Still life is a genre in photography that extends back to the past masters of painting. Its a reflection, or a study of an inanimate subject. In painting these served as studies of light and color. Through the years this has changed to experiment with conceptual ideas and even the subject itself.
In still life photography, you arrange the scene, choose the background, and can alter the lighting however you want. You should take time with each shot to make it just how you like it. There are plenty of second chances to get the shot right with still life photography.
The still life photographer makes pictures rather than takes them.
Getting Started
Contrary to common perceptions, you don’t need a studio or a fancy location. Begin by simply using a space at home, such as a table placed by a window, along with a simple backdrop and utilizing a couple of lamps.
Ensure there are no distractions within the frame, just the objects and the backdrop.
Be sure to try different angles and arrangements.
Where are you leading the eye within the image?
How are you utilizing negative space or should you try and fill the frame?
Try to combine objects of contrasting shape, color, texture and see what you can come up with.
Choosing the Objects
What you photograph is completely up to you.
Search around the house for simple but interesting items.
Don’t feel like you have to take photos of fruit or flowers just because everyone else does – be creative and think outside the box!
David Levinthal
On his use of toys, Levinthal said that "Toys are intriguing, and I want to see what I can do with them. On a deeper level, they represent one way that society socializes its young."
Furthermore, Levinthal is aware of the power of toys:
“Ever since I began working with toys, I have been intrigued with the idea that these seemingly benign objects could take on such incredible power and personality simply by the way they were photographed. I began to realize that by carefully selecting the depth of field and making it narrow, I could create a sense of movement and reality that was in fact not there."
Laurie Simmons
Simmons is a leading American artist who uses photography to explore the role of women in the domestic sphere. Beginning in the mid-1970s when she took photographs for a toy company catalog, Simmons has been fascinated with the artifacts of the household. During the remaining years of that decade she used dolls and doll house walls, furniture, and fixtures to make set-ups for photographs. These works established her as one of the most important artists in photography in the United States.
"What I do in my studio is to set up one still life after another. And life truly is still in my studio because I’m using dolls, mannequins, and puppets and nobody speaks. And once a setup is made, it’s there until it falls over, which is pretty frequently."
Kelly Mulligan (Mrs. Cream's sister!)
Questions to Consider
- The genre of Still Life is one of the oldest in the history of art. Why do you think artists are still interested in this way of making images?
- What objects will you gather to photograph? Think of at least 10.
- Will you use studio or natural lighting? Why?
- What type of depth of field do you hope to achieve? Why?
- Pre-visualization is important in this project. Do you envision your final images in color or black and white?
- What does the imagery that you create tell us about who you are?
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
- Design a still life scene.
- Take 30 images (minimum).
- Vary your composition, angle, and point of view.
- Create contact sheets.
- Edit 6 final images.
- Upload 5 corrections & contact sheets.
Credits:
Created with images by Cayla1 - "untitled image" • Debby Hudson - "untitled image" • Couleur - "grapes fruit green" • 3938030 - "aperitif wine drink" • Gaelle Marcel - "Garlic" • Sergey Zolkin - "untitled image" • Roberta Sorge - "An Apple A Day"