Happy February, friends! Wow. Can I just say, for all the moaning I have heard about this theme and how so many of you feel its outside of your realm, you really would never know. Holy cow. You. Guys. Are. Killing. It. I love all of the beauty and all the stories you guys are finding in inanimate objects. I find it so inspiring to see how you translate still life and flatlay images into stories and how it offers a unique view into your lives.
Here are just a few of the images I found so inspiring so far this month. I look forward to seeing what else you all come up with! Happy shooting!
xoxo,
Gear: Nikon D810, sigma art35
Settings: ISO 320, f/1.4, I/640 s
The Shot: I was doing some pictures with my daughter for black history month and thought I would just quickly do like a flat lay set (if you can even call it that) with the books we love to read.
Post Processing: Edited in LR, adjusted WB, upped shadows, added a radial filter. Increased contrast and added some vignette.
Gear: Nikon d750 + Lensbaby velvet 56
Settings: 1/200, ISO 640, f4
The Shot: I saw this light pattern on my counter and my sons apple from the night before was sitting there- i originally tried this from a different angle and the light was more the subject but when I saw it from above and noticed the shadow I just moved the apple a bit to have the full shadow there
Post Processing: Lightroom mobile, just basic white balance edits - it was sunrise so actually golden light but I cooled it off
Gear: Canon 5D Mark IV Lensbaby Sol45
Settings: ISO 640 1/320
The Shot: I shot this using my daughters rug, a book and tulips.
Post Processing: I used SMAL01 preset, adjusted WB, increased vibrance, removed grain, cropped.
Gear: Canon R, 85MM 1.8
Settings: ISO 100, 1/400, f/2.8
The Shot: Had a session downtown and all the buildings are so pretty so I snapped while I walked and waited. This is a view of a building from the second floor of the parking garage. Loved the symmetry and the ornate details.
Post Processing: Edited in lightroom Cropped the angle and perspective so it would be squared. Added my own preset that added warmth and tint, upped clarity and vibrance, messed with the tone sliders a bit too
Gear: Canon 77D + 50mm 1.8
Settings: ISO 200 F1.8 1/160
The Shot: I set up this shot on some dark wood creates, rested two forks on each other. Window light to the left
Post Processing: I darkened the shadows and increased the glow on the light
Gear: Nikon z6ii, 35mm 1.8
Settings: ISO 1250, f1.8, 1/60
The Shot: I was having a rough morning feeling overwhelmed with all the things on my plate, and felt like I was just barely hanging on. In that moment, I looked up and saw this lone piece of toilet paper, and thought to myself “you understand me!” So I tidied up the floor, straightened the rug, and grabbed my camera!
Post Processing: Edited in LR with SMAL01. Removed matte, grain, and straightened the image a bit with the transform tool.
Gear: Nikon d750, 35m
Settings: ISO 1000, f/4.0,1/250 sec
The Shot: My Mom was an artist and passed away a couple of years ago and I have kept her pastels and her unfinished work. Thought it would be a nice tribute to her to photograph some for this lesson.
Post Processing: Just upped the exposure and played with the tone curve. Brightened some of the drawing.
Gear: Canon Rebel T6, 24mm
Settings: ISO 400, 1/25, 3.5
The Shot: early evening, kitchen table, light from shaded patio slider
Post Processing: Edited in lightroom by increasing exposure slightly, increasing contrast and vibrance, clarity and texture. Also add slight vignette
Gear: Canon EOS 100d 50mm lens
Settings: Freelensed, ISO 100, 1/250
The Shot: I positioned a vase of flowers on a table a little way away from some trees. Freelensed putting the focus on the little pink flower.
Post Processing: I warmed it up and did some hue adjustments to the yellows to make the leaves a more sage colour. I added light pink overlay to add to the softness.
Shannon Scott
Gear: Oly EM-1, 12-40 pro lens
Settings: ISO 640, 1/125, f4.5
The Shot: Painting during rest time. I love taking flatlays when I watercolor. Something about seeing the colors repetitively repeated through the painting, the pallet, my swatch scrap, the rinse waters, and usually the book I’m working with. Stood on a chair here.
