One window, three hours: lighting a still life with nothing else

Most of the still lifes in our portfolio were lit by a single window. Not because we lack equipment, but because window light does something flash rarely manages: it wraps around an object and fades slowly into shadow, the way we see things at home.

Choose the window, then the hour

A north-facing window gives soft, even light all day. East and west windows give drama for an hour, then turn harsh. We photograph test frames every thirty minutes before a shoot and pick the hour where the shadows have soft edges but still have shape.

Shape it with paper

A white card opposite the window lifts the shadows. A black card deepens them. A sheet of baking paper taped to the glass softens hard sun. With three pieces of card you can make one window behave like a whole lighting kit.

Slow down

Window light changes constantly. Shoot on a tripod, keep your settings manual and expect to move the object more often than the camera. The three hours go quickly, and the pictures look like somewhere a person actually lives.