The Beginner’s Guide to Still Life Photography

030 /

5

Basic Flow in the Later Stage of Photography

030

5.2 Lens Calibration (Secondary Composition) 5.3 Color Adjustment

031 032

5.1 Early-stage Preparations

5.3.1 Color Restoration (White-balance Calibration)

032

5.3.2 The Setting of Black and White Field

032

5.3.3 How to Increase the Definition

033

5.3.4 Appropriate Saturation

036

5.3.5 Rich and Reasonable Layers

036

5.3.6 Local Adjustment

037

5.4 Image Tone 5.5 Output of Finished Products

KNOWLEDGE OF STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

038 041

TUTORIAL 044 /

Autumn Still Life with Rain

048 /

Balancing Sweets Tutorial

054 /

Lift Me Up

CASE STUDY

06

060 /

Food

148 /

Floral

184 /

Artifacts

212 /

Business

246 /

Handicraft

HOW This book is in three parts: knowledge of still life photography, a course of photography with suspension effects and case appreciation and analysis.

Chapter I introduces several basic terms. It will be easier to master photography after understanding these.

Chapter II introduces the concept of still life photography. It lists the photographic steps and the key shooting skills for still life.

Chapter III focuses on the basic knowledge of light, photographic composition and colors needed for photography.

The final part of each section highlights the key points.

Chapter IV summarizes the shooting techniques for different materials.

Chapter V covers the knowledge of post-processing.

001

030 /

5

Basic Flow in the Later Stage of Photography

030

5.2 Lens Calibration (Secondary Composition) 5.3 Color Adjustment

031 032

5.1 Early-stage Preparations

5.3.1 Color Restoration (White-balance Calibration)

032

5.3.2 The Setting of Black and White Field

032

5.3.3 How to Increase the Definition

033

5.3.4 Appropriate Saturation

036

5.3.5 Rich and Reasonable Layers

036

5.3.6 Local Adjustment

037

5.4 Image Tone 5.5 Output of Finished Products

KNOWLEDGE OF STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

038 041

TUTORIAL 044 /

Autumn Still Life with Rain

048 /

Balancing Sweets Tutorial

054 /

Lift Me Up

CASE STUDY

06

060 /

Food

148 /

Floral

184 /

Artifacts

212 /

Business

246 /

Handicraft

HOW This book is in three parts: knowledge of still life photography, a course of photography with suspension effects and case appreciation and analysis.

Chapter I introduces several basic terms. It will be easier to master photography after understanding these.

Chapter II introduces the concept of still life photography. It lists the photographic steps and the key shooting skills for still life.

Chapter III focuses on the basic knowledge of light, photographic composition and colors needed for photography.

The final part of each section highlights the key points.

Chapter IV summarizes the shooting techniques for different materials.

Chapter V covers the knowledge of post-processing.

001

1 Basic Knowledge about Photography

Photographer: Ed Gregory on Pexels

When studying still life photography, you will encounter some special photographic terms, such as shutter, aperture, ISO, and depth of field. What on earth are these? How do they influence the pictures? Then let’s uncover the secrets for you.

1.1 Shutter and Shutter Speed

Photographer: Josh Calabrese on Unsplash

Definition Shutter and shutter speed are two different concepts.

Shutter is a device in front of the camera lens to prevent and control the entry of lighting. Shutter speed means how long the shutter stays open. It doesn’t mean the speed of shutter opening and closing. For example, an exposure of 30s means that the shutter opens for 30s not that it is opening and closing at the speed of 30s.

Most photography works are shot within a fraction of a second: for fast ones, there are 1/4s, 1/10s and even 1/1,000s or 1/10,000s. For slow ones, there are 1s, 5s and even tens of seconds.

Shutter speed 30s; f/3.5; ISO 800 Artman Design ▲ When shooting the starry sky in the above picture, as there is no lighting at night, adequate lighting must be provided for the lens by extending the shutter time.

41.0 mm; f/5.0; ISO 100 Photographer: Sasha Martynov from Pexels Photographer: Jimmy Chang on Unsplash

Influence of Shutter Speed on Pictures Since the shutter speed determines the contact time of the photosensitive element in the camera with lighting, it determines the brightness of the picture. Therefore, it is easy to understand that when the shutter speed is fast, the open time is short and the contacted light is less.

The picture may be dark, but it is sharp. This is because there is not much influence from the external factors (object movement or camera shake). When the shutter speed is slow, the picture is bright. But it is easy to blur.

When shooting against a light source, we need a very short shutter speed, otherwise the picture will be overexposed. However, when shooting towards a pitch-dark starry sky, we need a very slow shutter speed, otherwise the point light source cannot provide you with adequate brightness to generate the picture.

002

▲ The above picture is shot towards the sun. The lighting was extremely strong. Thus it is necessary to slow the shutter speed and adjust the aperture as small as f/5.0 to basically get the desired brightness.

