Still Life Photography: Find Your Simple

1. Class overview: I believe photography doesn't have to be overwhelmingly difficult. You can always start simple and work your way to more complex concepts and composition techniques work like me. You can choose to make simple pictures because you like them and sometimes you're short on time. Hi, my name is Maria, and I'm a photographer and illustrator from our Metical Extra. And in this class I will show you how to make very simple yet very beautiful pictures to get you started with your photography journey, we will learn the importance of background colors, number of objects and how to make simple compositions for beautiful results. I remember my first attempts in still life and generally in photography, and I remember that pictures did not want to look the way I wanted them to, although at that time I wasn't really sure what exactly I wanted. It just didn't look right. One of the reasons why it didn't I only discovered a few years into photography was that I really tried toe overcomplicate things, thinking compositions with lots off objects, these backgrounds and lots of colors. As I learned and made substantially more pictures, I started to realize that it is always easier to start, simple and then, if needed, make pictures more sophisticated or not. But simplicity for me is like a foundation off the house, something you can build upon but also something that cannot be ignored. Self. Let's start simple and make some awesome pictures together. 2. What is simple?: So what do I mean by simple photography? Well, here is a Pinterest board and made for this class, and it illustrates perfectly what I mean by simple photography. As you can see, essentially it is minimalistic approach, small number of objects or lots of anti space, limited color palette. I will talk more about each of those and other ways to achieve simplicity in this class. For me, beaches like that are achieved in two steps, first of all, removing anything in essential to the shot, almost as if he was starting with a blank page in the drawing and Steptoe build up the interest but the limited extent to preserve the clean and simple. 3. Why simple?: Why go? Simple. So why do make simple pictures? Why don't even bother to make a question that, well, simple photography can be underestimated. And despite being simple, some knowledge on the subject will definitely improve your odds of making beautiful photography here on my talk, for reason for trying out and quite possibly falling in love with simple photography. Number one. The first obvious reason is that despite its similar simplicity, simple minimalistic pictures are a pleasure to look at. They can be intriguing storytelling, visually stunning and grab yours Attention number two. I am, however, quite practical person. So if you need more practical reason to try here it is. Once you know the basics, it saves you a lot of time. For example, you are a food blogger and obviously some nice pictures off the dis you just made and dying to share with your community. Well, you spend some time cooking the dish now you might actually be shortened time taking the pictures of it. So instead of making a complex composition that will include props and some kind of interesting background that will show you mean object little cupcake in this case in some setting and context. Like here on the picture on the left, you can hope for simplicity. Instead, on the picture on the right, the angle has changed and the background is simply the plate and the table. As a bonus, you don't have to clean up the props and items used afterwards. Number free. The simply a composition is, the more attention will be on your main subject. Talking about food photography gain. Although this picture does look nice, the main object, the cake doesn't really stand out. While here it is totally clear what is the main point off this picture. And instead of wandering around the picture looking at the props like Demark, spoon and book viewer's attention will be fixed chest on one object. Finally, going simple is a great way to learn photography. Since the composition is usually very simple, you can invest more time into considering colors and learning more about life as mentioned before, it is easier to start simple and gradually progressed to more complex compositions. However, for some reason, we usually go the opposite weight, utilizing simplicity. After we tried conflicts things. So in this class, I would really love to encourage you to give simple approach. Try in a violent section I will discuss. My approach is simple, yet not boring. Look, we will start with simplicity and then move toe, adding some visual interest. 4. Simplify the background: simplify the background. One most often overlooked thing in photography is the importance of the background and surroundings or, in other words, everything that is behind around your main object. Human eye is accustomed to select and separate an object a person is interested in and ignore the rest. For example, you see some pretty flowers. Your attention is concentrated on the flower. Obviously, however, the camera usually captures everything. Flowers ground something else behind it, as on the picture on the right. This is a reason why many pictures we capture don't turn out the way we saw them. Same goes for still life photography. A simple example Here. Same sunflower short on the iPhone, one on the left, with a very busy background. Second on the right is on a very simple background. Well, in this case, the second picture obviously shows the flower