Still Life Photography - Products & More

Accurist Men's Watch with concrete blocks

Still life photography includes product photography, food and other genres. The common factor is normally that the images are of inanimate objects. But, they may including freezing of splashes or other moving elements at times as well. Unlike packshots, still life photography tends to have more of a narrative style. In other words, the main subject tends to have other elements around it that help to create a mood or a sense of lifestyle, for example. This can be achieved using props and colour as well as appropriate lighting. At the same time, you can also go almost to the opposite extreme with a more abstract aesthetic.

Still Life Photographer as Story Teller

In essence, a still life photographer is someone who tells or suggests stories through images of objects. Composition plays a vital role. It isn’t just about showing a product clearly or choosing a dynamic angle. Everything that appears in the picture should add something to the overall narrative. Sometimes the “story” is very simple. For an advertising image you normally want to get a message across clearly and concisely. But, more complicated compositions may encourage longer and deeper engagement from the viewer. It all depends on who your target audience is and what you want to communicate. We create the image to serve a purpose; so that determines what the story is and how we tell it. From surreal to simple or classical to contemporary, we can choose a style to suit the need.

Yamaha guitar and amplifier

For still life advertising images anything we include in the frame will influence how the viewer feels about the product. So, we have to be careful about what lifestyle associations we make. For example, if we compare the two images below then we can see that one suggests a more formal lifestyle than the other. Both are aimed at a male audience and contain elements of fashion. But the potential buyer wouldn’t necessarily be the same demographic for both.

Spirit Men's watch lifestyle image with sunglasses and phone
Still life photography of Boss Infinite with cufflinks, tie and shirt

I normally create my still life images in the studio, although on occasion we may wish to work on location. With the right props and lighting we can fake natural light for an outdoor look, such as the sunglasses in the image below (which were photographed in my studio).

Sunglasses on the beach

Still Life Photography - Art & Advertising

Still life may also make us think of works by the Master painters. They created works of art of simple everyday items through creative and technical excellence. For photographers, we can move beyond the basic packshot look to create works of art that draw engagement with your products. I use high quality lighting and composition techniques to create images that are dynamic, interesting and memorable. 

Glass shattering special effect advertising image of a microphone

Sometimes I create images completely in-camera, such as the microphone picture above. For others, I composite together various images in Photoshop. The lipstick below is made up of 3 elements – a photo of the lipstick itself, a photo of the smear and a final one of the texture for the background. Creative use of Photoshop means that a still life photographer can produce imaginative compositions with depth and levels of interest. Like the Master Painter, I can bring elements in to the composition and choose to leave others out.

Creative Product Photography - Red Lipstick with smear & textured background

Still Life Food Photography

Food is a common subject for still life images. Painters used bowls of fruit and tables covered with a banquet of dishes to create their masterpieces. Food photography can equally be artistic and use different types of lighting. It doesn’t need to be generic or boring. My aim is to make the viewer hungry! So, I compose and light images in ways that create desire. High end food can be a work of art – so why not create a unique piece of fine art photography to do it justice? Whether you want a light, summer feel or dark sophistication, I can help you get the look that sells your products.

Award-winning Still Life Photography

I have won numerous awards in international photography competitions for my still life photography. The images below give you a taste of those award-winning images. Some take a minimalist approach for a clean modern look. They also vary from more colourful to monochrome images. 

If you sell some form of product then you need powerful images to create desire in buyers. I bring together technical and creative excellence as a still life advertising photographer to create images that tell stories and sell products. Please do get in touch for a no obligation exploration of how I can help you sell more. 

Guitar Photography - Red Les Paul with Marshall amp
Guitar Photography
Skeleton Watch
Watch Photography
Chocolate with splash background
Chocolate Photography
Jewellery Photography Sample Image - Ear Studs
Jewellery Photography
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