There are two situations creating blurred pictures. With “motion blur”, the background is clear while the main object is blurred. With “camera shake” the entire picture is blurred. The problems of blurring can be avoided by increasing the shutter speed.

needs a faster shutter speed, but could be realized without relying on a mechanical operation.

With adequate daylight, the use of a slow shutter speed may lead to overexposure and dead white in the picture.

This can happen even though the aperture and the ISO are minimum. You can use a neutral density (ND) filter to decrease the amount of lighting entering the lens. You could obtain a normal exposure effect by increasing the exposure time at the same time.

Shutter speed 1/4s Artman Design ▲ The shutter speed for the ocean waves in the above picture is 1/4. In fact, only more than 1/10s can make the water look like a piece of silk.

A picture of a bullet breaking through an object or an object smashing is achieved with extremely high-speed shutter. This cannot be done by hand but needs to be operated by a machine. A picture of a water drop also

Common shutter speeds: 1/250s is used for shooting a person walking in natural light in the daytime.

1/1000~1/500s is used for shooting someone running.

003

1 Basic Knowledge about Photography

Photographer: Ed Gregory on Pexels

When studying still life photography, you will encounter some special photographic terms, such as shutter, aperture, ISO, and depth of field. What on earth are these? How do they influence the pictures? Then let’s uncover the secrets for you.

1.1 Shutter and Shutter Speed

Photographer: Josh Calabrese on Unsplash

Definition Shutter and shutter speed are two different concepts.

Shutter is a device in front of the camera lens to prevent and control the entry of lighting. Shutter speed means how long the shutter stays open. It doesn’t mean the speed of shutter opening and closing. For example, an exposure of 30s means that the shutter opens for 30s not that it is opening and closing at the speed of 30s.

Most photography works are shot within a fraction of a second: for fast ones, there are 1/4s, 1/10s and even 1/1,000s or 1/10,000s. For slow ones, there are 1s, 5s and even tens of seconds.

Shutter speed 30s; f/3.5; ISO 800 Artman Design ▲ When shooting the starry sky in the above picture, as there is no lighting at night, adequate lighting must be provided for the lens by extending the shutter time.

41.0 mm; f/5.0; ISO 100 Photographer: Sasha Martynov from Pexels Photographer: Jimmy Chang on Unsplash

Influence of Shutter Speed on Pictures Since the shutter speed determines the contact time of the photosensitive element in the camera with lighting, it determines the brightness of the picture. Therefore, it is easy to understand that when the shutter speed is fast, the open time is short and the contacted light is less.

The picture may be dark, but it is sharp. This is because there is not much influence from the external factors (object movement or camera shake). When the shutter speed is slow, the picture is bright. But it is easy to blur.

When shooting against a light source, we need a very short shutter speed, otherwise the picture will be overexposed. However, when shooting towards a pitch-dark starry sky, we need a very slow shutter speed, otherwise the point light source cannot provide you with adequate brightness to generate the picture.

002

▲ The above picture is shot towards the sun. The lighting was extremely strong. Thus it is necessary to slow the shutter speed and adjust the aperture as small as f/5.0 to basically get the desired brightness.

There are two situations creating blurred pictures. With “motion blur”, the background is clear while the main object is blurred. With “camera shake” the entire picture is blurred. The problems of blurring can be avoided by increasing the shutter speed.

needs a faster shutter speed, but could be realized without relying on a mechanical operation.

With adequate daylight, the use of a slow shutter speed may lead to overexposure and dead white in the picture.

This can happen even though the aperture and the ISO are minimum. You can use a neutral density (ND) filter to decrease the amount of lighting entering the lens. You could obtain a normal exposure effect by increasing the exposure time at the same time.

Shutter speed 1/4s Artman Design ▲ The shutter speed for the ocean waves in the above picture is 1/4. In fact, only more than 1/10s can make the water look like a piece of silk.

A picture of a bullet breaking through an object or an object smashing is achieved with extremely high-speed shutter. This cannot be done by hand but needs to be operated by a machine. A picture of a water drop also

Common shutter speeds: 1/250s is used for shooting a person walking in natural light in the daytime.

1/1000~1/500s is used for shooting someone running.

003

1.2 Aperture and the Size of Aperture

Display of Numerical Value The display of a shutter speed on the camera varies among cameras of different brands. Some shutter speeds can be expressed as 30", 15", 8", 4", 2", 1", 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000.

The Relationship between Shutter and Aperture

Definition The aperture is actually a device controlling the amount of lighting entering the lens. It is generally arranged in the internal part of the lens. For a manufactured lens, its diameter cannot be changed at will, the amount of lighting entering the lens can be controlled by installing an additional device in the lens. This device is referred to as aperture.