better due to its simplicity. One more example. This one is off my old pictures on the left. Here, you know that I was trying to capture tulips. However, the picture is just too PC with other objects behind and around the flowers, meaning background and surroundings destruct from the main point off the picture flowers. Their assembly wire in front, part of the laptop perfume computer mounts characters. In a part, it is more of a snapshot rather than well thought composition. I'm not sure I knew anything about composition at that point. To be honest, picture on the right was taken last year. She lives again. This time I went as simple as possible. There, adjust your lips and simple white background. Now it is quite clear which picture will have more impact on the viewer. So it really pays off to be mindful about background and surroundings while making an image . And before you learned how to incorporate a busy and interesting and complex background into the shot, we can always try to simplify it instantly. Make your pictures so better for still lives. It really isn't all that hard, either. Find all make a simple background, as they have already noticed. From the pictures I showed you. Simple background is the one. We're pretty much nothing going on. The most obvious example would be simple whitewall. So here's how I go about it when shooting still, I said, Hope actually, at my home. I don't have a single plane, whitewall So instead I have to make my own little set up here how it looks. A white table, a blank art canvas that works as a background and two pieces off office paper, the one on the left acting as a reflector. The window is Onley on the right here, so left part of the room will be naturally darker hands. I used white paper to bounce some off the light back from the window to the set up. You can learn more about reflectors in my class. Still life photography. It make a perfect breakfast picture. I will leave the link in the about section on the opposite side. There are two more pieces off office paper. This time they however, actors light diffusers once again because the window on the right is a strong source of light. I want to block some of it to make exposure off my set up more even. This is also covered in my breakfast picture class. Here is another angle off the set up. As you can see, it is very simple. I use Onley one color for my background white and these are the results from this particular shoot unedited version on the left and edited in light truck on the right. In this particular set up, there is a visible line in the background where art canvas is placed on the table. It is more noticeable on the images taken with an iPhone, because iPhone camera tends to take more of a scene into focus. If that bothers you and you're really going for that absolutely simple, smooth background, what you can do is to use a large piece of white paper like this. I still use my art condoms to hold the paper in place. The rest is pretty much the same. This kind of set up is great for any small sized product photography you may need. The easiest way, however, to simplify the background is to shoot your still life picture directly from above. In other words, making a flatly this way, you only have to make sure that the surface way your object, this place is neutral and simple enough. So to recap, first thing to simplify your photography is to simplify your background for neutral card will large piece of paper. Try shooting Flatley's 5. Number of objects: limit the number of objects in your shop. This is probably the most obvious way, and first that comes to mind when you need to simplify the picture. One of it is a good place to start, but remember that you are in no way limited to just one. Here is an example. The picture number one is just an average snapshot of a breakfast, meaning everything that was on the table was included for this kind of image to work, you actually have to think a lot about composition, how objects interact with each other within the frame, like on the second image here. This composition was deliberate. Main objects are placed in accordance with the rule third coffee cop and small butter knife . Any negative space is filled with small items, creating busy but a feeling composition. All the objects are placed where I wanted them to be. However, this kind of visit composition takes some time and practice has anything to set up. I talk about this particular image and how I arrived it it in the class. Still, life photography make a perfect breakfast picture. Contrary, simple composition by default shouldn't take a lot of time to be arranged because off the limited number of objects in the shop, like 1/3 image here. Notice, as mentioned before simple doesn't mean you just use one item. 6. Color palette: simplify color palette. Now you can have simple set up a few items, but if colors are clashing with each other, the image will lose the sense of harmony. First of all, I would suggest really limiting the number of colors in the shop, especially if they're complementary colors. Complementary colors are the ones that are opposite each other on the color wheel, like on this image. Here, the red just two colors, red and green. If you find pictures with complementary colors to colorful and it can be the case because complementary colors really contrast with each other, you can go differently. Try using similar analogous colors in the color will. Those are the colors that I'm next to each other. As you can see from these two images, the setting is similar. The background is simple and mostly