Still life shooting video tutorial

10 Tips for Still Life Photography

1. Introduction

Unlike routine, still life photography does not need to find a studio or an ideal place. You can

10 Tips for Still Life Photography

1. Introduction

Unlike routine, still life photography does not need to find a studio or an ideal place. You can find a simple space at home to start your photography work, such as a table by the bed, a simple background and some lights.

Still life photography is very different from landscape photography and figure photography. Scenery and people usually set a theme, which can be a mountain or a model. They 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.

Recommended model: Canon EOS 7d &；; 5D mark iii+ef 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Choose a theme

What kind of photos you take is entirely up to you. 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.

lamplight

You don't have to use 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 shoot still life with the lighting equipment I can. Please remember that all aspects of photography need to be under your control. You think so, too. 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. Tripod and Angle

Depending 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 slightly longer, move the focus of the image forward and blur the background when necessary.

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.

5. Use the background correctly

Choosing a good background 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 or plain paper is a better choice.

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 smaller objects, it may not be necessary to use the background, and a substrate, such as black velvet, can be used instead, which is a good choice because it can absorb the pipeline and make the substrate pure black.

6. 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. Repeated shooting for a long time

I often feel that the purpose of shooting determines the mood in the 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. Inspired by masterpieces

If you are obsessed with light, combination and composition, you may need some inspiration. The way to find inspiration and compare prices is to look at the still life works of big events 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 can inspire you and make you shoot more wonderful works.

9. It's time to try your hand.

Now it's time for you to try your hand. Find a free time from your schedule to practice. Try to find and set up your camera, set up your background, find a suitable position by the window, and then start shooting.

Once you have mastered the basic experiments, you can do some experiments by changing the angle of the camera, the angle of the light, or using some variable light sources, such as candles and desk lamps. Aperture is also a creative link. Using f/ 1.8 fixed-focus lens, we can get special fixed-focus background artistic effect. If you use something as an experimental object, shoot it. Still life photography is more than just fruits and flowers. So, find a unique and charming object as a start and start photography.