stilll light photography tips

Lighting is the single most important element of “Still Life” photography. The way a photographer uses light for still life will add mood, give context, provide interest, and ultimately, create a dynamic still life photograph. Lighting for still life is not complicated. In fact, stick to these 5 tips, and you will nail your still life shots every time.

1. Use an simple backdrop: Wrinkles and ridges in a still life photograph – unless a part of the setting – will be distracting to your main subject. Be vigilant about keeping your backdrops smooth and simple.

2. Make your lighting contrasty: Whether you are using strobes, speedlights, or LED’s, it’s important that your “ratio” from one light to the next is varied. The main light should be strongest, and the second light should simply provide a nice fill.

3. Light directionally: Side light is always most effective for bringing out texture and creating dynamic variation between the highlights and shadows. Whether rings, or florals, side light will enable you to give dimension and depth to your still life imagery.

4. Pay attention to your angles: Two things to think about when faced with a studio lighting scenario. a). The position of the lights to your subject and b). the position of your subject to the camera. Side light will give dimension, but so also will the angle at which you take your shot [ie. side, above, below, etc.]. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change up angles. A photo is most interesting when you give a new perspective to something that is ordinary.

5. Light for shape: We see life 3 dimensionally. For this reason, the most dynamic photographs are the ones in which the audience could walk into the scene, or reach out and touch the subject. Lighting for shape will be most emphasized by side light, when your highlights spread along the edge of your subject and add that 3rd dimension.

Whether or not commercial Still Life is an area you want to enter professionally, practicing in a still life context will give you a better understanding of directing light for maximum photographic impact.

D SLR

SLR Defined

SLR is an abbreviation: it stands for Single Lens Reflex.

Now you know what SLR stands for but that doesn't really help answer the question, does it? Let's define further:

• With an SLR camera, you see exactly what the lens sees
• You can change the lens on a digital SLR
• Digital SLRs have large image sensors that produce high-quality photos
• An SLR has a near-zero lag time, and is ideal for action photography

Bottom line? Digital SLR cameras are versatile.

You can take photos of everything from sleeping kittens to race cars and you'll never be limited by your camera.

With an SLR in your hands you can rest assured that you'll only miss great photo opportunities because you weren't prepared, not because your camera wasn't able to get the shot.

The Anatomy of a Digital SLR

To properly answer "what is a digital SLR?" you have to understand a bit about the mechanics of an SLR camera.

In order to avoid getting overly technical I've simplified this diagram and am highlighting the key elements. Those interested in the minute details can read about Single-lens reflex cameras on Wikipedia.

1. Light passes through the lens and strikes a mirror (green)
2. The mirror reflects the light up to a focusing screen
3. Light passes through the focusing screen and enters a block of glass called a pentaprism (orange)
4. The pentaprism reflects the image so that you can see it in the viewfinder
5. When you take a photo, the mirror flips up and a shutter (blue) opens that exposes the digital sensor (red) to light

This is a great example of what-you-see-is-what-you-get. By using the viewfinder you can precisely compose your image and adjust the focus.

Is the image that you see in the viewfinder 100% accurate? In most cases it isn't. If you read digital SLR camera reviews, you may hear a lot about viewfinder "coverage" and "brightness".

Many digital SLR viewfinders only show you 95% of the image that will be captured by the sensor - this is what "coverage" refers to. Unless you are extremely precise when it comes to your photographs you won't notice the 5% difference.

Digital SLR viewfinders also vary in brightness, which is another way of saying how clear the image appears. "Bright" viewfinders make it easier to use manual focus, since you can clearly see the details of your subject.

A Lens for Every Occasion

In addition to the pentaprism viewfinder, one of the key features of any digital SLR camera is the ability to change lenses.

Most people think that the camera alone is responsible for capturing an image, but this isn't the case.

The lens that's attached to it can play a huge role in the color, contrast and clarity of every single photo that you take.

Owners of digital SLR cameras can buy lenses that match their photography style, since a landscape photographer should not use the same lens as a wildlife photographer.

The ability to swap lenses at any time adds to the versatility of a digital SLR camera, and means that even if your photography needs change in a couple years, you won't have to buy a new camera, you'll just need a different lens.

- See more at: http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/what-is-a-digital-slr.html#sthash.Mp5en141.dpuf