My first class in Camera Craft 3 starts with a lesson in Still Life. I have never actually done a still life previously so it is a little outside my comfort zone to begin with…but I am not alone here. Still Life has emerged from painting in the 17th century. It is often used as a metaphor to convey a message. I learn some of the basics of Still Life photography. It is often a deliberate arrangement of objects that are placed there for a reason. The traditional still lifes of the early days often included arrangements of flowers or fruit but today the genre has progressed to include a lot more. A single item is not considered a still life but if it is placed on a textured surface it morphs into one.
Lighting usually plays a big part in a still life arrangement and shadows are often used quite effectively to convey the message. Our instructor Steven has brought along a selection of items which he spills out on the desk. We are paired and asked to pick a few items to photograph but we are also requested to walk outside and bring what ever we find to enhance our photographs.
I’m working with Rennae today. Over arranging our still life I find out she is a lawyer. We laugh about the fact we are both from quite logical fields as we struggle with putting together a still life that requires us to challenge the right side of our brain. In the end, we really enjoyed the experience and came up with quite a good selection of still life photographs. I have added to the selection with a couple of photographs I took at home that symbolise favourite pastimes of both Steve and I. Enjoy…
“Myrna could spend happy hours browsing bookcases. She felt if she could just get a good look at a person’s bookcase and their grocery cart, she’d pretty much know who they were.” ― Louise Penny, Still Life
