Still Lifes

The purpose of this assignment is to shoot 3 beautifully lit items that have a unifying theme and a consistent treatment.

Confused Succulant

Pictured here is a fake succulent standing by itself slightly tilted. It is against a black backdrop set up in my living room. In this photo the light is coming from one side creating a mysterious shadow on one side. It was taken on November 1st, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Standing Alone

Pictured here is a fake cactus standing alone against a black backdrop set up in my living room. In this photo the light is coming from one side creating a mysterious shadow on one side. It was taken on November 1st, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

No Mess

Pictured here is a fake succulent sitting on it's side against a black backdrop set up in my living room. In this photo the light is coming from one side. This creates a mysterious shadow on one side, while still being able to see the details of the pot. It was taken on November 1st, 2021 by Julianna Gillis.

Reflection

I wasn't sure how to be creative in this assignment, only using one object in each image. I really had to challenge myself with the lighting and positions of each piece so that it wouldn't just be a plant sitting against a backdrop. I decided to go with the light sitting on one side to create a strong shadow on the plants and only light up one side. The low key exposure and lighting give it a mysterious look and make it look out of the ordinary but at the same time also give off a simplistic look. I didn't want each image to just look the same since they were such similar objects. So I decided I would play with the positions and even managed to get one to stand on the pot's bottom corner. I was concerned that there were underexposed black clippings in my photos, but I'll make it clear it was my intent to have half of the object underexposed as it adds to the look I wanted to achieve.

I experimented with different lighting at first and decided from the side would be the best for what I was trying to achieve. Going through the other lighting setups allowed me to play with fixing my white balance, and I really got to see how much of a difference that makes. Practicing it helped me understand how it worked. That is something that will be super beneficial for any photography in the future. Knowing the different lighting terms and setups from the last assignment helped me figure out what I wanted to achieve. I feel like I finally got the hang of all my exposure settings and what everything does. Knowing my camera well helps me in applying what I want to do before Lightroom.

Believe it, or not these plants were fake because I can't keep any real ones alive.