A work of art that depicts inanimate objects, such as fruit, flowers, or dead game. Still life art can be a celebration of material pleasures, or a reminder of the brevity of human life. The term originated in the Middle Ages and Ancient Greco-Roman art, and became a distinct genre in the late 16th century.
I am mostly happy with the conservative definition offered by Google, and that describes what I am looking for when I search for still life examples. In practice, though, I take a looser approach beyond the traditional strictures, often looking to express a feeling of stillness. I have also often here presented pictures of found arrangements which I have identified as belonging to the genre.
Still, I try to stray not too far from the historical approach which implies a composition with a purposeful arrangement of objects. The plural is important, I think, as a delineator to establish a difference between still life and macros, close-ups and product shots. To represent an arrangement, it seems that at least two elements are required. Online photo sharing sites tend to feature offerings which mostly depict isolated items including flowers or other natural or manufactured objects.
Recently, while looking for sources of inspiration I came across a conversation about still life at Rangefinderforum.com which started sixteen years ago and has continued intermittently since then. The images and words of participants show that nearly all struggle to define the character of their efforts as well as to master the relevant photographic techniques.
Most of my own efforts to create still life compositions have found their way to my Still Life Album at Flickr.