Here, 30" refers to 30s, while 30 refers to 1/30s. In some cameras, the speed is displayed directly as the fraction of “1/xx”.

Safe Shutter Speed Every photographer wishes to shoot a high-quality and clear picture. As being mentioned in the previous text, to avoid a blurred picture, you can increase the shutter speed. However, if the shutter speed is too fast, underexposure will occur. Therefore, photographers have devised a formula of “safe shutter speed” based on their experience over several decades: 1/focal length of lens= Safe shutter speed for hand-held shooting

The safe shutter speed refers to the minimum shutter speed to make sure the picture will not be blurred during the shooting.

For example, when you select a 30mm wide-angle lens, you will need the minimum shutter speed of 1/30s to guarantee the clarity of the picture. If you use a 20mm telephoto lens, you will need the minimum shutter speed of 1/200s. Generally, for a shutter speed less than 1/60s, it is recommended to use a tripod, which can help you to shoot creative pictures such as starry sky, vehicle traces and running water.

f/2

1/15 sec

1/30 sec

1 Stop

1/60 sec

1 Stop

1/125 sec

1/250 sec

f/5.6

Therefore, when lowering the shutter by one stop and increasing the aperture by one stop, or vice versa, the same exposure can be achieved.

Advantages of a Larger Aperture

Upper and Lower Limits of Shutter Speed For an ordinary camera, the fastest shutter speed can reach 1/4,000s or 1/8,000s. That can be used for freezing the movement of water dripping or a train moving. But the fastest speed is limited. The slow shutter speed can be set at 5s or 30s. The shutter can even be set open all the time by using shutter B or T. This is very suitable for shooting cars driving at night, the blooming trajectory of fireworks or running water.

Pithy Formula The faster the shutter speed is, the darker the picture, but the picture is clear. It can freeze the motion of the subject. The slower the shutter speed is, the brighter the picture, but the picture is easily blurred, especially because of movement of the subject.

Faster

1/500 sec 1/1000 sec 1/2000 sec 1/4000 sec 1/8000 sec

Stops

f/4

Photographer: Jean Gerber on Unsplash

Shtter speed

Slower

f/2.8

Some people compare the relationship between the shutter and the aperture to a process of “draining water from a faucet”. When turning the faucet down (a smaller aperture), the time of filling a cup will be longer (the shutter opening time will be longer). When turning the faucet up (a larger aperture), a cup will soon be filled with water (the shutter opening time will be shorter).

Therefore, the aperture is in inverse proportion to the shutter opening time. The larger the aperture is, the shorter the shutter speed.

2 Stop

The difference of light amount between every two numbers in the above figure is one stop (also called one degree). For example, if the original shutter speed is 1/250s, increasing one stop refers to adjusting to 1/500s.

f/8

f/11

f/16

f/22

(1) The background is blurred and the subject is prominent; (2) The sense of layering for the picture is prominent; (3) A clear picture can be shot with a high shutter speed even at a low lighting level.

Pithy Formula

The size of aperture determines the amount of lighting entering the lens within a certain time. Just like the shutter, the amount of lighting entering the lens can affect the brightness of the picture. The larger the aperture is, the brighter the picture. The smaller the aperture is, the darker the picture. Therefore, “photography is the art of lights”. Lights can be adjusted by shutter, aperture or ISO to be introduced next.

When the shutter speed is unchanged: Once the aperture becomes larger, the lighting amount is larger, the picture is brighter, and the blurring effect of the picture is better; Once the aperture becomes smaller, the lighting amount is smaller, the picture is darker, and the blurring effect of the picture is poorer.

Expression of Numerical Value When they first get into the aperture, photographers might be confused by the expression of aperture number and its size: “Why is the smaller the number, the larger the aperture, like f2 is larger than f2.8?”

The reason is that the expression of aperture above is not strictly correct. Every aperture should be expressed by “f/#”, such as f/2, f/2.8, etc. “f/#” is a ratio and is related to the focal length of the lens. “#” is in the denominator, the smaller the denominator, the larger the fraction, that is, f/2>f/4>f/8.

f/3.6; ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/125s

Aperture Selection

Photographer: Jakub Novacek from Pexels

004

The larger aperture is not necessarily the better. A suitable aperture should be selected according to the shooting purpose. With an unchanged focal length and shooting distance, the larger the aperture is, the shutter speed can be faster, and the ISO can be lower. However the background blurring will be more serious.

f/10; ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/15s Photographer: Wu Ming

005

1.2 Aperture and the Size of Aperture

Display of Numerical Value The display of a shutter speed on the camera varies among cameras of different brands. Some shutter speeds can be expressed as 30", 15", 8", 4", 2", 1", 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000.

The Relationship between Shutter and Aperture

Definition The aperture is actually a device controlling the amount of lighting entering the lens. It is generally arranged in the internal part of the lens. For a manufactured lens, its diameter cannot be changed at will, the amount of lighting entering the lens can be controlled by installing an additional device in the lens. This device is referred to as aperture.

