Digital SLR Photography

SpookyStill-lifeCreatea sCary silhouette setpieCe,justintime for halloween! still-life guru DinaBelenkoshares her expertiseto helpyou exeCuteyour ownversion ofthis ghostlytaBletopiDea...``````Camera:nikon D800/ Lens:nikkoraf-s 105mmf/2.8gvr miCro/ fLash:nikon sB-910, strip softBoxPH TOSKIL LSUSing Smoke in still-life photographyis a wonderful and easy way to createa mysterious and enigmaticatmosphere. Smoke is a malleable andinteresting objectfor shooting itself; it can becryptic, mystical and a bit creepy, so it’sperfectfor Halloween! it looks even better incombination with some storytelling elementslike, say, paper figuresof zombies, ghosts andwitches too. So let’s use it to create our ownstill-life All Hallows’eve story.``````the listof required props is pretty concise:a transparent glass jar, paper silhouettesofevil spirits, bats, castles or spiders, a coupleofadditional still-life items like autumn leavesor pumpkins to fill the surroundings, andincense sticks to create smoke. Cut yourpaper shapes from thick paper with a craftknife and fine scissors, or buy pre-cut figuresin your local scrapbooking or craft store.you can even use small toy figures if they fitinside the jars (and fit in with the theme).``````Using incense sticks to create the smokeis much cheaper than afog machine, moreaccessible than dry ice and safer than an openflame.you just need to be careful with ashesand shoot in a well-ventilated space.finally, you will need a light source, such asa flash or nearby window, your camera alongwith a lens suitablefor still-life photography,a reflector and (optionally, but ratherconveniently) a tripod. Are you allready to go?let’s shoot our spooky still-life!