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09-18-2018, 02:37 PM - 8 Likes   #1
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Still Life, Staged, and contrived shots

Painters used Still Life for study and it became a genre unto itself. I still use still life from time to time to fuel creativity, practice lighting, look at composition, shift perspective, and compare focal lengths. I see these posted from time to time but I haven't seen a dedicated thread to them until now.
So here is some to start it off.












09-18-2018, 04:20 PM - 4 Likes   #2
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Nice idea, several PF members have submitted great still life shots in the past. I should try a few more, but here are a few from the past.
[IMG][/IMG]

09-18-2018, 04:21 PM   #3
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Nice idea. I usually don't do this, but might have to try!
09-18-2018, 06:11 PM - 4 Likes   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by swanlefitte Quote
Painters used Still Life for study and it became a genre unto itself. I still use still life from time to time to fuel creativity, practice lighting, look at composition, shift perspective, and compare focal lengths. I see these posted from time to time but I haven't seen a dedicated thread to them until now.
So here is some to start it off.
Beautiful photos and great idea for a thread! I have seen several pictures considered still lifes that were prearranged by nature. So I had taken one of those, entered it into out local newspaper's yearly photo contest still life category last year, and it won best of show. I'm still not sure it's a still life, but I gladly accepted the prize!


09-18-2018, 06:43 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by ramseybuckeye Quote
Beautiful photos and great idea for a thread! I have seen several pictures considered still lifes that were prearranged by nature. So I had taken one of those, entered it into out local newspaper's yearly photo contest still life category last year, and it won best of show. I'm still not sure it's a still life, but I gladly accepted the prize!
I would call it still life. If you can find all the elements prearranged all the better. You still have to find the right framing and light. And you did. Great job.
09-18-2018, 06:52 PM - 1 Like   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by robgski Quote
here are a few from the past.
One thing I like to study in still life is negative space and how it pulls one's eye around the frame. I call it the saccade of the photo. My last 2 show this.
The dark with the oranges in your last photo pull my eye around in a very pleasing way.

Last edited by swanlefitte; 09-19-2018 at 03:59 AM.
09-18-2018, 06:58 PM - 3 Likes   #7
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I found this snail shell on a hike and went for the spiral theme with the top of a checked and mossy fence post in the woods. Forgive me, I took this with a Sony 30mm macro.


09-18-2018, 08:47 PM - 6 Likes   #8
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I occasionally set up still life shots, like these:




But most of my still life photos are found already set up rather than arranged by me. Like these:



09-19-2018, 03:19 AM - 2 Likes   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by swanlefitte Quote
One thing I like to study in still life is negative space and how it pulls one's eye around the frame. I call it the decade of the photo. My last 2 show this.
The dark with the oranges in your last photo pull my eye around in a very pleasing way.
Good analysis, and thanks.

I think composition plays an essential part in a still life, it's not just jumble of stuff that looks interesting together, it is making a few elements prominent, or the focal point, standing out from a background Still Life style, IMO, does have arrangements designed to show the objects both singly and as a whole, and the way the light plays off their individual shapes. All of the object in my examples were chosen and arranged in a ray of sunlight that falls on a counter during a certain time of day. Otherwise they areelsewhere in the house.

for example, these bottles
[IMG][/IMG]

It also can show a relationship or convey a meaning, I think the BW photo of the camera above does.

The acorns example is a study of shapes, arrangements, and light, even if the photographer had nothing to do with how they are arranged, it's a good example.

I look forward to seeing more photos here later today.

Last edited by robgski; 09-19-2018 at 03:33 AM.
09-19-2018, 06:42 AM - 5 Likes   #10
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About time we had a thread for this-good one Swanlefitte. I have a few


09-19-2018, 02:02 PM - 2 Likes   #11
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---------- Post added 09-19-18 at 05:05 PM ----------

09-19-2018, 02:47 PM - 2 Likes   #12
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Glad to see people participating. There is something about these that reminds me of a zen garden. Feng shui?

Here one where I was trying to light reflective and dark materials. I used tall and short, round and flat, rough and smooth. shiny and matte. Then I tried to arrange them in a pleasing composition. Took it from a ladder and spent a long time climbing down to move a piece an inch over one way or another.

09-19-2018, 05:17 PM - 3 Likes   #13
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09-19-2018, 06:14 PM   #14
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What a great thread concept and the submissions thus far demonstrate that!
09-19-2018, 06:39 PM   #15
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