white. It doesn't destruct from the composition on the picture. On the left, the colors. I choose our yellow oranges and red on the right. I have pinks and corals. So despite the fact that the rock more than one colorful item in the both of the shots, both images look simple because the colors are close to each other. and the background is neutral. Here on the left is example of how it looks when colors are not start true. The right yellows, oranges, pinks, sound greens and a bit of blue on the napkin just too many colors. I will actually talk about this particular image and how it can be improved in terms of colors and compositions in the following sections. On the right, the image looks better because the number of colors is limited and their analogous oranges and browns. Finally, what I usually do is simplify the colors by having just one bright, attention grabbing color in the shop, leaving the rest in the neutral color palette. Lee Grays, whites and blacks. 7. Breathing space: negative space. So now we can make our images more clean and simple by removing unnecessary object. Considering the color and using mutual backgrounds, how else can image looks simple yet sophisticated? Well, with the use of negative space, I personally think of it as a breathing space. Negative space is an empty area around your main photography object, like here on this image. Here is an example how negative space makes the main object off the picture looks better. The picture off the pani on the left was taken on the background off other flowers. Well, it looks good. The flour is somehow a little lost in bright colors. Once the background is simplified to simple white and the flower is now surrounded by nice amount of negative space, the picture looks much better. The reason to invite more negative space into the shot is that it has breathing room around the object. Compare this to images both a simple same background, same subject. However, the one on the right looks a little. This clattered because it has a lot of clean area around the main object. This is mostly a personal choice, but I do encourage you to try an experiment with various amounts of negative space and find for yourself which one you prefer 8. Depth of field: consider the depth of felt simple background is especially beneficial for mobile photography. Why? Because mobile phone camera tend to take a lot into focus. Just compare this dish shirts. The one on the left was taken with an iPhone, and you can see that there is a house entries behind my main object, a pine cone. The image on the right was taken with the DSLR and most importantly, at 50 millimeter lens, for which I said, a relatively high upper to value off F 0.25 Now, this time you can't really see anything in the background as it is blurred to the point where we only see soft colors rather than shapes. So for mobile camera, simplifying the background can be the only option. However, for a camera with a prime lance a lens that have high upper two values like F 2.5, there is another option. By using high upper two values, you can blow the background and whatever in it, into colors rather than shapes like here. This image is simple, however, The background in real life was far from simple. There was a lot of green grass, but the let's ability to blow the background makes the main object flower in this case, stand out in the picture to look quite simple. Visit. For this technique to work, you still have to make sure that the background will be relatively homogeneous in terms of colors like on the image on the left here. Although you can't see anything in the background, the picture lacks simplicity due to various colors presented in the background. Where is on the image? On the right? Two flowers are easily separated from the background, and it looks simple. 9. Example 1: Now let's see how the points I discussed in this section can be applied. You're in the shit. I found this picture made on the iPhone in early 2014 and decided to recreate it and then see how this one can be improved by adding simplicity. So this is the image ever created here on the left. On the right is the same image, but edited and Visco up on my phone. All the following pictures are edited. Just because I don't really like unedited right? Let's get back to my example. The very first thing I will do is that I will remove the background, which in this case is just too colorful and place all the objects on the simple white arc tennis. This also help me simplify the color palette by removing unwanted in out of the picture. Now I think the initial image is too tightly cropped. There is simply not enough air. I would love to add some negative space around by objects. For this, I simply move away from my composition. Okay, Now I have some negative space. My background is simple. Color palette can be improved further by removing the napkin now, however, the pastry and basket are too similar in color, and pastry is a bit lost, so I will go into limiting the number off objects. First of all, I will remove the basket. Now I don't really like place in the pastry simply on the table. So what I can use instead is either a white napkin or a simple white plate. I go with a plate. Okay. I really don't like that half eaten pie in front, Lee. The right to many pastry items as off now. So let's remove those and place a school in a more engaging way on the plate. So not this is simple enough. And I can stop here as the composition is clean and minimalistic, which was my goal. However, I can also go even more extreme, leaving just bare essentials T