Post Processing: Edited in LR. Applied personal portrait preset, reduced exposure, cooled temp, upped clarity to help with softness (I’m working on manual focus, but still miss often)
Gear: Nikon D500 28mm lens
Settings: ISO 640, f5.0, 1/250sec
The Shot: Tis the season for BBQ!!! I think my husband nailed down the perfect brisket rub with these 4 ingredients.... so yummy
I opened up my garage and placed my replica surface on the floor when the door opens. It gets really nice filtered light there.
Post Processing: I start in LR by increasing contrast, decreasing highlights, increasing clarity. Then i moved into PS for a little more contrast and some dodging and burning on the spices
Gear: Canon 6d ii w/ a sigma 24-70 2.8
Settings: f 4.5 ss 1/80 ISO 1250 at 24mm
The Shot: After a day out in the snow we lay our snow gear in certain places downstairs to dry out... I move some of it strategically to this hallway where I was digging the soft light to help tell the story of the usual wet winter gear peel off that is left behind after a day in the snow.
Post Processing: Adjusted temp, brought down highlights, brought shadows up, pulled whites and blacks up, added clarity and vibrancy.
Gear: Canon 5div & 35mm Sigma art lens
Settings: 1/125 f3.2 ISO 3200
The Shot: I wanted to use this theme for find ways to portray my children without them in the frame. I went up to put the laundry away and came across this scene, just as it was (okay I admit I moved the horse!) and had to get my camera. I think if it hadn't been for this theme, I wouldn't necessarily have seen the story here, so thank you.
Post Processing: In LR, I increased contrast and added blacks and shadows. I also fixed the verticals with the magical 'Auto' in the transform panel.
Gear: sony a7iii/ 35mm
Settings: iso 500, f 1.2, 1/800
The Shot: I noticed this beautiful light at sunset coming through the door, so I moved my flower vase that was on another table and placed my mug I was drinking tea from next to the vase quickly before the light disappeared.
Post Processing: Lightroom, I used Tricia victoria preset as a base on this image
Gear: Nikon D750, old ass Nikon 50mm 2.0
Settings: ISO 100, f/4.5, SS 1/320
The Shot: I actually styled this a couple of different ways but felt a more minimal aesthetic worked best with the light. The idea was to tell a story of my morning routine
Post Processing: Well, since I lost my mind and somehow switched my camera to shoot in jpeg, I basically just adjusted the white balance and added contrast.
Nikola Viens
Gear: Canon Rebel T6
Settings: 1/4 sec F/4.5 ISO 500
The Shot: I am terrible with this week's theme. But I call this one "Actual Contents of my Purse: Mom of Toddlers." I wanted to try the amazing flat lays I have been seeing on here but all I had was my purse and a 20 min nap window.
Post Processing: Edited in LR to increase contrast and decrease crumbs all over the coffee table
Gear: nikon Z6, Sigma 35
Settings: ISO64 , F1.8, SS1/1600
The Shot: I saw the morning light flooding in through the windows camera left and decided to step back into my daughters room and shoot through the doorway to add some layers and lines.
Post Processing: adjusted crop and edited with my typical preset, and added a bit of warmth and clarity.
Gear: Canon Rebel T3i with 50mm lens
Settings: Iso 6400, f 7.1, 1/320sec (not sure why I had here)
The Shot: Placed my stethoscope on the surgery table. Turned all the room lights out and used the surgery spot light and focused on the stethoscope from the right side to create the mirror on the table.
Post Processing: Used PSE to edit by dodging some of the lighter surrounding, used clone stamp to get rid of the center slit/opening in the table.
Gear: Shot on canon 450d at 28mm
Settings: 28mm f2.8 ISO 400, 1/250
The Shot: Threads on cardboard, I put down on bay window sill. I stood on the window sill and shot down.
Post Processing: Minor edits in lightroom, increased contrast and saturation.
Gear: Canon 5D mark IV, Canon 50mm 1.2
Settings: ISO 400, f3,5, 1/250
The Shot: Documented all the mixed emotions in my grandparents bedroom while sorting my late grandmas clothes. It is such a warm place for me and I just want to take it with me. Simple photo taken from the window behind me and I was paying attention to all the lines to be straight (as possible).
Post Processing: Archipelago ExFilm 1 in ACR , corrected crop, WB and basic settings.
Gear: Sony a7iii, 35mm 1.8 lens
Settings: 1/125 ISO 500, f5.6
The Shot: Scattered a box of my dad’s family photos onto a table next to the window and shot from above
Post Processing: Put into Lightroom to crop the edges