STILL LIFE

By Jacob, Kayleigh and Olivia mcbeth

 CONTEXT OF STILL LIFE
• Still life photography is a genre of photography used for capturing objects in different
contexts usually with a small group of objects. The art of still life photography is usually a range
of objects that are arranged in a particular way with a specific lighting. The photographers
eye for detail is very important in producing a successful image. There are two main types of
still life that can be captured. The first one is found still life, this is where the photographer
found items that is placed in a certain way. The second type is creative still life where the
photographer places objects in a certain way to make it visually appealing. Creative still life
includes commercial photography. Commercial photography is mostly used to capture
images for advertisements/ sales purposes.
• Some other example of still life photography is:
• Tabletop photography – This is about capturing just the objects that are small enough to fit on
the table.
• Food photography – the main goal in this specialism is to make the food look visually
appealing for the viewers eyes.
 PURPOSE OF STILL LIFE
• Still life is one of the basic forms of photography. One of the main reasons for still life
photography is to present something in a way where it is appealing to make viewers
interested. For commercial and art still life, its important to pay attention to the colours,
placement of objects and the meaning behind everything included in the image frame.
• For example, in the image below the colours link well to the theme of Halloween. The
doughnuts are visually appealing as the icing is in interesting designs. The texture and
placement really stands out. All these small details make the viewers want to buy some
Halloween themed treats.
 PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
• For still life photography, you need a good attention to detail, you also need
to know how to make a photo interesting. You can use artificial lights as well
as natural lighting to achieve any look you want.
• You need a lot of technical knowledge for still life such as: ISO, Lighting
Techniques and Camera settings.

• In still life you’ll need to keep your subject presentable for example if you are
using a flower, it may whilst throughout the shoot so you always need to be
mindful of what you shoot.
• Equipment needed for still life EQUIPMENT
• Any DLSR camera (studio / phone camera)
• Different materials to create the floor and back drop to
make the scene
• Small silver / white reflector to bounce the light back into the
scene
• Props to create a scene / story for the photo
• Tripod to hold the camera steady
 EDUCATION/ SKILLS
• Educational skills to work as a still life photographer

• Qualifications in an art and design / graphics / photography

course
• Develop a creative concept
• Plan your image
• Lead your viewer’s eye in the image
• Get creative with your lighting