How to shoot still life and still life photography?

Still life photography has always been particularly popular since the beginning of photography development, because the subject is still and can be photographed without the limitation of time and thought. Many photographers like this special type better than anyone else, because the works in it have no boundaries.

At first glance, shooting still life seems simple and fast, but in fact everything is completely different. When the necessary objects are selected and arranged according to all the composition rules, the difficulty begins. Finally, arrange the lights and choose the winning shooting angle. In short, it must be overcome by high-quality image processing. Photographers spend hours or even a whole day doing this kind of work, otherwise they can't find professional staff.

The advantage of shooting still life and dealing with still life is that there is no need to find a special place or some professional equipment in the shooting process. As a location, even the family environment is suitable: choose a sunny place or use a flash, choose and build a suitable background independently to shoot.

Compared with taking portraits and landscapes, you need much less extra details. But the main difference is that you will have the time you need to work, because it is much easier to interact with topics: you can rearrange topics, delete redundant objects, add new objects, try unlimited angles and realize any idea. For people with limited energy, such a shooting opportunity will not be available.

When taking photos of people, animals or landscapes, photographers usually do almost everything while running, but for inanimate objects, everything is different: you can think about everything carefully and create really perfect photos.

Still life photography is especially favored by people in commercial photography, so high-quality pictures can not only bring beauty, but also bring rich profits. In modern society, more and more magazines, catalogues and other publications are issued, which need to display all kinds of articles and objects: products and ready-made dishes, drinks, accessories, clothes, indoor decorations and so on. You can use special communication resources to independently promote such photos on the Internet.

Shoot what? For many people, the type of still life in photography seems to be classic, standard and predictable, in which the main position in the picture is vegetables, fruits or flowers. In fact, what to shoot depends only on your imagination and preferences. Look around and find someone who can tell their story, no matter how sick they are. After all, like any other genre, there is originality and creativity here.

You can find unusual or interesting things to shoot anywhere: walking, in cafes and so on. Remember or write down what you think when you see the person you like, and then try to turn it into a family environment. For beginners, it is suggested to start using simple objects and avoid glass and metal, because these objects are difficult to pick up lighting. After training something understandable, you can choose more complex forms and combine objects with each other in a profitable way.

The advantage of lighting still life photography is that she doesn't need to buy expensive lighting equipment like studio shooting. Remember, you have complete control over the whole workflow, so you can also handle the least equipment at home.

You can use not only any artificial light, but also natural light. In the first case, you can manually build all the light by simply blocking the window against the curtain with the help of blinds and curtains. In daylight, you only need to choose the brightest point in the room, close to the window that is not blocked by trees, buildings and other obstacles.

In the eyes of some people, it is impossible to take high-quality photos with ordinary incandescent lamps, but this is not the case. The most important thing is to learn how to use artificial light sources and carry out experiments. You can not only highlight the objects in front (which may be boring), but also highlight the objects on the side or even behind, and get interesting results. However, if you have a high-quality and powerful natural light source, please don't ignore it, but you must use it as much as possible when shooting objects: you can supplement it with a special reflector or combine it with a lamp.

The reflector can be made of cardboard and aluminum foil, respectively.

The special tripod of angle camera is an excellent assistant to shoot still life and still life. Even at a long shutter speed, you can firmly fix your position and take photos. In addition, you can buy a remote control, so you can watch the shooting from the side.

How to make full use of the function of tripod? With it, you can observe the picture and use many interesting angles-mainly don't forget to change them, otherwise the whole camera lens can stand in one position and get the same image from it. The tripod of the camera should emphasize various shooting angles, and don't limit your thinking under any circumstances. Changing the position of the camera, rearranging the tripod to the most unexpected position, changing the lighting and settings-all these will help to create all kinds of pictures you want to consider.

What background should I shoot? Correct selection of still life background plays an important role in creating high-quality pictures. The background should be simple and neutral to avoid attracting people's attention to the theme. Please stop on a flat wall when choosing a background. If not, please use white cardboard or any other suitable color. You can also use a light and unobtrusive pattern, but only if you don't knock too hard, so as not to destroy the harmony of the picture.

When choosing a background shadow, pay attention to the way it interacts with the subject. You can choose neutral white or more complex shadows, which will complement the picture.

If you want to shoot small objects, you may not need a background. Just pick up the surface on which the required items are placed. In this case, a popular choice is black velvet fabric, which can perfectly absorb colors and look even.

The law of picture composition is the same as any other photography form, and image composition also plays an important role in still life. She is more sure whether she will get the photo or not. Correct composition will make your work unique, attractive and unforgettable.

The most important rule that any photographer knows is the dichotomy. Follow it and you will get interesting pictures. Similarly, don't forget that the composition of the frame will not distract the essence of the details, but will only distract everything you need: highlight the theme and background.

To create beautiful photos, please use all your imagination and don't be afraid to use non-standard solutions. Consider where the viewer looks at the photo, how it occupies the blank space of the frame, and whether it is worth filling. A lot of work is needed to know how to present the subject with the best light, not only to show its beauty, but also to show the significance of work input. Yes, you also need to deal with the context: you must decide whether the project itself looks good or whether it is worth adding other details. Only through all the above work can you create an ideal framework from the perspective of composition.

Mistakes in Still Life Photography Every photographer who just started shooting still life and still life faces almost the same mistakes as others. If you encounter difficulties at first, please don't feel depressed, because it is these people who have taught us a correct understanding of the shooting process and helped them to shoot all the subtleties of still life painting. It is worth analyzing the causes of the most common mistakes and deficiencies in the work.

1, not enough practice. All skills and work experience are acquired during filming, so you need to exercise and enrich your hands as much as possible. After taking pictures in your spare time, you will soon learn how to set appropriate camera settings and use many parameters. This also includes processing synthesis: the more experiments you conduct, the faster you will begin to understand its structure and visual principles.

2. useless ideas. It all started with this idea. Only after forming a clear idea of future photos can we choose objects, details and backgrounds for them. Artistic information and inner meaning are very important. Without them, the whole process of shooting "something" will fail.

3. The light is not good. You should clearly see that there is no extra light and no insufficient light, otherwise, even the most primitive and creative ideas will be destroyed. You can turn to sunlight, special external flashlights, lights and even candles-mainly because objects are properly illuminated. Don't forget that using a mirror will improve the effect, so please don't use direct light.

4. Use complex equipment. Beginners and any other photographers don't have to buy expensive equipment-they can take good photos with still life effect even at a small cost. The quality of the picture depends directly on the skill, not how much money is invested.

5, do not follow the complete style. You can always try colors, objects, textures and combinations of textures and shapes. However, don't try to insert objects that are absolutely unsuitable for composition, time or other obvious parameters in the image.

6. Error in selecting background. The background of the photo is not a trivial matter at all, but a detail that can easily "kill" the photo, making it ugly or even offensive. Please pay special attention to the background of still life: if it does not appear in creativity and composition, please choose neutral shadows that will not attract attention. For example, you can choose white with simple texture.

The most important thing you need to know about successful high-quality still life photography is to try to keep shooting, and then you can get good results in the process.