techniques under natural light

Introduction: The placement and matching of subjects in still life photography are very important, especially when there is more than one subject, the matching of pictures cannot be careless. The dull shape of a single subject will make the picture lack of highlights, and if multiple subjects are not matched well, they may overwhelm the focus. Therefore, photographers should design and try several "looks" for still life before shooting. Play with still life photography techniques under natural light

Placement and matching of still life

Make rigorous staggered placement when creating still life works

In this photo The shapes of the lighter and the cigarette match very cleverly. Not only does the cigarette not steal the spotlight from the lighter, but it actually better highlights the lighter’s dominant position in the picture.

Shooting still life uses the change of color temperature

When shooting still life, adjust the white balance setting of the digital camera, use the wrong white balance relative to the light source to shoot, and use the change of the color temperature of the picture to get special results. Toned photos. If set properly, when the tone of the picture matches the characteristics of the object being photographed, the picture effect will be very moving.

In this photo, the food looks more delicious against the backdrop of warm colors, which greatly increases the appetite of the viewer.

The head flowers used in weddings show charming warm colors under the wrong white balance settings

Discover the beauty of form in life

In life Common objects can become subjects for still life photography. Excellent photographers can discover formal patterns from their shapes, colors, combinations and lighting conditions, and record them keenly. As long as you make good use of the basic rules of photography, you are expected to produce outstanding and wonderful photos.

Whether it is a warm home or a solemn venue, there are elements of beauty in the regular arrangement of still life objects and the free placement of objects in a messy room. The former gives people a sense of neatness, while the latter It can give the picture a sense of freedom and freedom. Photographers must develop an eye for finding potential subjects in complex scenes. When composing a specific photo, it is necessary to grasp the principle of "Too much is a sin" so that the viewer's eyes stay on the specific and distinctive subject of the photo, and at the same time to avoid the subject from overfilling the frame, thereby losing the flexibility of the composition. Space for sex and imagination.

Desktop layout before a meeting

Effective control of depth of field

An important feature of still life photography is that the subject is relatively single, even in a picture with rich elements. The subject is often clear, and all the details of the small subject are presented one by one under the 10-megapixel digital SLR lens. In this case, better control over the depth of field of the picture is particularly important. On the one hand, photographers need to focus on depicting a certain side of a three-dimensional object. On the other hand, due to the short shooting distance of still life photography, the depth of field of the picture is often very shallow. At this time, the boundary between clear and blurred cannot be fully presented through the depth of field prediction function. For this reason, when creating seriously, photographers need to play back and enlarge the details of the photo to control the depth of field of the picture.

Use black and white mode to shoot car models

Peking Opera dolls

Use shallow depth of field to express bamboo slips

Examples of still life shooting with shallow depth of field

Use natural light to outline the edges of still life

When photographing model toys, pay attention to choosing a suitable background. Use natural light from the window instead of flash to outline the edges of the subject and highlight the three-dimensionality. feel.

No matter what the subject is, you first need to blend the subject into a specific environmental background before shooting. For example, when shooting a tank model, you can choose a place with sand and gravel outdoors. When shooting a car model, you can try to shoot in complete darkness. Shot in the background.

For metal objects, the lines at the corners often need to be outlined by light, while the flat parts should not have dazzling reflections. If you are shooting with natural light, you need to adjust the position of the still life. Change its direction with the light to find the best lighting and shooting angle.

Example photos of car models taken from the front and above

Mirror reflection effect

In still life photography, the subject and the mirror reflection are in the same picture and complement each other. This composition is relatively new. In this example, a black background was chosen when taking the picture, forming a low-key image. Taking advantage of the spatial relationship, a fantasy zone is formed at the bottom of the picture, triggering people's visual association through the black fantasy zone and the blue mirror reflection.

In still life photography, in order to ensure the clarity of the subject, sometimes the aperture should be relatively small, and the color should be concise and general, to avoid overpowering the subject and pursue a sense and profound feeling.

The picture above? Mirror image? is of an airplane model. It uses smooth plexiglass as a photography platform, places still life on the platform, and uses clever indoor lighting to create mirror reflections. The reflection and the solid body each occupy 1/2 of the picture, forming a symmetrical composition and making the picture more holistic.