Whether travel restrictions lift or not, there's always the opportunity to work at home, photographing still lifes. And with the advice of Heather Prince, we've no doubt you'll be onto something big!

Of course, you may not be surprised to learn that there’s a lot more to still life photography than throwing a bunch of flowers into a vase and sticking them on a table. Heather says that she can spend hours refining the subject, the light and the composition to get exactly what she wants, and that’s before taking the image into post-production.

Heather also finds her most interesting still lifes have a motif or a story.

“A still life doesn’t have to be just an arrangement of objects. In fact, I think the better still lifes tell a story and evoke an emotional response.”

As an example, Heather points to her image titled Making Rabbit Stew. Yes, there’s a dead rabbit in the photo, along with other ingredients and a wonderful recipe book – so it’s more than just a collection of things.

“Another one of my photos is titled Forbidden Fruit. There are the bright red pomegranates, the textures and the little snake. But the pomegranate is thought to be the apple that Eve was given by the serpent in the Garden of Eden – and this is the photo’s motif.

“There are two layers to my images. Some people will enjoy a photo because of the colour, texture and arrangement
and that’s okay. Seeing the symbolism is just a further journey into the image. I’m happy for the viewer to take what they can from my images – I’m not selling my work, I’m just doing it because I enjoy it and it gives me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction.”

Interested in seeing Heather's photos and reading more about her still life technique, all handled at home and without expensive studio lighting? With a subscription, you can read all about it in the current issue of Better Photography - visit our website at www.betterphotographyeducation.com.