Here, 30" refers to 30s, while 30 refers to 1/30s. In some cameras, the speed is displayed directly as the fraction of “1/xx”.

Safe Shutter Speed Every photographer wishes to shoot a high-quality and clear picture. As being mentioned in the previous text, to avoid a blurred picture, you can increase the shutter speed. However, if the shutter speed is too fast, underexposure will occur. Therefore, photographers have devised a formula of “safe shutter speed” based on their experience over several decades: 1/focal length of lens= Safe shutter speed for hand-held shooting

The safe shutter speed refers to the minimum shutter speed to make sure the picture will not be blurred during the shooting.

For example, when you select a 30mm wide-angle lens, you will need the minimum shutter speed of 1/30s to guarantee the clarity of the picture. If you use a 20mm telephoto lens, you will need the minimum shutter speed of 1/200s. Generally, for a shutter speed less than 1/60s, it is recommended to use a tripod, which can help you to shoot creative pictures such as starry sky, vehicle traces and running water.

f/2

1/15 sec

1/30 sec

1 Stop

1/60 sec

1 Stop

1/125 sec

1/250 sec

f/5.6

Therefore, when lowering the shutter by one stop and increasing the aperture by one stop, or vice versa, the same exposure can be achieved.

Advantages of a Larger Aperture

Upper and Lower Limits of Shutter Speed For an ordinary camera, the fastest shutter speed can reach 1/4,000s or 1/8,000s. That can be used for freezing the movement of water dripping or a train moving. But the fastest speed is limited. The slow shutter speed can be set at 5s or 30s. The shutter can even be set open all the time by using shutter B or T. This is very suitable for shooting cars driving at night, the blooming trajectory of fireworks or running water.

Pithy Formula The faster the shutter speed is, the darker the picture, but the picture is clear. It can freeze the motion of the subject. The slower the shutter speed is, the brighter the picture, but the picture is easily blurred, especially because of movement of the subject.

Faster

1/500 sec 1/1000 sec 1/2000 sec 1/4000 sec 1/8000 sec

Stops

f/4

Photographer: Jean Gerber on Unsplash

Shtter speed

Slower

f/2.8

Some people compare the relationship between the shutter and the aperture to a process of “draining water from a faucet”. When turning the faucet down (a smaller aperture), the time of filling a cup will be longer (the shutter opening time will be longer). When turning the faucet up (a larger aperture), a cup will soon be filled with water (the shutter opening time will be shorter).

Therefore, the aperture is in inverse proportion to the shutter opening time. The larger the aperture is, the shorter the shutter speed.

2 Stop

The difference of light amount between every two numbers in the above figure is one stop (also called one degree). For example, if the original shutter speed is 1/250s, increasing one stop refers to adjusting to 1/500s.

f/8

f/11

f/16

f/22

(1) The background is blurred and the subject is prominent; (2) The sense of layering for the picture is prominent; (3) A clear picture can be shot with a high shutter speed even at a low lighting level.

Pithy Formula

The size of aperture determines the amount of lighting entering the lens within a certain time. Just like the shutter, the amount of lighting entering the lens can affect the brightness of the picture. The larger the aperture is, the brighter the picture. The smaller the aperture is, the darker the picture. Therefore, “photography is the art of lights”. Lights can be adjusted by shutter, aperture or ISO to be introduced next.

When the shutter speed is unchanged: Once the aperture becomes larger, the lighting amount is larger, the picture is brighter, and the blurring effect of the picture is better; Once the aperture becomes smaller, the lighting amount is smaller, the picture is darker, and the blurring effect of the picture is poorer.

Expression of Numerical Value When they first get into the aperture, photographers might be confused by the expression of aperture number and its size: “Why is the smaller the number, the larger the aperture, like f2 is larger than f2.8?”

The reason is that the expression of aperture above is not strictly correct. Every aperture should be expressed by “f/#”, such as f/2, f/2.8, etc. “f/#” is a ratio and is related to the focal length of the lens. “#” is in the denominator, the smaller the denominator, the larger the fraction, that is, f/2>f/4>f/8.

f/3.6; ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/125s

Aperture Selection

Photographer: Jakub Novacek from Pexels

004

The larger aperture is not necessarily the better. A suitable aperture should be selected according to the shooting purpose. With an unchanged focal length and shooting distance, the larger the aperture is, the shutter speed can be faster, and the ISO can be lower. However the background blurring will be more serious.

f/10; ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/15s Photographer: Wu Ming

005

1.3 ISO Speed ISO refers to the light sensitivity of a camera. Popularly speaking, it is the speed of sensitivity of a negative film to the lighting. The units of measurement are ISO100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, etc. The initial ISO speed is generally 100. At 200, it will be one stop brighter. At 400, it will be two stops and so on.

