Some of you may be familiar with using a circular polarizer (also known as CPL) when it comes to landscape photos. They're great for shooting through water or glass without the annoying reflections. Well, have you ever thought about reflections in a still life scenario? When working with shiny objects it is easy to cast yourself and camera gear in reflections, glass vases and jars, silverware all has its problems, so why not use a CPL filter to combat these issues in still life as well? Feather your light One of the first things you should … [Read more...] about Removing reflections in still life photography
still life
Using creative textures with still life photography
Where does blurring the line between straight photography and digital art happen? Is it in the styling, the shoot or the edit? I often teach creative techniques which can lend a painterly effect to photos, without the need to edit them in Photoshop; light painting or shooting through a piece fabric (like chiffon or cheesecloth) just to mention two. Is there a need to even add creative textures to still life photos? I feel that there is room for something a little more creative in today’s still life and even with food photography — not … [Read more...] about Using creative textures with still life photography
13 tips for better still life styling
Here are a few tips for creating better styling for still life and food images. Cutlery Aways have cutlery pointing away from the camera, especially knives. It can be seen as more inviting and less threatening. Make sure cutlery is clean and spot free. Older vintage cutlery can be an advantage as there are minimal reflections if it is tarnished. Linen Use freshly ironed linen where possible. Make sure there are no stains visible and always try to hide any tags or labels. Pick up the linen by a corner and shake a little … [Read more...] about 13 tips for better still life styling
What’s best — fresh, dried or artificial flowers?
When it comes to flowers what is best to use in still life or macro photography — fresh, dried or artificial? I think there is room for all three, and there are some pros and cons for each. Let's take a closer look. Fresh flowers Nothing beats fresh flowers — the look, the smell, the feel. But sadly, they often do not last long. Especially if you are using studio lighting, which can often shorten their life span considerably, some species more than others. If you are shooting natural flowers in their natural habitat, that is truly rewarding, … [Read more...] about What’s best — fresh, dried or artificial flowers?
Using height in still life photography composition
Something to consider when styling and composing for a still life photoshoot is whether or not to use height — and I am not referring to standing on a ladder. If all of the items in your scene are fairly flat to the background, how will you place or angle your camera so that the viewer can see all of the items in your image? Let's look at using varied heights to shoot with. Using height for framing If you have some items that are different heights, shooting directly straight on cannot only frame your subject but give a sense of scale and … [Read more...] about Using height in still life photography composition
10 best props for food photography
I love hunting for props and backgrounds to put in my images. Using color in props is my personal favorite, but was also my first big mistake when I was starting out. It’s great to have props that are colorful, but if you’re not careful that colorful prop can easily upstage your main subject and grab all the attention, and too many colors can confuse the viewer and turn them off. When it comes to still life and food photography, often the biggest problem most stylist and photographers have is props … or lack of them. This week we are going to … [Read more...] about 10 best props for food photography
Creating soft and dreamy still life photography
This week we are going to explore another of my favorite styles of still life photography, soft and dreamy. I adore using flat light, so soft, so dreamy and ever so vintage in my mind, they just go together beautifully. So, let's get a little soft and dreamy ... The essence of soft and dreamy is the beautiful soft flat light, with almost no shadows and desaturated color — almost the exact opposite of dark and moody that we looked at in my last post. I adore working with soft muted colors — natural tones and textures are great for this — with … [Read more...] about Creating soft and dreamy still life photography
Dark and moody still life photography
This week I am going to explore MY signature style — dark and moody still life photography. It was my first love with still life and to be honest … it still is. It is what I am known for and I usually end up teaching in my Workshops, as it is requested so often. So, let's get a little dark and moody ... The essence of dark and moody is in the details, but also the deep shadows and saturated color. More often than not I tend to add a pop of red with some chocolate browns, but blues and yellows work well too. Consider your backdrops, props and … [Read more...] about Dark and moody still life photography
A look at lighting for still life photography
(Editor’s note: This guest article is by Julie Powell who lives in Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia. She is an award-winning still life photographer who loves to share her passion for this genre with others. She also loves helping other photographers learn this part of the craft. See more of her work on her website. Enjoy!) Do you struggle to capture great, well lit still life images? You are not alone, it seems to be one of the biggest hurdles most photographers face, but it doesn't have to be. In six easy steps, you can learn to harness any … [Read more...] about A look at lighting for still life photography
Weekly Wrap-Up: April 7-13, 2019
The Weekly Wrap-Up features articles from this week on Photofocus. This week, Bryan Esler talks about pricing your photography, Vanelli shows us the best way to organize photos and Julie Powell introduces us to still life photography. Plus, Mykii Liu discusses the best resolution for your monitor and Bob Coates dives in to panoramic photography. Enjoy! … [Read more...] about Weekly Wrap-Up: April 7-13, 2019
Looking at still life settings
(Editor’s note: This guest article is by Julie Powell who lives in Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia. She is an award-winning still life photographer who loves to share her passion for this genre with others. She also loves helping other photographers learn this part of the craft. See more of her work on her website. Enjoy!) Learning a different genre of photography, or especially your first, there is often the angst about what settings to use … but it really does not have to get complicated. First, your subject is not going anywhere. They … [Read more...] about Looking at still life settings
An introduction to still life photography
(Editor’s note: This guest article is by Julie Powell who lives in Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia. She is an award-winning still life photographer who loves to share her passion for this genre with others. She also loves helping other photographers learn this part of the craft. See more of her work on her website. Enjoy!) The art of still life and styling starts long before we press that shutter button. In the below article I'll talk about the secrets of what to do during the gather, shoot and edit. Still life — whether that is flowers, … [Read more...] about An introduction to still life photography
