Still-life photography (stilleven fotografie in Dutch) is an art form that dates back well to almost a century ago, when cameras were in the primitive stages of creation. Over the years, artists have developed their careers through images of inanimate objects; usually strategically placed to represent a fraction glance at everyday life. Still-life photographs capture the essence of the mundane, and mostly taken for granted, moments through a cluster of small objects.
Light is an important piece of still-life photography because many artists will use the images as a reference for paintings, sketches, and other art forms. The casting of natural shadows or the enhancement of certain details relies on a refined light system. Some artists will invest days setting up their still-life scene, getting everything simply right and in best location before selecting up a camera.
Objects in still-life photography don’t necessarily have to be incorporated or related to one another. For example, still-life photos of apples sitting next to a bundle of flowers will only be related in the fact that they are all objects in the artist’s life, or they are all things that come from nature. Still-life photography is mainly about capturing beauty in otherwise normal objects that people usually wouldn’t give a second glance to.
Still-life photographers also should have the accumulated talent of knowing on what surface to put the elements they’re shooting. Hues, textures, and cleanliness will play a piece in surface shots due to the fact it’s not just the elements that people is watching from the still-life photo; it’s the whole scene.
For instance, a still-life photographer by the name of Edward S. Curtis took a photo entitled “Apache Still-life.†This photo represented the earthen pots and bowls created by the Apache people, and the scene was presented on a dirt floor to properly capture the living conditions of the Apaches. This particular still-life photograph was dubbed realistic, down-to-earth, and accurate in the Apache portrayal.
Still-life photography has been charged with making artists into overnight sensations because artists have the freedom to move their subjects and capture exactly what they’re seeing. It’s a direct look into the lives of others through their everyday objects.
About the Author:
Stan Jansen is a Dutch photographer. An occupation known there as fotograaf . She likes to share his knowledge with hopeful and professional photographers alike. Her specialties include but aren't limited to (again in Dutch) : kinderportretten, stilleven fotografie, fotografe, more kind fotografie, portret fotografie and voedsel fotografie.
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