Still life photography is a genre that focuses on capturing inanimate objects, arranged purposefully to create a visually appealing composition. It's about arranging objects, considering lighting, composition and overall aesthetics to convey a mood, tell a story or simply showcase the beauty of the objects themselves. We often see still life images that feature fruit, flowers, household items and other everyday objects. This genre of photography allows for a lot of creativity in arranging and composing the scene to evoke different emotions or messages. As the weather turns cold, this is a great way to practice your photography skills indoors! We’ve gathered a group of Sony shooters who are creating stunning, emotive still life pieces with their Sony cameras and lenses. Check out their work, give them a follow on Instagram, and be sure to follow @SonyAlpha for even more inspo!

As the weather turns cold, creating still life compositions is a great way to practice indoors. See how these creators capture the magic of still life photography.

Daniel Borbor – @danielborbor.ph

Daniel Borbor is a photographer based in Ecuador. He primarily focuses on food photography but also works in portraiture, family, event, and architecture photography. He shoots with the Sony Alpha 7 III and a variety of Sony glass. In the image below, he used the Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G lens to capture sushi rolls. We love the use of motion with the sesame seeds, it offers more visual interest than just an image of a roll. 

Lizzie Peirce – @LizziePierce

Lizzie Peirce is a Toronto-based content creator with a specialty in travel based content with her Sony Alpha 7S III, Sony Alpha 7 III, Sony Alpha 7C and a range of Sony lenses. Although she specializes in travel photography, she is a jack of all trades, frequently shooting portraiture, product imagery, and more. We love the Instagram Reel below, where she walks you through her editing process for some skincare product photos. Lizzie shows the image, as well as her slider box in Lightroom while she talks through her process. Learn more below! 

Erin Sullivan – @ErinOutdoors

Sony Brand Ambassador Erin Sullivan is known for making miniature worlds as well as outdoor and travel photography. Sullivan brings in everyday objects into her studio and sets up magical miniature moments. The Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G lens allows her to create these macro moments with all the detail and sharpness. This is a fantastic example of how you can express narrative and creativity through still life imagery. For example, in the image below, she has created “pineapple pools,” and built her own little world with everyday objects. 

Hilaire Baumgartner – @baumassfoods

Hilaire Baumgartner is a Texas-Based food photographer creating bold and vibrant images of food and beverages that are strikingly minimalistic. She shoots food and beverage in a studio setting and on location. She shoots with her Sony Alpha 7 III, Sony 50mm f/1.8 and Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G lens. Learn more about her gear HERE. And while you do that, we’ll be here drooling over this image of pea soup. We love the composition of this shot as well as the bright, bold colors.

Caroline Jensen – @Carolinej

Sony Artisan Caroline Jensen is a photographer, workshop instructor and flower farmer. As you scroll through her Instagram account you’ll see dreamy and painterly floral shots that put the beauty of different flowers and their unique details on display. We love how she lights her images so that they have a painterly feel, a great example is in the photo below. Check out her lighting tips HERE. She made the stunning image below with the Sony Alpha 7R V and the Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

Suzi Pratt – @Suzipratt

Suzi Pratt is an event, food and restaurant photographer. She is also well-known for her tech reviews at Gemini Connect on YouTube. She is based in Seattle, Washington and she has been working in photography for over 10 years. We love the scene she photographed below, it’s a great example of how still life imagery can tell a story. This isn’t merely an image of food, it’s a meal and it feels as though the dinner guests are just about to sit down and feast. Suzi shoots with the Sony Alpha 7 IV. She recently participated in an Ask Me Anything on the Sony Alpha Community Forums – check out the conversation HERE.

Rebecca Congleton – @thebeautifultruthphotography

Rebecca Congleton is a photographer based in Georgia. She describes her work by stating, “my personal work consists of both creative and documentary moments, as does my occasional client work.” She tries to focus on joy, color, and humor in her imagery. Rebecca is a Click Pro Elite photographer and an instructor for Click Photo School. The image below caught our eyes because of the bright, vibrant colors as well as the beauty in the simplicity. This is an everyday scene, but through light and color, Rebecca forces the viewer to look at it in a new way. 

Nia – @butfirstsalt

Nia is based in the Netherlands and produces truly engaging food photography. You will often see dynamic beverage shots with a dramatic splash as the liquid is about to spill out onto the table to floating items of food carefully crafted in a graceful yet playful way. This approach gets you excited about the photo and just as much as the food itself. She is a Sony Europe Imaging Creator and relies on the Sony Alpha 7R V and Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G to help her achieve her creative vision. Give her a follow and see how she makes everything, even frozen peas, look stunning. 

Grace Wells – @gracewellsphoto

Grace Wells has become popular on TikTok and Instagram for creating fake ads. Wells will often make an ad for a general household item or product.. She’s made ads for milk, berries and cream, and a potato. She describes this process as “making epic commercials for random objects.” And they truly are epic! Her go-to camera and lens setup is the Sony Alpha 7 III and the Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 and Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens. The shot below is a still she made for Grande Cosmetics. The reflections in the water elevate this image. Learn more about Grace and her journey HERE.