| When it comes to simple basic Still-Life Tabletop | | | | use film camera market, take advantage of that |
| Photography, as far as the novice | | | | right now. |
| 'wanna-be-photographer' is concerned there is | | | | 2. Soft Box Attachment. |
| often a mental block, when really it's quite simple, | | | | 3. Tripod, a good solid one. |
| so much so that if you start to do it | | | | 4. Lighting Stands, you will need two or three. |
| professionally, after a few years the trick is to | | | | 5. White Card as reflectors or as a background, |
| stay awake. | | | | size 1mtr.x70cm. from your art shop, get three. |
| I asked UK photographer Phil Selfe why he sold | | | | 6. Background. muslin or material, off white or |
| his very successful studios a few years back and | | | | neutral in color. |
| he answered, "I just got bored Rog". | | | | 7. Low table about 2ftx2ft. 18 inches high. |
| I remember when he was my assistant back in | | | | 8. Light Meter for flash exposures. |
| the seventies, I would set up the first still-life | | | | What to do: |
| shot, then say to him, "Shoot off the rest Phil" | | | | Set up your soft box at an angle of 45 degrees |
| and go out for the rest of the day. | | | | to the left or right of camera and slightly to the |
| Of course not all still-life is so mundane and in fact | | | | back of the set. This should be for small still-life |
| some still-life shots are very exacting, requiring | | | | objects and the light should be no more than a |
| careful planning, construction of the set and | | | | meter away from the subject, so you are able to |
| attention to lighting details, which would include | | | | stop down, (set the lens aperture), to at least |
| running test shots to acquire the effect that was | | | | f22, to get as much depth-of-field as possible so |
| needed. Sometimes this could take a day or two | | | | the image will be in sharp focus. If you have a |
| to successfully complete. | | | | second flash head, use it bounced off the ceiling |
| If you were shooting room sets as I use to do | | | | to help to fill any shadow area. |
| some time back, this would require a lot more | | | | Fix your reflector, (white card), the opposite side |
| work and would involve the use of many | | | | to the flash and an additional reflector the other |
| assistants, carpenters for set building and in many | | | | side underneath the soft box. |
| cases taking days to successfully complete. You | | | | Use a good lens hood, such as a bellows lens |
| would also need some serious studio space to | | | | hood, to keep the light from the soft box hitting |
| accomplish this type of specialist work, as I use | | | | the lens. It's also good practice to fix a small piece |
| to have. | | | | of black card, suspended over the lens of the |
| But as UK comedian Ronnie Corbett would say "I | | | | camera to prevent any light causing flare from |
| digress", lets get back to the basics of still-life | | | | the lens, taking care that the black card doesn't |
| tabletop photography. | | | | clip the picture area, or effect you meter reading. |
| For lighting you will need an attachment to your | | | | Make test exposures to find out the best result |
| studio flash unit called a 'Soft Box'. This is as it | | | | and after some experimentation, you will find the |
| sounds, a box constructed in fabric, which is | | | | results that you want. It's also good to "bracket" |
| reflective on the inside, with a diffuse panel at the | | | | your exposures, which means to make three |
| front, providing a directional soft defused light to | | | | exposures, one at half a stop, (f.stop number), |
| illuminate the subject. An umbrella attachment is | | | | above the reading and one at half a stop below, |
| not sutible for this work as the spread of light is | | | | choosing the best density of the three exposures |
| to wide. | | | | made. Most pro photographers, even after a |
| If you don't have a studio flash unit you can buy | | | | tests, use this as standard practice. Film is cheap |
| a soft box that will attach to a hammer head | | | | and digital is nothing. |
| flash gun. If you have a second flash head you | | | | Now if you think that there is some other 'magic' |
| can put this to good use by simply bouncing it off | | | | formula that the pros use to shoot simple still life, |
| the ceiling, to help fill any shadow area. | | | | your WRONG. This is the most used pro photo |
| What you will need for Still-Life Tabletop | | | | still-life set up, but of course there many |
| Photography.: | | | | exceptions to the rule and not all still life work is |
| 1. Medium Format Camera and a 'macro' lens | | | | table top. |
| (close focusing). Better still a 5x4inch. View | | | | Final comment: The best way to become an |
| camera, which has tilt and swing front and rear | | | | accomplished photographer in still-life or other |
| panels for ease of focusing. | | | | work, is go work for one as an assistant. It's the |
| Did you know that only one in fifteen NEW | | | | way most good pro photographers make it. |
| cameras sold to day, are film cameras, this | | | | Happy shooting. |
| means there are great bargains to be had in the | | | | |