Experimenting with Still Life

VERY good, Tonia!!!

You've got something going here. The green/black thing was good. Tonia, you have such a good eye anyway, you'll find a groove with this. Arrangement and lighting must play a big part in this small scale stuff?

I like them all, Tonia. The simplicity of the shell appeals to me but my favorite as you would guess, is the rocks. Some of the other arrangements I saw you make don't appear here and were also outstanding. I look forward to more still life from you! I'm anxious for Pamela L. to see these. :)

Thanks Mike - it is a start.

John - you don't need to know a thing about photography. It's all about whether something appeals to you or not.

Faith - I still have a lot of work to do on the lighting. I am thinking of experimenting with a lightbox (which is exactly what it sounds like - a box with a light in it) to see if I can get better results. These were taken with only the lights that are above the kitchen table.

Deb - I think the others were too much and so decided to go with the simpler shots. Yes, it will be interesting to see what Pam has to say.

Oh, yes, a lightbox, light underneath? that would be cool.

I like them all, but the green and black one is the best. It's simple, not too many colors or shapes to distract, but enough to be interesting. Not that I know a THING about photography.

Faith - the beauty of a light box is that you can direct the light from anywhere or have multiple sources.

John - that idea intrigues me - I think I'll play around with it - thanks.

Old Crow - I really don't know much about photography either - I only know what I like and what I don't like. It's all about experimentation and learning what works and what doesn't. Last night I took 79 photos and only feel really good about these three.

i think you've done a really great job with lighting, colors & composition. you've captured lots of textures too. next: challenge yourself by taking shots of the same subjects but totally different from this. throw out what everyone would expect to see from a box of shells. find the unique stuff only you can see. : )

nicely done john. are you prejudice against the atheists? cause i think the shell, by it's curled up posture is obviously denying the existance of Gad.

Excellent Photo Essay! Thanks for posting this to...

The Photographers Review

i love the clarity of the images by the way.

Oooooooo - pretty! Very great idea. I love the second shot with the group of rocks. Very very pretty. The simple seashell is also very beautiful.

Shannon - yes, good advice. I have learned that by starting with the obvious one can gradually winnow down to the unexpected.

John - it is good to see you in these parts again - I hadn't realized how much I'd missed your quirkiness until now.

CC - I guess the beauty of photography as that it is up to the viewer to define what they are seeing ;-) And thanks for adding the second comment.

Rose - they are primitive, awkward attempts to move into a realm in which I am not yet comfortable - inspired but not comfortable. I was thinking today that it would be fun to play with different textures in the background and that piece of amethyst is very interesting if I can get the light to hit it just right. And no doubt, I will keep sharing :-)

Thanks Jennifer. I definitely am more comfortable outdoors but I guess it never hurts to expand one's horizons.

sorry, someone flicked the weird artist switch earlier and i've been having trouble turning it off.

We have rocks like that! We like pretty things from the earth.
The shots are clear.
On the shell I would take a shot of the end of the shell where it spirals.
Try taking a picture of just one side of the rock with the crystals in it, the black and the sparkle of the crystal would be interesting.
The pile of green and black rocks need to be mixed up a bit more, maybe two green and the one black stacked on top of each other in a tower type shape.
I am no expert, not even close, but I would experiment from all angles, close ups on just a part of the stones that are multi colored...perhaps the shell sitting in sand partially buried. Just ideas....do what feels good.

The clarity of these photos is unbelievable!

Tonia, great shots that show the beauty of simplicity! If this is your beginning shots I have a feeling that there will be some really good ones in your future!

I like the snail one the best....but they are all good

The last one looks good enough to eat.

Tonia, I made a lightbox to use when photography my jewelry. It's really easy to make one.

Good work Tonia! I like the seashell because of the simplicity. I'm not sure about the second shot; it just doesn't work for me. Maybe it's too busy. The third shot I like as well; again the simplicity, and the contrast between the green and the black.

I haven't read the comments by others here because I'm too tired to do so. Bear with me as I type without deep thinking. First off, they are interesting subjects but I would like to see more angles that demonstrate your ability to show more facets of the objects. Strive for more dimension.

The first one, the snail shell, did not impress me. The angle was off for me and the monotones didn't highlight the shell as much as detract from the overall photo. I like the shell well enough and the fact that it was matte and not shiny but it seemed to lack texture that I know you could capture but wasn't quite all the way there for me.

The second photo, (as if I know what I'm talking about), is a good juxtaposition of rocks within a trio but the background texture led my eye away from the focal point. I wanted to concentrate on the trio of rocks yet that textural background kept drawing me away. Have you considered placing these objects on a piece of glass or mirror or even shiny tile? If I ignore the textural issue, I am pleased with the composition of the rocks with the color standing aside and the marbling taking center stage. I would have liked seeing more than the cut sides of these objects as well though.

