THREE TOP TIPS FOR A SIMPLE STILL-LIFE SETUP

All you need to cast a brilliant loveheart-shaped shadow on your favourite book is a ring and a basic hand torch, as well as your DSLR or mirrorless camera and a tripod. Here are some extra tips that will help you nail this still-life setup in no time at all!

USE LIVE VIEW TO CHECK YOUR FOCUS

1 Go into Live View and zoom in on the rear screen to see the ring in detail. Now go into Manual Focus mode, and set the focus by turning the focusing ring on your lens until the ring is pin-sharp.

WATCH OUT FOR BRIGHT HOTSPOTS

2 Try to avoid overexposed areas (‘hotspots’) in the frame. To get an evenly lit scene, experiment with the angle of the torch, its power, how close it is to your subject, and your exposure settings.

LIGHT UP YOUR SUBJECT

3 A simple hand torch is all that’s required to cast a loveheart shadow on your book. We used a MagLite, which has a feature enabling you to change the focus of the light for a more focused or wider spread of light.