and one place to item, placing it on a small decorative napkin and removing this book. As you can see, the composition is extremely simple. My objects are on one line in the middle, leaving plenty of negative space. So here is a comparison off the original image on the left and finally which on, right, despite being more simple in terms of colors, objects and background. The second image doesn't look like it was just a snapshot, but more of a postcard kind of image. If I was, like, really serious about this picture, I would also switch the cup. Although the transparent mark looks okay, I would rather prefer something a pig and probably white like this. This is more of a personal preference, however, and I just want to show you my thinking process. Currently, my composition is just straight horizontal light, and usually it is the former I will go to when I'm making simple images with more than one object. However, this time I decided to try vertical line, and to make it more obvious, I invited the spoon back into the composition, and I really like the results. One thing, however, for this composition vertical, a portrait Royals and square crop would probably be better. Well, like this image on the right. Once again, let's compare the initial image, simplified version and slightly more sophisticated one. This is a reverse process, and ideally, instead of working backwards, simplifying the picture, you should start with a very simple set up and then, if required, build up some interest. This I will discuss in the next section 10. Easy composition tricks: so that's simple. Photography has to be boring. Of course not. Personally, I'd prefer to have image as simple as possible, sometimes something like this. But if this is just a symbol for you or you are ready to take your simple images to a slightly higher level, these are the ways to do so. Think about composition. First of all, never forget about composition. In previous section, the composition techniques I used were the most simple ones. Simple is a word, actually used a lot in this class. And frankly, for this kind of photography, composition doesn't have to be complicated to make the whole experience easier and more enjoyable. So here I few I used for my pictures. 1st 1 is a rule thirds. We all probably heard about rule thirds. But just in case here is a refresher. The basic idea is that you split your image into nine equal parts by drawing. Imagine reliance to vertical and horizontal. I hear the idea is that intersections off those lines are the perfect sports where you mean objects should be placed. It will look more pleasing to that role. Thirst is quite easy to remember, and with some practice, you will actually start noticing that you place your main object in accordance with it or off center without thinking about it. Also, you don't have to go. The restrict following those lines and intersections, sometimes close, also works. 2nd 1 I used is in the middle composition, which is almost opposite to the rule of thirst. See photography's fun. Whatever you do, you can call the composition as opposed to the rule of thirds, which places the object off center, thereby creating visual interest straight in the middle makes image interesting by adding symmetry. Personally, I think this is as simple as you can get compositionally wise. One object right in the middle. It works especially well on simple images, because when you go extremely simple with just one off place in it, off center creates advance like here that I personally don't like. Usually if I go for composition like this, I will try to balance my image by adding something in the opposite corner. And shadows are great for doing just that, like on the image on the right here, I will talk more about shadows in a bit when there is more than one object I would use straight line composition, as you have seen here. At least I call it that way, which is also super simple because, well, you just place your photography objects on an imaginary straight line. Objects can be placed at some distance from each other, like on the image on the left or on top of each other, like on the image on the right who is on to the ways. Same thing. Here are two more examples finally, to my composition, more engaging. You can also try showing the object just partially. Let it have some character hided, thereby adding some story. Here is what I need. Notice that this technique that's comply with the rule of thirds as objects are off center and located on those rule thirds lines and intersections. Here I place my object on the top right intersection here. A few more examples. Despite the fact that the objects off these pictures are not shown in full, we know what they are so Jurica. If all else fails, choose just one or two objects and place them in the middle and work from there 11. Hands & darks: here is a selection off creative ideas to make your simple photography interesting. Use your hands literally. Adding some human touch never hurts the picture. Adding hands doesn't mean just placing one in your composition in dropped with other objects on the picture. Here I few ideas and 21 As you can see, I don't just place my hand there. I use it as part of the composition to make it more interesting. Dark backgrounds If you want to be like, really fancy and artsy, used very dark backgrounds instead of white, it sorts off instantly. Makes an object look like a Savard. Just make sure not to use too dark objects because obviously those will be lost on the dark background. Since most likely you don't have very dark walls in your