Shoot a seasonal still-life

Seize the opportunity to grab some pumpkin shots before you start cutting…

Halloween provides plenty of interesting ingredients for still-life photography. You don’t need much in the way of camera kit – a standard zoom will do just fine, and a tripod can come in handy when you want to have your hands free to tweak the arrangement.

Use the larger rear display on your camera to check the composition, as it’s easy to miss some of the smaller details while you’re squinting into the viewfinder. Construct your still-life scene using simple shapes and lines that can be used to lead a viewer’s eye through the frame. Think in odd numbers, too, as it can be easier to balance the frame with an odd number of subjects. In the shot on the right, for example, there are five rounded objects. The lines formed by the decaying ferns in the background and by the wood in the foreground help to pull the eye towards the main subjects, too.

Pump’ up the volume Use a white balance setting that adds warmth to daylight scenes (such as Cloudy or Shade) to enhance the autumn hues.

Special effects Try smoke overlays and light painting techniques (which we’ve covered in recent instalments of Camera College) to enhance the mood.