What's the trick to taking still life photos?

This paper is based on the experience of an experienced still life photographer. The content of this article will be presented in the form of questions and answers, about shooting methods, sources of inspiration, how to get rid of difficulties and so on.

Q: What attracts you to this way of shooting?

A: In thematic photography, I see more opportunities for self-expression than landscape photography or even using models. I like to consider the plot, choose props, arrange the composition, and like the simplicity of the theme shooting. I can shoot whatever I want, and I can choose my hobbies when I don't want to work.

Q: Do you think you can get spectacular still life paintings without artificial light?

A: You don't have to use artificial light at all-I know many photographers like natural light and use it when weather conditions permit. However, if your work depends on the weather and the time of day, then you will work harder and need to arrange your time reasonably.

Q: Tell me about light. Do you have a favorite lighting scheme?

A: I have some lighting schemes that I like and are familiar with. For example, if I hold a bunch of flowers, I want the flowers to look fluffy and set the backlight to make the petals look translucent. This is also good for the bouquet, because this kind of light imitates the light on the window. It is these habits that make us used to seeing the bouquet standing on the windowsill, and the photos look very energetic.

Q: In order to shoot glass, we changed the light distribution scheme, used the black flag and got the ribbon box. We usually did a lot of experiments.

A: Even if the light is well set and the glass object can't blend with the white background, white glass is usually not enough to produce bright images. For example, I often put some bright objects behind the glass objects to make the glass look clear and not overlap.

In Spoons and Forks, the picture is blurred by stretching. What matters is not the shape of the object, but the color.

Q: Where did your inspiration come from?

A: Inspiration-it is everywhere, the works of talented photographers in magazines, wonderful music and vases in shops. It is impossible for this shop not to shoot tulips in spring, but anything can be a source of inspiration.

Tell me about the shooting process and process. When you started shooting, did you have a sketch of the photo at hand, or did everything gradually accumulate in the process?

I always write the direction of the subject. This is necessary. If the shooting is successful, there may be no other ideas on the shooting theme skills.

According to the theme, buy the necessary props, so that I can completely follow my own shooting plan.

Q: What do you rely on when shooting composition?

A: Actually, I always take photos by instinct. I use the "golden ratio" and the diagonal composition I often use. The premise is to master the basic composition details.

Of course, photography should not be limited to specific composition rules, which often limits one's thinking.

Q: Does it take a lot of time to retouch the map later?

A: I try to reduce the time for later retouching. The excellent quality of props and the initial good light are of great help in this regard. Sometimes, you want to do complex processing, apply texture or color photos in a special way, and then you can repair the processing.

Q: What qualities do you think a photographer must have to create a perfect still life painting?

A: I think a photographer should always sincerely love the photos he takes and enjoy the shooting itself. Please understand that there is no concept of "right"-"wrong" and "good"-"bad" in evaluating photos. Boldly show simple things. I think photographers should be a little taller than ordinary people. Don't rush to insist that everything possible has been filmed many times, and it is impossible to shoot anything novel. There are many ways for different people to observe the composition, so the effect is different.