Project 23: Still-Life





STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: A type of photography that focuses on capturing non-living objects, usually arranged in small groups. It’s similar to still-life painting but uses a camera instead of a brush. This style includes different types, like tabletop photography, product photography, food photography, etc.



Tying this back to Project 20 where you had to RESEARCH different careers in the arts. Still-life photography can be a great gateway into product/food photography. Have you ever ordered anything off DoorDash or Uber Eats? Someone had to take that image of the food, they arranged it in a visually appealing way to catch your attention and make you want to buy it.




Example: This is a photo from DoorDash for Burger King's Whopper meal. The photographer taking this photograph used the RULE OF THIRDS (see your composition cheat sheet) when setting up this shot. 


For this project I really want you to FOCUS ON GOOD COMPOSITION. Use the composition cheat sheet below to start thinking about how you are going to set up your still-lifes. 

Composition Cheat Sheet:





Though it is not a requirement, as I mainly want you to focus on using good composition guidelines for this project, It can be fun to create a story to go along with your still-lifes. Below are some examples of photos I took with objects we have in this classroom. The story I came up with was a sailor lost at sea. There is a skull of the sailor, anchor, buoys, and little metal sculptures that look like sea urchins, all representing the ocean. This is just something to keep in mind while creating your still-lifes.

EXAMPLES:

WORD BANK:
Rule of Thirds
Leading lines
Negative space
Fill the frame









Instructions for this project:

  • Set your camera to these settings:
Your M SETTINGS should be:
1/60
F/4.5
 For darker/moodier images ISO 800
For brighter images ISO 1600
  • Pick out several objects that you believe would create a striking still-life, and bring them over to one of the backdrops we have set up.
  • Use your composition cheat sheet to help you set up your still-life scenes. 
  • take at least 4 IMAGES that fit the composition guidelines listed on the worksheet.
  • save the worksheet to your OneDrive, open it in Photoshop, and add your best photos that fit the composition guidelines listed.
  • Turn in the worksheet and a contact sheet with every photo you took for this project.