05 Feb focus52|2012 {week six} february 5 to 11

Welcome to week six! Before we jump into it, I want to say a few things about our previous week. Quite a few 52’rs were disappointed or confused with the prompt ‘cold’. Some were unsure how to go about completing their project for the week when they were having such warm temperatures.

One of the great things about having a weekly prompt is that it is just that … a prompt. Prompts, by their very definition serve to suggest, inspire, motivate. The word or idea given does not have to have such a literal meaning. On weeks where we have a simple word prompt, I encourage you to think outside of the box, stretch your imagination, be creative. Have some fun with it. It’s your project and yours alone, and there is no right or wrong way to do it.

And you know what? At the end of the week, you guys totally rocked the cold prompt! I saw some truly inspired work and a lot of gorgeous ice and snow. The whole week was great.

So stop stressing :)

Okay, onto week six!

Still life photography is an art unto itself. Much thought must be given to composition and lighting. But, YOU are in control of the entire scene and for that reason, it’s one of my favorite forms of photography. Total control … how often can you say you have that? heh.

A still life composition comes with it’s own challenges though. I’ve often spent well over an hour arranging and rearranging a composition, only to scrap it all and go right back to the way I had everything set out to begin with. It’s important to rearrange and adjust, try different perspectives, angles, depth of field. Not liking what you see? Move around your setup and come at it from a different point of view.

Any subject is fair game for a still life composition (even mundane makeup!). A few tips to keep in mind:

• Look for pleasing arrangements of objects that look like they belong with each other.
• Choose a good background or surface that compliments your subject matter.
• Use the Rule of Thirds. Always.
• Keep it simple.
• Experiment with your lighting.

Don’t worry about creating the next masterpiece and spend endless time searching out the perfect subject for your focus. The most ordinary, every day object can be a thing of beauty if you take the time to compose your photograph properly.

Whatever you choose to do this week, follow the prompt or no, come back here and link up your work when you’re done (weeks run Sunday to Saturday, don’t forget!). Links must be to the direct URL of your actual work, not just to the site it’s posted in, and may be a link to your blog post or to your flickr photo. Also, please don’t link and run – try to find some time to visit at least a few of your fellow 52’ers. That’s half the fun! And don’t forget the flickr pool!

Remember, you do not need to use the prompt in order to come back here and share.

Have fun and have a wonderful week :)