house. Any dark material large enough for the photography object will do the trick. Or like here on the right, there is a dark brown table, which also serves as a nice start background 12. Multiples items & decorations: multiple items. Sometimes you might find just one item in the picture to be boring. One way to solve it while still preserving simplicity is to take a picture off multiple units off the same eyes. Um, for example, here I have this one cookie and the most basic composition. Just one item, just simple. Plain background. The flight. Now I decided to add a few more cookies and a few more. I change the angle of the shop. Now I should, from slightly above finally, Iran's cookies in a more neat way and add a read the court of rope. I try different angles and amount of negative space and settle with the first image. Alternatively, you can use multiple items to create a patent and feel the whole picture with the same items. Here again, you don't really have to think hard about composition. Just feeling the picture, however, make sure you don't leave any large, very noticeable empty gaffes at some decorations. So if you feel comfortable enough with simple items on a simple background with limited color collect, you can challenge yourself to add some subtle decorations like I did here because the background is just plain white, and there is enough negative space all around the main object. The picture, even with flowers, still looks very clear and simple. Another example would be the one you just saw with Read the Court of Rope here. Actually, I used the same rope in another shot, this one here I do like white and white on the image on the left. This is like simplicity taken to the extreme. However, after some thought, I decided that I needed some color in there. So I added the red rope and a little stroll with red stripes. So both the court, if elements are in the same color and work nicely with each other, the image is still very simple, but just a little bit more interesting. Be sure not to overcomplicate things by adding too many decorations or inconsistent colors . Here are two examples on the left There just one back room, and I added a flower and a glass cover, so the right to different according items. However, only the flower provides the color, and since it's pale, it works really nice with the plane color off the macaroon. The glass is very mutual and barely adds any color or complexity. So this kind works. Oh, no, does it? I added just one plate. However, the plate itself is a bit complex, with dark blue color and some patterns, and suddenly this just doesn't really look appealing anymore. So when any extras remember, the key to simple photography remains the same. A limited number of objects and colors and the plane background. 13. Shadows & out of comfort zone: make use of shadows? No, this is slightly more advanced but super cool technique to instantly transforms simple images. I'm talking about using strong source of light and result in shadows. Here is what I mean. Same item. Well, items in this case class of garlic. The image on the left is a typical image. I consider simple and clean lots of plain by ground and negative space. Similar objects. Limited color palette. Now, when it had shadows into the picture, the image instantly transforms. Picture is much more free, Dino. Rather than play, you can also see how the background in this case it's my art canvas looks much more textured because the light hit the uneven surface off the canvas at an angle, you can see the texture of it much more clearly, However, it is still the same set up except for light. I don't use any equipment for that. Just sunlight from the window here, how it looks. The sun is shining through the window onto the table where I take my pictures. As you can see, there is a share window shade, which gives beautiful shadows, some more pronounced than others. I really like the fact, if I need more light, I can also move the shades so that the right will come directly at the object or I can block some of it with anything large enough. I haven't hand and for me is the blank art canvas. This creates strong shade, and I can walk around to see how to place my object. By the way, this kind of strong shade is the one I was talking about in the composition section. Remember the Senate Well, Because shade here is so pronounced, it balances the composition. It is on the opposite corner off the main docket shake, even though northern object itself is very dark and adds visual weight to the bottom left corner. Hence the picture looks more bons. Now on the right, there is another way of using shape, creating a frame for your main object Training. Taking really makes the main object stand out and grab all the attention here. I started with a shade on the top left corner, however, because the main object is located in the middle off the image, the bottom right part looked to empty and picture elect balance, so I added an extra shade their, thereby creating a frame. Actually, I didn't even use any tools for that extra shade in the bottom right corner, Just my body blocking some off the light. See, because I don't use any artificial light for this. I have to know when the light is right for this kind of images. Obviously, you can't really do this. When the day outside is cloudy, overcast, there will be no strong light and hence no shadows for long, beautiful shadows like here it is better to search for a place in the house where sun will shine into the room at an angle, so it's not really amid the situation. Those kind of long shadows