Must-Learn Photography Skills: Eight Recommendations for Still Life Photography Skills

1, novelty creation is always the first.

2. Highlight the shooting theme of still life

3, flexible use of light

4. Control tripod and angle.

5. Correct selection of still life shooting background

6. Clever combination of shooting elements

7. Repeated shooting for a long time to find the feeling

8. Inspire by constantly appreciating masterpieces.

1. Novelty creation is always the first still life photography, which is very different from landscape photography and figure photography. Scenery and people usually set a theme, or a mountain or a model, which can change greatly, and the creative space is ready in front of you. Still life photography, however, is different. They change very little, and everything is controlled by the photographer, including the theme. You need to rack your brains to come up with interesting and novel ways to capture their characteristics creatively.

2. Highlight the shooting theme of still life. What kind of photos you take depends entirely on yourself. Look around the house and see if there is anything interesting but simple to start with. Never think that you must pat fruit or flowers like others. You can choose courses openly, but don't choose too difficult. When you go out for a stroll, if something catches your attention, take it home (but not steal it), or mark it and shoot it later when you have time. Try to avoid choosing objects with reflective surfaces, such as grass and metal, because the light that hits them is very difficult to control. Once you have mastered the shooting skills of a single object, try to shoot several objects together, preferably with different shapes, colors and textures, and see if you can get good results. Highlight the shooting theme of still life.

3. Flexible use of lighting does not necessarily require the use of very expensive lighting equipment. I know very well that my budget can't afford a complete set of studio lighting, so I will try my best to use the lighting equipment I can use to shoot still life. Please remember that all aspects of photography need to be under your control. If you think so, you need to find a room and block all the natural light with blinds or curtains, so that you can completely control the light that shines on your subject. If we can effectively use general lighting, we can also achieve good results. In addition to putting it in front of the real thing, please be sure to try several placement positions. The light projected from the side and back can increase the interest, shadow and depth of the lens. Otherwise, you can choose a room with only one window as an advantage. Natural light illuminates an object from an angle. You can use other lights or reflectors to adjust the desired lights.

4. Controlling the tripod and angle depends on your lighting conditions. You may or may not need a tripod and cable release device. I suggest using these devices, because with these devices, you can better observe and photograph your subject. These devices can also make the aperture speed a little longer, move the focus of the image forward and blur the background, if you need it. But don't let a fixed camera limit your creativity. Once a tripod is used, it is easier to forget that all photos are taken from one angle because of its fixed position. You need to make sure that you can adjust the angle and height when shooting. Otherwise, before you know and make adjustments, your whole series of photos are taken from one angle, with little change and extremely limited. Angle and height can be adjusted at the same time. You can try to take a bird's eye view of the object and shoot it from top to bottom, but be careful not to cast a shadow on the object during the movement.

Choosing a correct background for still life shooting plays a very important role in creating a successful work. It's best to choose a simple but beautiful background, so it won't have a great impact on your subject. Plain wall or large white paper or plain paper are good choices. If you choose a background that supports the object, you need to carefully consider whether you want a neutral background or a background that matches the color of the object. For some small objects, it may not be necessary to use a background, but a substrate can be used instead. For example, black velvet is a good choice, because it can absorb light and make the substrate look pure black.

6. Clever combination of shooting elements The combination of various creative elements is very important for shooting a unique and exquisite still life photography. Combining the trichotomy, you should consider how to make your work achieve the best combination of various elements. Make sure there are no distracting elements in the picture, only the subject and background. Try to use some creative thinking to change the combination of various elements to shoot. Where do you want the audience to focus? Do you make full use of the blank space around the object? Is it possible to try to fill in the picture? What is the most striking feature of your subject? What is it used for? Does it exist as a part of the whole or as a separate subject?

7. I often feel that the purpose of shooting determines my mood at work. So if I take pictures just to relax myself (against being assigned a job to you), I will feel less oppressive, which will ensure that what photography wants to express is well restored. Doing things aimlessly is definitely a bad habit, but it may be a good habit for still life photography. Because you need enough time to finish your masterpiece. Unlike landscape photography, light does not change quickly; Unlike people who shoot, your subject matter will not become more and more boring, and it will always be like this, and there will be no change. These are the advantages of still life photography. You can fix your subject, light, background and camera, take some photos, then change them and continue shooting. If you feel bad about yourself, you can leave for a while, have a cup of coffee and come back to continue filming. Still life shooting has no reason not to exclude clear and clean photos, because you have enough time to adjust the light and focus. It would be great if you had a macro lens at hand. If not, try to choose the macro mode of the camera, which can better capture the details of the object.

8. Inspire by constantly appreciating masterpieces. If you are obsessed with light, combination and composition, you may need some inspiration. A better way to find inspiration is to look at the still life works of masters many years ago. Look up Renaissance still life works on the Internet, and carefully observe the various elements of these works. Studying these works will help you better think about the comprehensive application of composition, shadow and color. I hope these will inspire you and let you shoot more wonderful works.