PRO ADVICE TAKE YOUR TIME

This kind of still-life shot requires a meticulous setup, so don’t rush the process. Patience is a virtue with still-life shooting, so take all the time you need to arrange your subjects symmetrically, checking all the time against the image in the viewfinder or on the Live View screen.

To get the impression of a warm, rising sun from your desk lamp, try different White Balance presets until you get the effect you like – and don’t ignore the potential of a cool, rising moon if you prefer it! If your lamp has a tungsten bulb or a ‘warm white’ LED, the Daylight or Cloudy WB setting will give lots of warmth, but you don’t have to get it exact in-camera: provided you shoot in raw format, you can adjust the temperature afterwards.

Nail your exposure

As you are shooting straight into a light source, your camera will underexpose. To brighten things up, use Exposure Compensation, and dial in +1 to +2 stops, checking the rear screen for the best effect.