Still-Life Photography: Create Dark and Moody Images

A course by Daniela Constantini , Photographer

Photographer. Bern, Switzerland.
Joined January 2022

Learn to compose dramatic still-life photos inspired by classic chiaroscuro paintings, from the setup and shoot to the final editing

95% positive reviews (57)
1,714 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
Still-Life Photography: Create Dark and Moody Images

Learn to compose dramatic still-life photos inspired by classic chiaroscuro paintings, from the setup and shoot to the final editing

“My still life photography is heavily inspired by the great painting masters of the 17th to the 19th century. I aim to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and reminiscing about past times.”

Daniela Costantini is a renowned Mexican photographer whose work was selected among the 50 best in Switzerland, her current place of residence. She’s won numerous accolades, and has been featured in exhibitions across the globe. Daniela is here to teach you her dramatic and moody photography techniques, which have earned her critical acclaim.

In this online course, learn to arrange, shoot, and edit dramatic still-life photos inspired by classical paintings. Explore lighting, contrast, and composition to create striking images that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Draw inspiration from the past to craft striking still-life images.

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What will you learn in this online course?

14 lessons & 16 downloads

The Composition
3 minutes, 51 seconds
Color Theory
3 minutes, 43 seconds
Creating a Mood Board
3 minutes, 41 seconds
The Materials
8 minutes, 17 seconds
The Styling
13 minutes, 57 seconds
  • 95% positive reviews (57)
  • 1,714 students
  • 14 lessons (1h 33m)
  • 16 additional resources (6 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create a moody still-life photo, from the setup and shoot to the final editing.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

All photography enthusiasts interested in exploring still life.

Requirements and materials

Basic knowledge of photography is required.

As for materials, you need a full-frame camera, lenses, a tripod, any light sources you have access to, and props for your scene, as well as a computer with Photoshop and Lightroom.


Reviews

1,714 Students
57 Reviews
95% Positive ratings

Daniela Constantini

A course by Daniela Constantini

Teacher Plus
Photographer

Daniela Constantini is a Mexican photographer living in Bern, Switzerland. She is a graduate of the Visual Journalism and Documentary Practice program at the International Center of Photography in New York. Her long-term project Days of Silence won Rita K. Hillman Excellence Award. In 2015, Errr-Magazine, a Mexican magazine devoted to art and literature, published her first novel, El gato me da igual. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a major in Journalism from Universidad Ibero located in Mexico City.

Since graduation, she has been working as a freelance photographer focusing on Portraiture, Still Life, and Lifestyle. She has also been the Creative Director, Stylist, and Photographer on projects with brands like Villars Maître Chocolatier, L'Occitane, Mövenpick, Ojo de Café, in Switzerland, and for Pyne & Smith Clothiers based in California, USA, among others. She has exhibited work in New York, Mexico City, Olten (Switzerland) Paris, Arles, Berlin, and Amsterdam.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Understanding a Still Life

    • An Inspired Still Life Photograph
    • The Composition
    • Color Theory
    • Creating a Mood Board
  • U3

    Setting the Scene

    • The Materials
    • The Styling
    • Framing and Camera Angles
    • The Lighting
    • Photoshoot of a Still Life
  • U4

    The Final Touches

    • Selection and Lightroom Adjustments
    • Photoshop and Exporting
    • Publishing, Editing, and Sequencing Your Work
  • FP

    Final project

    • Still-Life Photography: Create Dark and Moody Images

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
    Plus

    If 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

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Still-Life Photography: Create Dark and Moody Images. Photography, and Video course by Daniela Constantini

Still-Life Photography: Create Dark and Moody Images

A course by Daniela Constantini
Photographer. Bern, Switzerland.
Joined January 2022
  • 95% positive reviews (57)
  • 1,714 students