happen either in the morning or in the afternoon evenings. Leave your photography comfort zone. We often stuck in doing same things over and over. She's insane. Photography subject. Using just one lands or same editing technique. Well, simple photography is a great place for you to leave your comfort zone and try something You for example, one really useful creative exercise you can do is to shoot the same subject from different angles, try to make different images. It challenges you to think outside the box. For example. Here I have a cake and I try and see different angles, one from above another at approximately 45 degree angle and another one shooting from the front. Here are the result in images. Although it is the same subjects, the images are quite different. Here is another more of a right example here. I also used my hand as an extra interest, as well as different number of items, one flower on the first image and bunch of flowers on the second and for the location. However, the light and main objects are still the same. Finally, you can also try same set up with different light, even all contrasting the one which you will produce shadows. To see which one you prefer most, don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. It is uring those experiments and explorations that will find our photography style 14. Example 2 and class project: So let's see another example and your class project for your class project. I want you to make a very simple, no hassle breakfast picture. Start simple with maybe just one item, and then add a little bit complexity. Here is your check list. Isberg grown simple. He's the color palette Limited. What composition technique I using? If you added decorations, do they improve upon the picture or destruct from the main? Okay. Have you tried several angles? Ally scenarios. Now let me show you how I approached it. Here are the items and may have for breakfast. Well, not all in one. Go, obviously. And I don't eat pine cones there. Adjust the items I thought I could use. First of all, even before choosing the mine item, which obviously will be the coffee because I love coffee. Anyway, before anything else, I start by dealing with the background. As you can see, the current one is just too busy. So I think my trustworthy white our canvas and place it on the table. I mean, if you're likely to have white table or a very simple tablecloth that will work perfectly as well, I don't. So I have to be creative. Now I look for the items I have here first. All I want to get rid of the Nutella jer, although I like it. I don't really like the packaging, especially bright and colorful ones in my pictures. I actually talk more about it in my class and most common still life photography mistakes, so be sure to check it out. I will leave link in the about section. By the way, if I wanted to incorporate Hotel into my shot, I would do it like this. No brands, no packaging, no unwanted colors to ruin the simple color palette. Just chocolate. Okay, back to my items. I also removed the jar of jam because with it, I can't really make any flatly pictures. It just doesn't look nice from that angle. So now I'm left with four similar color items. Coffee, Banco waffles and the both got. As I mentioned before. Let's start with just one main object. Coffee Cup here is as simple as expected shadows, although not really strong ones at some interest toe, otherwise simple picture. Now I will add one hurt shaped often. Okay, I like the splash of warm yellow in the image. It works because other colors are neutral as my main object, by the way, a quick tip. If you're planning to capture a coffee with the beautiful coffee phone, I'm talking about something like this. You really have to be fast because that form disappears very quickly, like on my current images. Here it's totally gun, but I don't really mind because it's still neutral and works well for the composition I have in mind, right? So I just the mock handle slightly so to make it more in line with horizontal composition. I also try and see how the vertical portrait group will look at a different angle and how much negative space I want to use now. I decided to add a bit more interest by adding multiple items in this case to move off. I also try a different angle like this, and I think it looks nice. Then I removed the waffles and add a pine cone. No, although color wise, it is still pretty much the same color palette. I don't treat you like the combination of items, so I remove the buffet because I already have two pictures. I like with it and I arrived at this composition once again, the arrangement of items is linear. Horizontal simple, simple, simple. Okay, I also want to try a vertical. An arrangement for this. However, I want something else at it. But not the waffle. Something closer in color. And I get the coffee beans and arrived at this picture on the left here as slightly adjust the mark, handle direction. So it will be reflecting the pine cone direction. I could have stopped at any stage, but I just wanted to show you how simple composition can be arranged from a limited number of objects. Here is my final selection. The ones that I will share on social media. As you can see, making beautiful pictures don't have to be hard and challenging. Simplifying is a great way to start with photography and get beautiful results. Give it a try and I'm sure you will love it. I can't wait to see pictures. If you have enjoyed this quest, please leave a thumbs up in the review section. Thank you for watching this class and I will see you in the next one