Still-life images have intrigued artists since the beginning of recorded time. From ancient Egypt, where they adorned the walls of tombs, to the Renaissance, which introduced the artistic genre into the cultural mainstream, the still life has been continually explored and refined—and this process continues today. For photographers in particular, the still life presents unique challenges, as technical lighting skills merge with composition and design to bring an image to exquisite life.
In this seminar, award-winning photographer and educator Kimberly Witham reviews the history of the still life, providing context and inspiration for our creative endeavors. From her studio, she discusses and demonstrates techniques for building a still-life photograph step-by-step, from conception and propping to lighting, all the way through to the final image.
Together we explore sources of inspiration—found objects, surface selection, and set building—while paying close attention to prop positioning and color theory. Because this seminar is taught using only natural light, we heighten our focus on lighting techniques to ensure that our images achieve their desired emotional impact.
Challenge yourself to reach a higher level of craft and a deeper understanding of your personal aesthetic as you immerse yourself in the venerable art of the still life.
This seminar will run 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (Mountain Time) on Saturday, October 19.
Zoom Video Conferencing software (available for no charge from Zoom.com) will be used to facilitate the class sessions. Further details will be emailed to registrants.
Santa Fe Workshops always aims to produce a high-quality experience for our online attendees. That said, variables including regional and local internet provider speeds, traffic on Zoom's servers, and your own computing hardware can contribute to a less than ideal streaming event. While we do our best to minimize the impact of these variables, they are outside the control of Santa Fe Workshops.
View Withdrawal and Transfer Policies for online programs.
For the convenience of participants, recordings of each class session are posted privately for one month after the end of each session. Santa Fe Workshops takes the recordings down after one month to protect the intellectual property of our instructors.
Kimberly Witham is a fine-art photographer and educator. Her work, which is heavily influenced by art history and the natural world, has been featured in Color Magazine, PHOTO+, BLOW Photo, BLINK, Foto, Orion, The New Republic, Wired (online), and on book covers in the U.S. and France. A 2016 National Geographic film, Making Roadkill into Art, chronicles Kimberly’s studio practice. In addition to being shown in solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad, her work is held in numerous private collections. She has received a fellowship at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, the Feature Shoot Emerging Photography Award, the Clarence John Laughlin Award, and the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award.
Website: kimberlywitham.com
Instagram: @kimberlywitham