When the ISO speed is higher, it means the sensitivity to light is higher, which is good for shooting in the conditions of insufficient lighting. When there is insufficient lighting for shooting indoors or in a dark environment where using flash is not allowed, turning up the ISO speed is a good compromise. Therefore, the higher the ISO (light sensitivity), the brighter the picture is.

However, with the increasing of the ISO speed, the noise will be more. Therefore the picture quality will become poorer. So use low ISO (light sensitivity) as far as possible to get a cleaner and sharper image.

A higher ISO speed affects the picture quality. It also can lower the sharpness of the image as well as the contract between the bright area and the shadow area, which makes the picture appear to be covered with a layer of gauze.

Pithy Formula The and The and

ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/180s; f/2.2

ISO 400; Shutter speed 1/250s; f/2.2

ISO 800; Shutter speed 1/500s; f/2.2

ISO 1600; Shutter speed 1/1000s; f/2.2

ISO 3200; Shutter speed 1/2000s; f/2.2

ISO 6400; Shutter speed 1/4000s; f/2.2

larger the ISO number is, the brighter the picture is, the lower the image quality is; smaller the ISO number is, the darker the picture is, the higher the image quality is.

Photographer: Wu Ming

1.4 Depth of Field

ISO 200

006

ISO 6400

Photographer: Wu Ming

The reasonable control of the depth of field is an extremely important skill. In short, the depth of field refers a section of the clear range surrounding the focusing point. During the shooting of a portrait and still life, photographers usually select a smaller depth of field to achieve the effect of projecting the subject and blurring the background. However, a larger depth of field is usually used in the scenery photography, in which the distant scene and the foreground are clear and visible.

It is also used in indoor photography, so that both the products and environment can be clearly present.

Within the depth of field, the image definition is also different. It is highest at the focal point, gradually reducing with the distance from the focal point.

When discussing the depth of field, we generally use “large (deep) and small (shallow)� to describe it.

007

1.3 ISO Speed ISO refers to the light sensitivity of a camera. Popularly speaking, it is the speed of sensitivity of a negative film to the lighting. The units of measurement are ISO100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, etc. The initial ISO speed is generally 100. At 200, it will be one stop brighter. At 400, it will be two stops and so on.

When the ISO speed is higher, it means the sensitivity to light is higher, which is good for shooting in the conditions of insufficient lighting. When there is insufficient lighting for shooting indoors or in a dark environment where using flash is not allowed, turning up the ISO speed is a good compromise. Therefore, the higher the ISO (light sensitivity), the brighter the picture is.

However, with the increasing of the ISO speed, the noise will be more. Therefore the picture quality will become poorer. So use low ISO (light sensitivity) as far as possible to get a cleaner and sharper image.

A higher ISO speed affects the picture quality. It also can lower the sharpness of the image as well as the contract between the bright area and the shadow area, which makes the picture appear to be covered with a layer of gauze.

Pithy Formula The and The and

ISO 200; Shutter speed 1/180s; f/2.2

ISO 400; Shutter speed 1/250s; f/2.2

ISO 800; Shutter speed 1/500s; f/2.2

ISO 1600; Shutter speed 1/1000s; f/2.2

ISO 3200; Shutter speed 1/2000s; f/2.2

ISO 6400; Shutter speed 1/4000s; f/2.2

larger the ISO number is, the brighter the picture is, the lower the image quality is; smaller the ISO number is, the darker the picture is, the higher the image quality is.

Photographer: Wu Ming

1.4 Depth of Field

ISO 200

006

ISO 6400

Photographer: Wu Ming

The reasonable control of the depth of field is an extremely important skill. In short, the depth of field refers a section of the clear range surrounding the focusing point. During the shooting of a portrait and still life, photographers usually select a smaller depth of field to achieve the effect of projecting the subject and blurring the background. However, a larger depth of field is usually used in the scenery photography, in which the distant scene and the foreground are clear and visible.

It is also used in indoor photography, so that both the products and environment can be clearly present.

Within the depth of field, the image definition is also different. It is highest at the focal point, gradually reducing with the distance from the focal point.

When discussing the depth of field, we generally use “large (deep) and small (shallow)� to describe it.

007

(3) Focal length of lens The shorter the focal length (a short focus), the larger the depth of field; The longer the focal length (a long focus), the smaller the depth of field; In actual shooting, the adjustment of the focal length is limited by many factors. The composition of the entire picture may also be affected by changing the angle of view or the view finding range. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of changing the focal length of the lens. f/2; Shutter speed 1/180s; ISO 200; Rear focus

Photographer: Gijs Coolen on Unsplash

1.5 Exposure How to Understand Exposure?

Exposure affects the “light ratio”, i.e. the contrast between the bright area and the shadow area of the picture.

