Creative Still Life Photography: Create Bold Images
A course by littledrillCreative Studio
A course by littledrill, Creative Studio
Learn how to shoot, style, and edit a colorful still life image by creating your own props and capturing your subject in its best light
“Our motto is “Get weird. Have fun.”, which is exactly how we approach our shoots.”
Littledrill is a Brooklyn-based creative studio who create scroll-stopping images for clients like Adidas, Carly Rae Jepsen, ESPN, Fuji Film, McDonald's, and Brugal Rum. Littledrill’s founders, Shelby Edwards James Whitney, are here to teach you how to create captivating still life photos of products to boost your skillset and amplify your portfolio.
In this online course, Shelby and James, take you through the fundamentals of still life photography, from set design, art direction, to post-production. Explore the entire process of a photoshoot form start to finish. Think out of the box and create images that stand out from the rest.
What will you learn in this online course?
11 lessons & 10 downloads
Preproduction for Your Creative Still Life
9 minutes, 6 seconds
Sketching
9 minutes, 49 seconds
Searching and Building Props
13 minutes, 28 seconds
Building the Prop and Set
20 minutes, 50 seconds
Styling, Lighting, and Shooting
19 minutes, 33 seconds
Shooting and Editing with a Smartphone
9 minutes, 39 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know Littledrill founders, Shelby and James. They share their creative journey, and delve into some of their past photo shoots for brands like Adidas and Bliss Packaging. They also discuss their sources of inspiration, influences, challenges, and motivation.
Get a deeper idea of the creative process, including brainstorming and creating a mood board. Shelby explains the process of sketching your concept for a photograph. See the materials needed for the course. Next, James guides you through searching and building your own props.
Learn how to design and style your set. Shelby takes through the concepts of styling, shooting, and lighting. Discover how to shoot with a mirrorless camera, DSLR and smartphone. James explains the deeper concepts of using a camera for still photography.
Delve into the post-production process. Learn the photo editing techniques, such as adjusting levels, color balancing, and more. Get a deeper understanding of the tools in Photoshop. To wrap up, learn about re-touching and how to apply some detailed edits to give your image a clean and finished look.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Shoot and edit colorful still-life images using hand-crafted props.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who wants to express their creativity through vibrant still life photography.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience required.
To take this course, you need a camera, (it could be a DSLR or a smartphone), a light source (natural light or standard desk lamp can work), and materials to make your props, which Shelby and James explain in the second unit. For DSLR users, a monitor is optional.
Reviews
- remojo317PLUS6 months ago
El curso lo elegi por su contenido creativo sin utilizar herramientas o elementos que conllevaran excesiva dificultad o gasto económico. Los docentos son amenos y cercanos. Por otra parte me hubiese gustado que hablasen de sus referencias de manera más extensa. Cumplen su objetivos y esto les hace que sena recomendables
- 6 months ago
Very inspiring, very creative, so fun to watch!
- 2 years ago
A fabulously creative and accessible course. I'm looking to expand my creative portfolio for my final year of Uni and this has given me lots of inspiration and ideas. The lessons were clearly presented and I enjoyed the balance between advice on working in industry, how the creative process works and how to avoid overthinking the project. A great watch for any budding professionals and content creators alike.
- 3 years ago
Truques e ideias simples com resultados fantásticos... Curso recomendado.
- 3 years ago
they are really inspire couple! learn a lot from them and really inspired by their story.
Their clients include McDonald's, Adidas, Bliss, ESPN, H2O+, Unileaver, LG, Interscope Records, and many more. They also created and run a blog focused on helping other creatives learn and grow. Moreover, they have partnered with other creatives to develop and expand their skills.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Us
- Influences
- U2
Ideation
- Preproduction for Your Creative Still Life
- Sketching
- Searching and Building Props
- U3
The Photoshoot
- Building the Prop and Set
- Styling, Lighting, and Shooting
- Shooting and Editing with a Smartphone
- U4
Post-production
- DSLR Photo Editing
- Detailed Retouching 1
- Detailed Retouching 2
- FP
Final project
- Creative Art Direction for Studio Photography
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers looking to expand their skills in product photography, art direction, and creative studio techniques.
You'll need a camera or smartphone for shooting, basic art supplies for sketching and prop building, and access to simple tools and materials for DIY backdrops and props.
You'll learn how to design, build, and paint custom photo props, use practical effects, and incorporate found or thrifted objects to create visually striking product photography.
The course teaches you to create a functional home studio using accessible materials, basic lighting techniques, and affordable backdrops to achieve professional results.
Yes, you'll learn to create mood boards and concept sketches to communicate creative ideas to clients and collaborators before starting a photoshoot.
The course covers editing workflows for both Photoshop and mobile apps, teaching you how to retouch, adjust colors, and enhance image quality for polished results.
Absolutely, the course includes techniques for shooting, lighting, and editing product photos using only a smartphone, making it accessible to those without a DSLR.