Photographs by Howard Moo Young
Howard Moo Young, Contributor
THE SUBJECT of still life photography can be extremely exacting, but at the same time allows us the greatest amount of control in the studio, or outdoors. We choose the objects to be photographed, the background, the lighting, the composition, lighting direction, camera lens, the film, and the camera angle. To create the composition, we just move the objects around.
Still life is the closest that photographers will get in painting a picture. All the factors involved can be manipulated with precision. I find that still life allows me to slow down and enjoy the contemplative process, it's almost therapeutic.
GETTING INSPIRATION
Knowing where to start can be the biggest obstacle when it comes to still life. By studying the old masters in painting is a good place to start. Study the works of painters such as Cezanne and Matisse, photographers such as Man Ray and Penn, and see their use of composition, lighting, and balance of colour. Inspiration can be gained by also studying the objects that they chose and why they chose them.
If you feel like copying the old masters, go ahead (or try to). It's a great way to learn, art history will show us that a number of famous photographic still-lives are in fact 'inspired' by old paintings. Visit an exhibition and view the works on displays, it will help inspire you with new ideas.
If you are a collector of objects and artifacts, start by making a still life with some of these objects and use them as props. A rusted teapot, an unusual piece of driftwood, or an old coal stove can inspire you to create a picture that's different. Look for colour and texture in your collection drive. Two of my favourite still life photographs come to mind, as at the time I was well prepared with camera, film, and the appropriate lenses. In both situations, they weren't planned as I literally 'bucked up' on these pictures.
FOUND STILL LIFE
While walking on a stony public beach in St. Mary looking for driftwood, I stumbled upon the 'Word of God', an open bible, lying along the beach with one of the pages torn. I could tell from the condition of the cover and pages, that it was seawater-drenched and sun-dried many times over. The printed words were easily read, and as I studied the composition complete with sea grape leaves, bamboo, and smooth stones on black sand, I was tempted to move a few objects around. Another voice said, "Do not touch anything, photograph it just as you found it," that was my choice. I took out my 55mm macro lens and started to compose the picture, I wanted the viewer to be able to read chapter and verse. After taking the photograph, I left it exactly the way I found it, open at Exodus Chapter 16.
On another occasion, I visited a goat farm in Bushy Park, St. Catherine, where I had gone to do some shots for a client. As I walked past one of the farmer's shed, lo and behold, I came upon another extraordinary potential outdoor still life. It was like 'time stood still' for a moment, only that it really did, for me that is. Right there before of my eyes, was a collection of old forgotten tools, milk containers, an abandoned motorbike, and other implements, cobwebs and all, but what hit me was a brand of new roll of fence wire juxtaposed next to all of this. I had to take advantage of this opportunity, and since my camera was ready, I captured in the present, a scene that was many years past. Someday, I might go back and visit that location again.
Of course, there are potential great still life photographs all around us that we just don't see. Still life is as much the art of selection as it is of creation. This ability to select and find the pictures is something we develop during our journey as a photographer.
COMPOSITION
All still life photographs demand a certain degree of composition. With single objects, this is usually straightforward. In many still life shots, however, the main subject is often shown in a relevant setting, or in juxtaposition with other objects. In either of these cases, careful and imaginative composition is very important. Don't be in a rush to complete your picture, nothing will move until you change the position, or even replace an object, you have total control of the image you are about to capture.
Before you start composing, a tripod is a must. It not only keeps your camera steady, but also enables you to keep running back and checking through the viewfinder as you compose the picture. Never start composing a still life without the camera set up in position it always look completely different in the viewfinder.
CONSIDER YOUR VIEWPOINT
Setting up your camera on the tripod is only the first step in putting your shot together, but you have another major decision your camera angle. Slowly move the camera up and down and you'll see why, try to view it in a vertical format and change your perspective, camera angle has a dramatic effect on the apparent shape of objects. A bottle or glass viewed from above appears entirely different from when viewed from base level. It is a good learning exercise to photograph the setup from various angles to see the difference.
One way to define the composition is to place the objects together in a random way to see how well they work together. Sometimes it helps to view the objects in terms of size, shape, colour and texture. Try and build the picture around one dominant object. The purpose of this exercise is to combine all the individual objects to form an aesthetically pleasing whole. You might decide for instance, to either complement or contrast the appearance of the subject in its shape, colour or texture.
Choose a background. This could be a relevant prop, plan, or textured. Decide on the scale - how much of the frame the main subject is going to occupy. Learn to look carefully at the negative spaces between objects that lead the eye from one item to another, connecting each object to form one composition.
LENSES
The choice of lens can make a big difference to the composition. A wide-angle lens - about 28mm is often the choice of professionals because it allows you to be close to the subject.
On the other hand, a long-focal length lens will compress perspective and make the objects look closer together than they would appear to the eye. It is easier to hold the objects sharp from foreground to background, using the wide-angle lens. You may also wish to use selective focus to keep the subject sharp and leave the foreground and/or background in soft focus.
LIGHTING
I love to use 'Rembrandt Lighting' for many of my still life shots. This means setting next to a window for side light, in front of it for a back-lit picture, or adjacent to it for a cross-light effect.
An important accessory to window light and even outdoors, is a range of reflectors. For example, gold reflectors can reproduce a golden sunset light, white and silver reflectors a brighter fill in, while a large sheet of diffusing material, such as tissue paper, tracing paper, or fibreglass, sheeting helps tremendously in bright sunshine outdoor, by softening the shadows.
On smaller objects, an open white umbrella will also do the job.If you have a set of studio lights, you will quickly learn different lighting techniques depending on the subject, the most difficult being those with high reflection such as glass, cutlery, porcelain and highly polished metal. There are photography books that explain in detail of how to overcome some of these challenges, including lighting, but the only way to learn and improve your still-lives is to practise, practise and practise. Soon you will develop your own techniques and master this subject.
A great still life, well composed, properly lit and executed, can look awesome when printed with archival ink on archival paper or canvas, in a large format size. When executed with certain computer techniques, the painterly quality can actually rival some of the works of artists around, and better still, it can be printed in any size. Still life is the one subject that allows the photographer to have total control from start to finish. If you have never tried it before, start now and you might surprise yourself.
Howard Moo Young is an Advertising/Graphic Design and Photography Consultant with over 40 years experience. Email: mooimages
@yahoo.com
