Four Key Points to Keep in Mind When Photographing Still Life and/or Nature

When photographing still life and/or nature, there are several different elements that can make the photo intriguing.  In the moment, most people just point and shoot at something that catches their eye for whatever reason, be it a serving of food or a glowing sunset. However, knowing what makes these types of shots intriguing; what to look for when aiming to take still life/nature photos, can make all the difference in your work.  So, what should you keep in mind?

Texture! This applies especially when you are photographing landscapes like terrain or ocean, or materials like wood and rusty metal. You want something that will pop; both figuratively, as in grabbing your attention, and literally looking like it is 3-dimensional, coming at you in such a way that you can almost feel it by touching the photo. The more different textures, the better. This works for abstract photographic styles, too, since not being able to distinguish quite what the textures are makes pictures that much more fascinating. Plus, texture looks great in black and white photos!

Perfect Symmetry OR clear deliberate asymmetry. Either your focal point is flawlessly centered, drawing the eye in, or it is off-center following the rule of thirds (and evidently that way because you wanted it to be; not looking like an error in judgement). The rule of thirds doesn’t mean that the whole object/landscape must fit the photo, or that it must be exactly at the 1/3^rd or 2/3^rd line, but it require the composition be considered when making (or later cropping) the shot.

If you must be that person that tweets all their meals, at least consider the composition. #StopBeingADouche 

Perspective. Your point-of-view matters more than you know. Catching something at an odd or uncommon angle makes the photo that much more visually attractive to the viewer. Think “From what angle have I never seen this?” or “Which angle could possibly make this object unrecognizable?”. There’s definitely a fun element in these types of projects, and it’s great if you are in a creative rut- doing something that hasn’t already been done to death may just be what you need to get your creative juices flowing!

Note how the worm's-eye-view angle makes this photo more unique.

This is a monument honoring the fallen of the second World War in Sarajevo.
This angle is great at demonstrating the graffiti on the side, to show irony.

Shadows. Playing around with light and shadows is a great way to create the illusion of depth, which brings another element to the story your photograph is telling. Shadows have the ability to distort and misshape, or to enhance and emphasize the features of your focal object in such a way that it can look like anything; from far away to close, tiny to large, life-like to 2-dimensional. If you don't know where to start: outdoor statues or monuments make great subjects for experimenting with shadows.