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How to Take Still Life Photos Using a High-Speed Camera Trigger

How to Take Still Life Photos Using a High-Speed Camera Trigger

Being able to capture action-packed photos is not the only way to prove your caliber as a photographer. It also takes a lot of creativity to take still life photos artistically. Of course, creativity is not enough to capture such shots—you also need the right skills with the right tools.

 Still Life Photography by using MIOPS Smart+

What is Still Life Photography?

To give you a brief background, still life photography is inspired by still life painting, which was one of the top painting genres in Western arts before the 16th century ended. The usual subjects for still life photography are either natural or manmade things that have no movements, like rocks, flowers, drinking glasses, etc. Moreover, the pictures that you see in magazine ads or the products sold on websites can be considered as still life photos.

A known branch of still life photography is tabletop photography. From the name itself, this branch is focused on taking photos of items that are placed on tables. The usual subjects used in this kind of photography are the food and products that are commercially advertised.

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Why Do You Need to Use a Camera Trigger

If you are new into still life photography, you might wonder why you need to use a high-speed camera trigger. Usually, wireless triggers are just used for the convenience of remote shooting, so why are they handy when it comes to capturing motionless items?

 Still Life Photography by using MIOPS Smart+

1. Balancing the light 

Lighting is an important component in still life photography. It has a great effect on the aesthetic outcome of the pictures. The right amount of light, whether coming from a natural (sunlight) or artificial (flashgun) source, will help to reveal the fine textures of your subjects.

Have you ever wondered why the dishes in restaurants’ menus look more mouth-watering than they are in the actual? It is not only the presentation that makes it enticing, but also proper lighting contributes to it.

The problem with lighting is that it can ruin the quality of the image if not controlled properly. Lack of light will lead into dark and less visible images, while too much light, such as coming from a camera flash, may make the pictures dull too by overpowering the natural hues of the products. It could also create unnecessary shadows around them.

To be able to control the lighting, using a camera trigger along with your flashgun or reflectors will be a big help. The camera trigger allows you to use a flash separate from your camera. It can be used to control your flashgun, diffuser, and the settings of your digital camera more easily.

Related Article: What is a Camera Trigger? A Simple Guide for Beginners

 Still Life Photography by using MIOPS Smart+

2. Shooting from different angles 

Another element that you need to consider is the shooting angle. As a photographer, it is your responsibility to capture an image at its best—and sometimes all you need is to find the right angle.

There are times when you have to shoot from a difficult position, such as overhead or from a very low angle. Not all the time it will be accessible for you to manually trigger the camera’s shutter, especially if it is placed somewhere too high or too low for you. With a wireless trigger, you can control the camera remotely.

 Still Life Photography by using MIOPS Smart+

3. Using a second camera 

If you will use more than two cameras when shooting, it will be hard for you to handle all, especially if they are set at different locations. For this reason, you need a trigger device to release the shutter of the other camera, even if it is beyond your reach.

MIOPS Smart+ Camera Trigger for Still Life Photography

How to Use the Camera Trigger in Still Life Photography

In order to get the best still life photos, you need to maximize using photography devices, such as the MIOPS SMART+ Camera Trigger, that allow you to control your shots. It will not only ensure convenience but more importantly the quality of your pictures.

In case it will be your first time to use a Smart Camera Trigger, then you need to find out how it can work to your advantage. Here are what to do:

1. Study its features.

First, you need to understand how a camera trigger works. It functions like a camera remote that allows you to control the camera settings and click off the shutter even at a distance. It is controllable via smartphone, so it is definitely comfortable and easy to use.

Also called an image trigger, this device functions mainly by triggering the shutter with the help of different trigger modes. Depending on your need, you can choose which mode can help you shoot at the exact moments.

MIOPS Smart+ Camera Trigger for Still Life Photography

2. Connect it to your smartphone.

Once you have the trigger, you need to connect it to your mobile phone, which will serve as your controller. Of course, you need to download and install the MIOPS Mobile App first.

Your smartphone can be connected to your camera wirelessly. Generally, the Smart Trigger will be connected to the app via Bluetooth at 20-30 meter range. For this reason, make sure the trigger stays within the connection range when being used.

Aside from using the Smart trigger wirelessly through the mobile app, it can also be used as a standalone camera trigger. The standalone mode offers Lightning, Sound, Laser, HDR, Time Lapse and DIY (External Sensor) modes. However, connecting it to the mobile app gives you extended features like the cable release mode and scenario mode.

3. Set the right trigger mode.

In still life photography, the camera trigger is commonly used to trigger artificial light, such as flash, separately from the camera. For the method to work properly, your camera and the camera trigger need to be accurately synchronized, which is the reason why your trigger has to be high-speed.

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MIOPS Smart+ Trigger has different shooting modes to choose from, including lightning, sound, and laser, and you can set the modes using your smartphone. This can also function as an intervalometer, meaning you can set how many frames can be taken in a certain duration.

Plan Your Shots Well

Still life photography may seem simple, but like other kinds of photography, you need to carefully plan out all your shooting details first. This means you need to determine the angles, types of lighting, and the devices to be used. You must be able to envision the outputs that you want.

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