7 Still Life Photography Ideas To Get Your Creativity Flowing
When it comes to still life photography, there’s such a huge range of potential subjects, styles and compositions that you can try. Whether it’s a flat lay shot of nature items like flowers or pine cones, an off angle of a product, or even location shots of found objects, still life photography has so many options for creativity.
But, if you’re struggling to think of ideas for your next still life photography shot, we’ve come up with some of our top ideas for you to experiment with. Read them all below.
1. Use unusual compositions
Unusual compositions can be a great way to breathe new life into a still life photography subject. You can achieve an unusual, striking frame for your photos by taking extreme close ups of your subjects to show off different aspects. Or, think about taking angled shots, where you show a side of the subject that’s less commonly seen, or an unusual perspective.
Experiment by playing your subject in the frame and then moving the camera around to see what looks good – move closer or try different angles. Remember you’ll need to adjust your lighting setup to compensate, and extreme close ups will often need a lot of light to capture the details in the scene, so don’t attempt this in a gloomy light.
2. Experiment with backdrops
Another way you can get some great results with still life photography is to experiment with the backdrops that you choose. For example, using a plain black background can really bring a subject to the front of a photo, ensuring focus is firmly on your desired area of the image. Plus, with the right lighting, you can even create an effect that makes it appear as if the subject is floating in the image.
Why not try a two-tone background? Place your subject in the centre of the image for a striking contrast between the two images, and to naturally draw the eye towards the point of change.
3. Try flat lay photography for a new perspective
Flat lay photography could provide a totally new perspective for you to try out. With flat lay photos, you position the camera directly above a flat surface, and lay your subject on that. This gives a unique top down approach that you can use to show off your subject in a totally new way.
Flat lay photography is commonly used for product photography, but it can be used to create interesting perspectives on a huge range of items.
4. Try a minimalist approach
If you really want to go for a minimalist approach, why not try just including your subject and a backdrop that’s just one simple colour? Make sure the colour either contrasts with your subject, or subtly matches it, to create two different kinds of background effects.
This is also commonly used for product photography, but it works well with any kind of subject.
5. Use the rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is an easy way to make sure your composition is interesting and pleasing to the eye. Most cameras come with a grid that can be superimposed over the image, so you can use that to line up your subject and split your composition into nine squares. By doing this, you can see how the rule of thirds applies to your image.
Try moving your subject to the intersecting lines either to the left or right of your image, rather than simply always centring your subject. It’ll create an interesting perspective as well as a pleasing composition.
6. Introduce textures and materials
Another way to add some interest or even intrigue to your still life photography is to add textures or other materials to the composition. This could either be by utilising a textured background to create a sense of depth to the image, or by simply introducing textured elements around the photo.
You could also add different materials to the image, like wood or fabrics. Be sure that they don’t match your subject too closely, or they may be distracting or even confusing for the viewer.
7. Use found objects or locations
Our last tip for creative still life photography is to use found objects, subjects or even locations to create interesting images. This tip is about taking an interest in the world around you. If you see an item that’s out of place, for example, it may make an interesting still life photo – or if you see an eye-catching location, why not use that as a backdrop for a striking still life image?
Alex Bailey Photography provide high quality still life photos to brands, restaurants, manufacturers and a range of other businesses. If you’re looking for help, why not get in touch with us today?