The Art of Still Life Photography

When most people here the phrase “still life,” they think of the classic paintings of fruits in a bowl that many painters utilized in their learning process. However, still life images are not just for paintings anymore. Indeed, you can capture a beautiful and artistic still life with a camera that can convey serenity and peace just as well as one composed of watercolors or oil paint.

One wonderful benefit of cameras is that they can capture fleeting moments in an instant with a quick and easy click of a button. Thus, cameras are almost always preferred for sporting events and even a relaxed portrait of a group of friends. They tend to capture images in a less biased way than paintings, although you can manipulate a camera’s angle and effects to alter people’s perceptions of the subject. Because of the innovations in cameras, photography has quickly become a new, exciting art form.

However, there are ways that you can combine the techniques of painting with the ease of photography. Many people lament the fact that they have an artistic eye, but not a hand that is artistic enough to wield a paintbrush. For these people, still life photography may be the outlet for you. Although still life images seem to be relegated to paintings, you can actually capture the same peace and tranquility in a photograph.

As mentioned above, millions of people have taken advantages of the instantaneous nature of a camera, so it may seem nonsensical to go back to photographing motionless, inanimate objects. However, as with the still life paintings of old, creating the scene for this type of picture requires a creative, discerning eye in order to create an interesting composition.

With still life images, you are not only in charge of the photography itself, but you also must create the setting-including lighting and arrangement. This may sound simple. Nevertheless, there are many things that go into both of these aspects. First, do you want the light to be believable, like it is coming through an open window? Do you want it to only highlight one small part of the still life, or bathe all of the objects in a golden glow? Additionally, what do you want your subjects to be-red fruits? Golden peaches with a hint of red? Or you could even do a mix of grapes and cheeses that showcase the different varieties of each.

Once you have your composition exactly right, you can take the picture that you were looking for. From there, you may want to turn the photo into a canvas in order to further meld it to painted still life images. For more information regarding the process of turning a photo into a lovely canvas work of art, check out YourCanvasPhotos today.

Joseph Devine