What, you might ask, do we mean when we speak about ‘still life’ in photography?

Well, for the first meeting in April, the Isle of Man Photographic Society held a practical evening about photographing still life at the St John Ambulance headquarters, off Glencrutchery Road.

This is a unique genre of photography depicting inanimate objects or subject matter.

Nowadays, still life can be anything from an image of your latest hot drink, perhaps a cup of tea or coffee, to an arrangement of colourful flowers arranged in a suitable container or vase, or anything in between.

It is a special form of photography and can often feature subjects that, on their own, might be regarded as not being particularly interesting or noteworthy.

A good number of enthusiastic amateur photographers came along and quickly got into their stride, practising this art form in groups, or working alone, with a range of equipment, both sophisticated and quite basic.

Photographic creativity flows from the individual, not expensive equipment.

To that extent, this proved to be an ideal opportunity to have an evening devoted to practicing this special art form in a non-judgemental, relaxed environment.

The more experienced photographers were on hand to offer such guidance or advice as might be requested by the less experienced. There were five set-ups in two rooms.

Still life can be characterised as being mainly about forms, composition, light and balance.

Always necessary in any form of photography, but is a suitable light source and it is true that light and a good choice of subject matter are essential ingredients.

On the night, there were colourful plants, soft fruits, various glass and plastic objects, ornaments and other fascinating shapes upon which the spotlight fell.

Clearly, the creative juices had been flowing in anticipation.

There was much ‘trial and error’ in evidence as light sources, as simple as a torch, were adjusted to give the desired outcome. After all, there are often no right or wrong approaches: it’s down to the individual, not the equipment.

After the refreshment break, the theme for the latest non-competitive ‘monthly challenge’ was, appropriately enough, ‘spring’, and, yes, one of the images entered was of a rusty old spring which, undeniably, met the competition criteria.

An interesting array of subjects was then projected to add to a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Society president, Andrew Cairns, thanked all those who had entered images to the challenge for viewing.

Looking ahead, the next date for the diary will be 7pm on April 16 when the society’s patron, His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer will be guests of honour for the annual photography competition – prints and projected digital images – at the same venue.

This is the culmination of the year’s work and a highlight for most members and guests.

ANTONY HAMILTON