Thinking outside the box was never truer, if we think of a camera as a box.

Still life photography makes us appreciate the lines and intrinsic beauty of objects, through our skill with lighting and arrangement. Conceptual still life takes us to the next level, where we see beyond ordinary objects and massage an idea or deeper meaning into our photographs. Objects are no longer appreciated for what they literally stand for; in conceptual still life, one plus one equals five. Or minus three. This is the kind of photography that produces deeper satisfaction, and the reason for which you bought a camera.

Who should attend

• Amateur and professional product photographers who want to exercise their creative muscles.
• Art directors and commercial artists with knowledge of photography whose work involves creative conceptualization.
• Photographers in other fields, such as advertising, fashion, wedding, and nature, who want to train themselves to think outside the box.
• Amateur photographers seeking to squeeze more out of their cameras.
• Photographers who want to wade into art photography.

What will be covered

• Proper lighting techniques for still life (small objects)
• Seeing beyond ordinary objects
• Solo “brainstorming” and refining ideas on paper and in your head
• Choosing and adding props
• Using widgets and workarounds such as cardboard, adhesive clay, string, etc.

Prerequisites

• Interchangeable or non-interchangeable lens camera with manual exposure control, preferably but not necessarily with PC socket (external flash); lens capable of shooting small tabletop objects.
• Should have attended the PCCI Basic Photography workshop, or have equivalent knowledge and experience.

Instuctor

Mark Floro's studies in photography in the United States trained him to “think before you shoot,” and prepared him for an illustrious career in advertising and food photography in the Philippines. Although he is often given a layout or concept to shoot, it is a challenge to translate an artist's idea to a photograph, and Mark finds himself adding his own interpretation to make this translation successful. [Mark's bio]