The conditions determining exposure: aperture size, shutter speed and ISO speed.

Exposure Principles (1) Ensure that the subject has the brightness you desire; (2) There is no over-white or over-black area.

Functions of the Depth of Field

How to Obtain the Correct Exposure?

(1) Project the subject In order to project the subject, the method of combining the virtual and the real may be specially adopted to blur the background and make the picture cleaner and brighter.

A correct exposure needs to be based on the metering results. Metering is a process to help the camera determine the light brightness in the metering area and realize the correct exposure.

A correct exposure result can be obtained by selecting a suitable metering method. There are mainly the following three common metering modes: (1) Matrix metering is one of the most commonly used modes. The picture is divided into multiple zones to carry out the independent metering on each area. It is suitable for scene shooting.

f/2; Shutter speed 1/180s; ISO 200; Front focus Photographer: Wu Ming

(2) Spot metering refers to carrying out precise and flexible metering on the dotted area in some place of the picture. It requires you to select the metering point on your own. It is very suitable for still life photography. According to the light ratio, the middle tone area (i.e. a slightly dark place in the bright area or a slightly bright place in the shadow area) is selected to retain the details in each part as far as possible.

Three Factors Affecting the Depth of Field (1) Aperture size The smaller the aperture, the larger (deeper) the depth of field.

The larger the aperture, the smaller (shallower) the depth of field.

Larger aperture

Exposure Modes

Smaller depth of field

Photographer: Gijs Coolen on Unsplash “The permissible circle of confusion” during sharp focusing

Smaller aperture

Larger depth of field

The circle of confusion means that the imaging light beams cannot be gathered into one point due to the aberration when an object point forms an image. They form a dispersive circular projection in the image plane.

In the front and rear areas to the circle of confusion, the light beams start gathering and dispersing, and the point images become blurry, which forms an extensive circle.

008

(3) Center-weighted metering is a multi-area independent metering method similar to matrix metering. But the proportion of the central area is greater than the surrounding area. It is suitable for central photographic composition.

“The permissible circle of confusion” during sharp focusing

(2) Shooting distance The farther the distance, the larger (deeper) the depth of field; The closer the distance, the smaller (shallower) the depth of field.

The two pictures on the right page are both shot with the aperture of f/5.3. However, the background of the second picture is not so seriously blurred as the first one. This is because when the photographer shot Picture 2, he slightly pulled the lens back. So the focusing point is farther away than in Picture 1.

Aperture priority (AV): The aperture size of the lens is manually selected by the photographer while the shutter speed is automatically determined by the camera. In this mode, the photographer can control the depth of field by changing the aperture size.

Artman Design (2) Presenting the vertical feeling of the picture By controlling the depth of the field, three scenes in the picture are distinguished: front, middle and rear while the layers are interspersed. The complete picture can be modified from being clear to being gradually blurred then to be completely blurred. This gives the entire space have a more vertical feeling and a sense of depth.

Shutter priority (TV): The shutter speed is selected by the photographer while the aperture value is automatically determined by the camera. This mode is mainly used in the scenes where there are definite requirements for the shutter speed. For example, when shooting motion pictures such as physical exercises, flying objects, and water drops.

009

(3) Focal length of lens The shorter the focal length (a short focus), the larger the depth of field; The longer the focal length (a long focus), the smaller the depth of field; In actual shooting, the adjustment of the focal length is limited by many factors. The composition of the entire picture may also be affected by changing the angle of view or the view finding range. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of changing the focal length of the lens. f/2; Shutter speed 1/180s; ISO 200; Rear focus

Photographer: Gijs Coolen on Unsplash

1.5 Exposure How to Understand Exposure?

Exposure affects the “light ratio”, i.e. the contrast between the bright area and the shadow area of the picture.

The conditions determining exposure: aperture size, shutter speed and ISO speed.

Exposure Principles (1) Ensure that the subject has the brightness you desire; (2) There is no over-white or over-black area.

Functions of the Depth of Field

How to Obtain the Correct Exposure?

(1) Project the subject In order to project the subject, the method of combining the virtual and the real may be specially adopted to blur the background and make the picture cleaner and brighter.

A correct exposure needs to be based on the metering results. Metering is a process to help the camera determine the light brightness in the metering area and realize the correct exposure.

A correct exposure result can be obtained by selecting a suitable metering method. There are mainly the following three common metering modes: (1) Matrix metering is one of the most commonly used modes. The picture is divided into multiple zones to carry out the independent metering on each area. It is suitable for scene shooting.

f/2; Shutter speed 1/180s; ISO 200; Front focus Photographer: Wu Ming

(2) Spot metering refers to carrying out precise and flexible metering on the dotted area in some place of the picture. It requires you to select the metering point on your own. It is very suitable for still life photography. According to the light ratio, the middle tone area (i.e. a slightly dark place in the bright area or a slightly bright place in the shadow area) is selected to retain the details in each part as far as possible.