Ah, now the last photo. As an aging woman with bifocals, it was too upclose and in my face. I didn't like the angle. Rather than feeling like I was gazing down onto the stones, I would have preferred a lateral view highlighting the green colors and black but also adding more shadowy pockets in the composition.

Have I been critical enough? I'm feeling feisty, my friend. I like the general direction but I know you are capable of better images than these in a still life study. Yep, I'm sure of it. I love your work.

I like the 'rocks' best. Maybe tracks in sand leading up to the snail would be fun.
Have you tried to photograph the green sea glass and black stone under a bit of running water? I saw one of pebbles that you did under water, and liked it a lot. I'd be tempted to create simple scenes as a background for these images. I know nothing about photography so feel free to ignore these ideas.

Yeah, what Madame D. just said!

She's right on. I'm impressed with her eye for details. I couldn't have been as thorough or as coherent. She's more than a great cook, ain't she?

There is a difference between still life and close-up. But both genre are dependent upon and interactive with background and composition.

These photos look more like close-ups to me. As with any subject that is worthy of our lens' attention, lighting, focus, composition, etc., are always contributing factors that can make or break an otherwise great still life or close-up shot.

You start by telling us straight out that this is your first attempt at this genre. This type of observation is so different from panoramic or nature photography. Take your time. Shoot thousands of images in variant compositions. Count your blessings that it is digital and you're not having to buy film and development gear. And let your talent and good eye guide you.

And, of course, share your progress with us.

The first two appealed to me. I liked the way the shell was just off center, and the rocks have enough interest on their own to capture my attention. It's a start of something, but only you will know what. Keep us posted!

An art history professor once told me that placement was everything. Of course I remember him telling me many things were 'everything', details, style, color.

But I think that placement means a lot in these shots. I like the shell best, somehow there is a lot of movement in this still shot.

And it reminds me of the Divine Proportion!

One thing you might consider is experimenting with different backgrounds. Especially in the first two I didn't think the objects were set off well. All three pictures used interesting objects.

This is very different from most photography because taking a lot of pictures isn't much help.

Isn't it amazing the subjects one can come up with to photograph. Your first attempts are great. Keep em coming Tonia.

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Well, this has certainly generated much more discussion than I'd anticipated - thank you everyone.

Laurun - I'm hoping that I will be inspired at some point to find the beauty in the mundane. For now, I think that starting with objects where the beauty is already apparent will allow me to retrain my eye for this different style of photography. Who knows if it will be successful but I do know I'll have fun trying.

Nippy - you are quite right that different backgrounds would be quite useful. I used what was on hand for these (a white paper towel) but will look around and see what else may provide more interest.

d m - I suppose placement is everything, as is lighting, as is perspective, as is...... :-)

Ina - I'll be sure to keep y'all posted :-)

Pam - they are close-ups, but can't they also be still life? I've always been fascinated with the details so that is probably where my attention will wander.

Duckie - yes, Madame D is certainly more than just a great cook :-)

Ruth - I love the idea of introducing water - I will play around with that - thanks.

Madame D - I love it! Thanks for taking so much time to critique these. As always, I do value your input and you've expanded my thinking in terms of backgrounds and texture. I also realize that I am going to have really experiment with lighting as the camera I use does tend to create grainier images with lower levels of light, especially if it is artificial.

Thanks Roy - I guess I am drawn to simplicity as well and honestly the shot I like best is the shell.

Lisa - if you have a moment, I'd love to hear more about the lightbox you made.

Jan - now that's an interesting take on it - I wondered whether the green sea glass would suggest some kind of jelly candy.

Thanks flit.

Thanks Bob - I am intrigued to see where this goes.

Anne - thanks - I am hoping to improve on that a little with better lighting. We'll see.

Katherine - thanks - it helps to see these through another's eyes. I think I will definitely play with different angles on the shells and me just take those rocks one at a time to see what I can create.

CC - no worries. John does that to people :-)

I think these photos are beautiful. I like seeing things that are unique and interesting. Good job.

To be honest ,I only liked the seashell....I think because of the simplicity as well as it was not centered. Some how or another, I don't think I'm into this sort of thing....though it seems from the comment strand, most people are. Absolutely wonderful shots as far as arrangement and composition. Lighting was fine too.

I'm looking at these backwards...and I think you made vast improvement from this posting to the one posted tonight. Your shell pictures are nice here-but they are outstanding in the next article. I do like the contrast between the green and the black, but the background needs to be different...I have no idea what to suggest.

I LOVE the serenity of the shell photo, Tonia - it's just beautiful! And the tones of gentle color in the background fit so well with the shell........the other two felt more arranged....I vote for #1!

Gorgeous shots! I loved the green glass. ;o) I loved all of them!