INDOOR LIGHTING CHOICES

The simplest form of lighting for taking indoor still-life shots is window light, and this needs to be soft, so either use a northfacing window or pick a cloudy day, when the light is diffused.

Recreating soft window light with a desk lamp or LED light is easy, too – and is often preferable, as you can do it at any time and angle the light to come from any direction. Just place a sheet of tracing paper (or white baking paper) over the light. This ‘trace frame’ softens the shadows cast by the light, emulating diffused daylight. Moving the trace frame further from the light increases the diffusion. Experiment with this, and with the position of the light, to get your shot.