Three Factors Affecting the Depth of Field (1) Aperture size The smaller the aperture, the larger (deeper) the depth of field.

The larger the aperture, the smaller (shallower) the depth of field.

Larger aperture

Exposure Modes

Smaller depth of field

Photographer: Gijs Coolen on Unsplash “The permissible circle of confusion” during sharp focusing

Smaller aperture

Larger depth of field

The circle of confusion means that the imaging light beams cannot be gathered into one point due to the aberration when an object point forms an image. They form a dispersive circular projection in the image plane.

In the front and rear areas to the circle of confusion, the light beams start gathering and dispersing, and the point images become blurry, which forms an extensive circle.

008

(3) Center-weighted metering is a multi-area independent metering method similar to matrix metering. But the proportion of the central area is greater than the surrounding area. It is suitable for central photographic composition.

“The permissible circle of confusion” during sharp focusing

(2) Shooting distance The farther the distance, the larger (deeper) the depth of field; The closer the distance, the smaller (shallower) the depth of field.

The two pictures on the right page are both shot with the aperture of f/5.3. However, the background of the second picture is not so seriously blurred as the first one. This is because when the photographer shot Picture 2, he slightly pulled the lens back. So the focusing point is farther away than in Picture 1.

Aperture priority (AV): The aperture size of the lens is manually selected by the photographer while the shutter speed is automatically determined by the camera. In this mode, the photographer can control the depth of field by changing the aperture size.

Artman Design (2) Presenting the vertical feeling of the picture By controlling the depth of the field, three scenes in the picture are distinguished: front, middle and rear while the layers are interspersed. The complete picture can be modified from being clear to being gradually blurred then to be completely blurred. This gives the entire space have a more vertical feeling and a sense of depth.

Shutter priority (TV): The shutter speed is selected by the photographer while the aperture value is automatically determined by the camera. This mode is mainly used in the scenes where there are definite requirements for the shutter speed. For example, when shooting motion pictures such as physical exercises, flying objects, and water drops.

009

MEAT 098

099

MEAT 098

099

Chen Lizhi

The flavour Set Designer: Chen Lizhi Location: Longkou, Yantai, Shandong province, China Photographer: Chen Lizhi

102

I grew up by the seaside, so sea food is never something that attractive for me. The flavour I mention here is not the flavour of fish, not the flavour of sea food, it’s the flavour of home, the feeling of home. After I had my own job, each time I returned home, my old parents would certainly cook a big meal for me. I remember I was sometimes very picky about the meal in my youth,but nowadays I just feel so comfortable and warmed every time I get back.

103

Chen Lizhi

The flavour Set Designer: Chen Lizhi Location: Longkou, Yantai, Shandong province, China Photographer: Chen Lizhi

102

I grew up by the seaside, so sea food is never something that attractive for me. The flavour I mention here is not the flavour of fish, not the flavour of sea food, it’s the flavour of home, the feeling of home. After I had my own job, each time I returned home, my old parents would certainly cook a big meal for me. I remember I was sometimes very picky about the meal in my youth,but nowadays I just feel so comfortable and warmed every time I get back.

103

106

107

106

107

Kenyon Manchego

1.Please share the photography tips about this work/this set of works with us.

3.When you were shooting this work, did you encounter any difficulties and how did you solve it?

For this project I tried to show vegetables in their true nature without any artefacts, but as a still life photographer, my main job is to give object lives, so I wonder how could I do that with these vegetables. I just made them to be in levitation, very simple but it gives them strength and beauty.

First difficulties found are the fact of finding the nice concept and idea, I'm always looking for nice optical illusions, graphic compositions, graphic colors. Once it's done the most simple thing have to be made — the picture.

2.How did you master the light source while shooting, and how to deal with the relationship between light and shadow?

My main work is to have strong shadows but keeping softness in the global picture. It's hard to find the right balance between strength and softness. But when we have it, it's a real pleasure to the eyes.

Designer: Kenyon Manchego Location: Paris, France Photography: Kenyon Manchego

108

Technique is something everyone can have but translate our personal universe in a picture, to put feelings in picture of vegetables or a bottle... this is not technique skills.

I always draw sketches when I have ideas, that way I already know how and where I want my shadows, colors are already decided before I shoot.

Kenyon Manchego is a self-taught still life photographer based in Paris, specialized in luxurious still life.

He used to work as Art Director, now he mixes these two skills to give life to the objects.

109

Kenyon Manchego

1.Please share the photography tips about this work/this set of works with us.

3.When you were shooting this work, did you encounter any difficulties and how did you solve it?

For this project I tried to show vegetables in their true nature without any artefacts, but as a still life photographer, my main job is to give object lives, so I wonder how could I do that with these vegetables. I just made them to be in levitation, very simple but it gives them strength and beauty.

