Still life photography is the depiction of inanimate subject matter, most typically a small grouping of commonplace objects that are either human-made or "natural." Still life photography, more so than other types of photography, such as landscape or portraiture, gives the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition. Still life photography is a demanding art, one in which the photographers are expected to be able to form their work with a highly refined sense of lighting, coupled with superb compositional skills. The still life photographer makes pictures rather than takes them. Knowing where to look for propping and surfaces also is a valuable skill. In addition to knowing the fundamentals of photography, successful still life photographers should be intimately familiar with still life techniques. They must have tremendous studio-lighting skills, the ability to use large-format view cameras, have a strong visual technique, and have a distinctive stylistic approach.
Still life is one of the hardest of photographic genres to define. Portraits, nudes, architecture, lingerie, even special effects all raise certain expectations; but still life is another matter. It ranges from advertising shots to the most personal of work; from pictures that can take days to assemble in the studio, to those that are "found" compositions and are photographed by available light in a few moments; from subjects no bigger than the palm of your hand to those which fill a room. [1]
Notable still life photographers
References
- ^ Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz, "Still life and special effects photography: a guide to professional lighting techniques", (Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision, 2002).