Weekly Wrap-Up: March 24-30, 2019
The Weekly Wrap-up features articles from this week on Photofocus. Scott Lawrence explores the Nikon Z6 for headshots, guest writer Julie Powell talks about the art of still life, Kevin Ames reviews the Asus 32" HDR monitor, Bob Coates show us his "musicians hall of fame" in a restaurant he works with and Michèle Grenier starts her mirrorless camera dating. Enjoy! Take the Photofocus Weekly Wrap-Up with you to read on the go... … [Read more...] about Weekly Wrap-Up: March 24-30, 2019
Looking at the art behind still life photography
(Editor's note: This guest article is by Julie Powell who lives in Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia. She is an award-winning still life photographer who loves to share her passion for this genre with others. She also loves helping other photographers learn this part of the craft. See more of her work on her website. Enjoy!) In essence, the Art of Still Life is capturing inanimate objects in everyday settings. Often depicting fruit and flowers, meats and fish. Origins of still life art Still Life has been around since man first learned to … [Read more...] about Looking at the art behind still life photography
The joy of toy photography is fun & learning too
(Editor's note: Dave DeBaeremaeker photographs toys. His work is amazing and, believable. In this guest post, Dave shares the experiences of why he began photographing toys, and what he learned along the way.) Humans are creative creatures. Ever since the first finger painting on the wall of a cave, humans have endeavored to express themselves thru imagery. From those first cave paintings, the imagery improved over time to the hyper-realistic Renaissance painters. Later, when cameras were invented, the desire to express and create with … [Read more...] about The joy of toy photography is fun & learning too
Using the Angler Circo LED Ring Light with Macro Food Photography
I recently reviewed the Angler Circo LED Ring Light but was disappointed in its results for portraiture. I thought maybe using it in an environment would hit the mark — and I was right. I paired the ring light with my Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens to photograph some food. This experiment proved that you don't need to have a fancy lighting setup with strobes all over your studio in order to get some well-lit shots. With a little work and some cheaper gear, you can make satisfying results that will be good enough to represent what's on the … [Read more...] about Using the Angler Circo LED Ring Light with Macro Food Photography
What Is Tethered Shooting & Why Do I Love It So Much?
Last December, while in the middle of a shoot and half way thru the models, I tripped on my tether cord and shattered my Nikon body and the lens attached to it. Needless to say, it wasn’t my happiest moment in 2017 but it was my most valued. What Is Tethering? Tethered shooting is connecting a computer to your camera when you are shooting so the pictures you take are downloaded to your computer in addition to the camera's memory card. The camera and computer are connected by a cable, hence "tethering". Benefits of Tethering In this … [Read more...] about What Is Tethered Shooting & Why Do I Love It So Much?
Quick Tip: Cut Off Elements for Still Life Creativity
In shooting still life from above, I often decide to not show the entire subject, instead focusing on one particular element. In this photograph, there are several drinks shown, but the only one that's shown fully. By cutting off the other drinks from the frame, you help direct the viewer into what you want them to see and still lets you capture the essence of the subject. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Cut Off Elements for Still Life Creativity
Cambo Actus + FUJIFILM GFX-part-2
Testing the Ultimate Technical Camera - part 2 This 2nd part of my examination of the Cambo Actus GFX system focuses (literally) on the lens tilting functionality. The tilting lens stage allows the photographer to alter the plane of focus, usually to match the plane of focus with the subject, to achieve better depth of focus with near-to-far subjects, or with macro focus situations. This lens tilt takes advantage of the Scheimpflug principle, a geometric rule that describes the orientation of the plane of focus of an optical system … [Read more...] about Cambo Actus + FUJIFILM GFX-part-2
Impact Flex Arm Super Clamp Kit, Tested and Reviewed
I recently put the Impact Flex Arm Super Clamp Kit through my rigorous testing process, which involves using it in a variety of photography situations, coming up with ways to put it to work getting the shots I want, and generally abusing the *bleep* out of it to see how it stands up to wear and tear. While it's not what I think of as the usual gear for nature photographers, I found it useful for a number of my photo pursuits both indoors and out in my backyard photo studio/nature sanctuary. What is It? Think of it as that third arm we all … [Read more...] about Impact Flex Arm Super Clamp Kit, Tested and Reviewed
Make It Work With The Tools You Have
(Editior's note: From time to time we welcome guests to contribute to Photofocus. Lauri Novak, like many of us, began making photographs at a young age. Words she lives by are; play, seeing, live and love. Welcome to Photofocus! Lauri Novak. So many of us feel like we need to have the latest and greatest gear to get the images we want when in fact a lot can be done with what we have. I was given this shoot as an assignment four years ago and it taught me a lot. This was shot with my first DSLR and a used lens I purchased from a friend. I did … [Read more...] about Make It Work With The Tools You Have
One Light Setup for Car Interiors
Whenever you photograph a still life or product, using soft backlight is a good place to start and car interiors are simply well composed still life arrangements. Try this technique for a simple one light setup that can kickstart your car interior shoot. This works with any camera and practically any lens (you'll need to consider your composition and distance from the subject depending on the lens you use). All you need additionally is a small softbox, like this indirect umbrella-style box from Phottix, and a speedlight you can trigger off … [Read more...] about One Light Setup for Car Interiors
Book Review: Black and White Artistry, by Chuck Kimmerle
Black and white photography is a passion for me which I actively pursue. I've just read a good book on the subject by Chuck Kimmerle called, Black and White Artistry, The Creative Photographer's Guide to Interpreting Places and Spaces. Kimmerle's made a living in pictures first as a photojournalist at several papers and then as a staff photographer at a college and always as an artist. This book emphasizes that art and creativity are subjective. He doesn't try to teach elementary principles like form and pattern and texture by describing them … [Read more...] about Book Review: Black and White Artistry, by Chuck Kimmerle