First difficulties found are the fact of finding the nice concept and idea, I'm always looking for nice optical illusions, graphic compositions, graphic colors. Once it's done the most simple thing have to be made — the picture.

2.How did you master the light source while shooting, and how to deal with the relationship between light and shadow?

My main work is to have strong shadows but keeping softness in the global picture. It's hard to find the right balance between strength and softness. But when we have it, it's a real pleasure to the eyes.

Designer: Kenyon Manchego Location: Paris, France Photography: Kenyon Manchego

108

Technique is something everyone can have but translate our personal universe in a picture, to put feelings in picture of vegetables or a bottle... this is not technique skills.

I always draw sketches when I have ideas, that way I already know how and where I want my shadows, colors are already decided before I shoot.

Kenyon Manchego is a self-taught still life photographer based in Paris, specialized in luxurious still life.

He used to work as Art Director, now he mixes these two skills to give life to the objects.

109

Hargreaves + Levin

Food maps Designer: Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin Typeography: Sarit Melmed

110

These food maps created by Caitlin Levin and Henry Hargreaves originally were inspired by a passion for travel. Exploring new places through the food you eat is often a portal to the cultural complexities of that place.

In this series we have taken many of the iconic foods of countries and continents and turned them into physical maps. While we know that tomatoes originally came from the Andes in South America, Italy has

become the tomato king. These maps show how food has traveled the globe — transforming and becoming a part of the cultural identity of that place. Who doesn't know the saying "throw some shrimp on the barbie" and not think of Australia? Who goes to France without eating bread and cheese? And who makes a Brazilian caipirinha without a fistful of limes?

These maps are a playful representation of our interpretation of food from around the world, painstakingly created with real unadulterated food. This project speaks to the universality of how food unites people, brings us together and starts conversation, just as we hope these beautiful maps will do too.

111

Hargreaves + Levin

Food maps Designer: Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin Typeography: Sarit Melmed

110

These food maps created by Caitlin Levin and Henry Hargreaves originally were inspired by a passion for travel. Exploring new places through the food you eat is often a portal to the cultural complexities of that place.

In this series we have taken many of the iconic foods of countries and continents and turned them into physical maps. While we know that tomatoes originally came from the Andes in South America, Italy has

become the tomato king. These maps show how food has traveled the globe — transforming and becoming a part of the cultural identity of that place. Who doesn't know the saying "throw some shrimp on the barbie" and not think of Australia? Who goes to France without eating bread and cheese? And who makes a Brazilian caipirinha without a fistful of limes?

These maps are a playful representation of our interpretation of food from around the world, painstakingly created with real unadulterated food. This project speaks to the universality of how food unites people, brings us together and starts conversation, just as we hope these beautiful maps will do too.

111

236

237

236

237

Kaleidoscope Set Designer: Cheuk Lun, LO Production House: STUFF STUDIO Location: Shanghai, China Client: NUMERO, China Photographer: Cheuk Lun, LO

This is an editorial project we worked with one of leading fashion magazine in Shanghai, China — NUMERO . LO were inspired by the theme of 70s illusory about color & light, he came out a brilliant idea to capture an extraordinary image like what you saw through a kaleidoscope.

Under LO’s professional skills of still life photography with high standard on accuracy and precision, these images were captured in one without heavy computer composition at post-production stage.

238

239

Kaleidoscope Set Designer: Cheuk Lun, LO Production House: STUFF STUDIO Location: Shanghai, China Client: NUMERO, China Photographer: Cheuk Lun, LO

This is an editorial project we worked with one of leading fashion magazine in Shanghai, China — NUMERO . LO were inspired by the theme of 70s illusory about color & light, he came out a brilliant idea to capture an extraordinary image like what you saw through a kaleidoscope.

Under LO’s professional skills of still life photography with high standard on accuracy and precision, these images were captured in one without heavy computer composition at post-production stage.

238

239

Bernd Westphal

LOVE HURTS Art Design: Hanna Tembrink Styling: Jennifer Hahn Postproduktion: PX2 Hamburg

240

Jewelry photos for the GZ magazine.

The Topic had been wisdoms about Love. e.g. love hurts, love is a drug‌

241

Bernd Westphal

LOVE HURTS Art Design: Hanna Tembrink Styling: Jennifer Hahn Postproduktion: PX2 Hamburg

240

Jewelry photos for the GZ magazine.

The Topic had been wisdoms about Love. e.g. love hurts, love is a drug‌

241

Acknowledgements We would like to thank all the designers and companies who made significant contributions to the compilation of this book. Without them, this project would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank many others whose names did not appear on the credits, but made specific input and support for the project from beginning to end.

Future Editions If you would like to contribute to the next edition of Artpower, please email us your details to: artpower@artpower.com.cn