What an interesting journey this has been. My first knowledge of still life was when I was doing watercolor painting. Not that watercolor is the best medium for still life, but that is when I had some interest in it. Still Life Photography never occurred to me as something people would be interested in. A former co-worker at Pier 1 ... yes I worked at that incredibly beautiful store! ... suggested at one point that I set up little displays in the store and take pictures of them. It just didn't make any sense to me. 

Little did I know that years later I would not only get interested in Still Life Photography, but I would love it! This has become a beautiful place in my life. Sometimes I'm hurried when I begin to gather my items, but it becomes this relaxing and peaceful place. Sometimes just looking at and editing the photos makes me feel relaxed. I often have a cup of tea after photographing my set ups and that's because I often have that as one of my props. 

A few tips I would have for you if you want to get started or even just work on your own Still Life Photography are.

• Look for the light ... do you want side light, back light, overhead light?
• Plan out the number of items in your photograph (sometimes more is good, but others less is good)
• Placement ... there are so many rules to keep and break. You really have to just look at what looks and feels good to you. 
• Color ... be sure to match your colors or keep it neutral
• Focus ... decide what will be your main point of focus and keep it sharp!
• Editing ... keep it simple ... overworked images look just like that ... overworked!

This journey has taken me up and down. Overall, I feel like I've grown in my skill. It is a creative outlet for me. We all need that and probably get it in many ways. If you'd like to see more of my Still Life work, I have a sampling here in my galleries and a whole lot in my Instagram account here. I'd love it if you followed me along in this journey either by following me here or on my Instagram.

Thanks for stopping in ... Carolyn