Spooky Still-Life

Create a scary silhouette set piece,just in time for halloween! Still-life guru dina belenko shares her expertiset o help you execute your own version of this ghostly tabletop idea…

Using Smoke in still-life photography is a wonderful and easy way to create a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere. Smoke is a malleable and interesting object for shooting itself; it can be cryptic, mystical and a bit creepy, so it’s perfect for Halloween! it looks even better in combination with some storytelling elements like, say, paper figures of zombies, ghosts and witches too. So let’s use it to create our own still-life All Hallows’ eve story.

The list of required props is pretty concise: a transparent glass jar, paper silhouettes of evil spirits, bats, castles or spiders, a couple of additional still-life items like autumn leaves or pumpkins to fill the surroundings, and incense sticks to create smoke. Cut your paper shapes from thick paper with a craft knife and fine scissors, or buy pre-cut figures in your local scrapbooking or craft store. you can even use small toy figures if they fit inside the jars (and fit in with the theme).

Using incense sticks to create the smoke is much cheaper than a fog machine, more accessible than dry ice and safer than an open flame. you just need to be careful with ashes and shoot in a well-ventilated space.