The Creative Sell: David Lineton on Still Life and Commercial Photography Mastery

An old adage says a picture paints a thousand words – and in the world of commercial still life, nothing could be closer to the truth. David Lineton reveals the secrets to his success and admiration for FUJIFILM GFX100S

As influential as the photographer’s guiding hand is upon any scene, few styles of image making can compare to commercial still life in terms of control. From light and shadow to considered composition, each minute detail of the product photography frame is given great care and attention – and for good reason. Within every scene, an idea is sold. The viewer is transported momentarily into another life: one of fulfilment, appeal and possibility.

David Lineton has made a living – and found great creative fulfilment – in selling dreams through skilfully crafted commercial photography. To some, it’s a challenging step to make. But with his guidance, success feels all the more tangible. David looks back on years of dedicated education.

Becoming a Commercial Photographer

“I had a wonderful set of teachers to encourage me,” he recalls. “Now, I realise that my enjoyment of photography all came from the observational element. We were asked to go and look at the world, then create stories. Later, that fell naturally into still life.”

Passions were sparked and, after years of fanning the flames and learning how to become a commercial photographer, David made a professional break.

“When I left university, I assisted a photographer. But while I was assisting, I was also photographing editorially. That was a great way to see how the industry works. I would advocate that route, although staying dedicated to your own imagery is huge in this genre. For those starting out, I’d say try things, push yourself and keep an open mind. You never know what you’ll get out of that process, but quite often it’s something.”

Now more than ever, aspiring creatives have a wealth of avenues into the commercial world. Prominently, there’s social media – which David leaned into steadfastly – as well as reaching out to prospective clients with a personal portfolio.

“People do approach brands,” David explains, “but I wouldn’t suggest it straight away. When you meet someone, that’s their strongest impression of you, so you want a collection of work that meets the standard they’re already showcasing. The minute you have names associated with your work, though, the more brands become interested.

“If you share what you’re creating, people will notice. You can also be proactive on social media – even if it’s just following art directors and fellow creatives.”

How to Light and Compose Still Life Images

Of course, the question of how to create compelling still life photography still looms. Unsurprisingly, it all begins with an intense focus on your product, which is the essence of still life photography aesthetic.

“In commercial photography, everything revolves around that central subject. There’s often an underlying tone based on what you’re trying to sell, and that normally creates the encapsulating scene around it. If it’s a cosmetic product where you’re talking about hydration, you have to ask how you can bring that idea into the frame? If it’s jewellery, or polished materials and luxury items, again that dictates what’s around it because you want to elevate what’s there. Concepts can be very simple, but must aid the main visual element,” David notes.

“As you approach an image, composition might come first. I love what I call a power angle, where the camera is very low, looking up to something. It gives so much gravitas. I also use leading lines to draw the eye to the focal point. My compositions are always founded from working with the style of the product. If it’s a bottle, you might be more graphic and square-on. If it’s a fragrance and you want a lifestyle approach, you might lift the camera up higher and look down from a three-quarter angle as if you found it lying there.

“If, for example, we are trying to create an outdoor scene in the studio and bringing in cues that make it feel like daylight, lighting might come first,” David continues. “Create the scene around light, then position subjects in that light to make it feel elevated. I’m quite outdoorsy, so I learn from examples in nature. When I see dappled light, I’m considering how it falls and how the transition works. Whatever interests you, absorb that realness and bring it into your work.”

While advanced set-ups become elaborate, an expensive suite of tools isn’t a necessity. David began with assets most intermediate photographers already own – along with some ingenuity.

“I believe a tripod is paramount. In still life photography, the repeatability of something is huge. Often, once I’m happy with a composition, my camera will stay in one position for an hour before I move it. It’s other elements of the scene I’ll change. Then I’d recommend some form of light source, whether continuous or flash. When you can start controlling light, that allows you to take your work to the next level.

“Painted MDF is a mighty powerful thing for a still life photographer,” David continues, considering his early, makeshift backdrops. “When you start collaborating with other people, you use their skill set alongside your own to create a far better outcome than either could alone. Beyond that, you’d be amazed how useful gaffer tape is. The key is to get creative with still life photography”

Discovering the Perfect Product Photography Camera

Then, above all else, there’s camera and lens pairing. After spending his formative years using DSLRs and looking for the best camera for still life photography, David discovered the FUJIFILM GFX100S and hasn’t looked back since.

“I’m just an utter fan of GFX100S,” he effuses. “The importance of sensor size and detail cannot be overstated in this line of work. Based on that alone, the GFX System is phenomenal. You’ve also got the ability to crop files far more drastically. A lot of the time, as a commercial practitioner, you’re not creating just the one aspect ratio. A camera like this gives you the flexibility to create whatever frame is needed from the one image so that clients can save on production time.

“My lens selection consists of FUJINON GF80mm F1.7 R WR, GF45-100mm F4 R LM OIS WR and GF120mm F4 R LM OIS WR Macro. My preferred lens is the macro because it’s so sharp. It also creates a telephoto compression and macro closeness that looks beautiful in product photography, encouraging you to hone into the product and create bold compositions.”

As David soon discovered, GFX100S is so much more than its sensor. He utilises two more of the camera’s functions during the majority of his sessions: in-camera focus bracketing and a true-to-life exposure preview.

“With the larger sensor, you get a shallower depth-of-field – a lovely element that adds to imagery – but when you want sharpness from front to back, the focus bracketing option allows this repeatable stacking of files,” David reveals.

“Preview Exposure/WB Mode, which shows an exposure and white-balance preview exactly as the image will be made, is also great. When I talk about the importance of sculpting the light, this allows me to see in real time how it’s falling on the set.”

Editing Commercial Images

As good as any in-camera image is, though, in the world of creative still life photography, finishing touches must be done in post-production. Incredible spectacles are achieved through means more practical than many would believe, and a surprisingly nuanced editing approach.

“You might want a glorious, hard shadow to create leading lines with, but you can’t have that without an unsightly highlight on a diamond or glass neck of a bottle. So, normally you’ll photograph the scenario, then bring in a diffusion element and go again. Then you’ve got two files to delicately combine – that’s where good editing software comes in,” David affirms.

“The main thing I’d say about editing: it’s easy to get carried away. I’ve learnt that editing should be used as a tool to enhance, but nothing more. If you start over-editing, you begin to go down a route of stripping the real-life positives away. As humans, we also associate what we’re seeing in imagery with our reality. When an image is manipulated to the point of looking fake, people disassociate with the commercial product because they don’t see it as a realistic idea.”

On how to become a commercial still life photographer, David’s final thoughts turn to his craft itself – often overlooked by upcoming image makers. He’s a living testament to the genre’s potential.

“Have the self-belief to keep going. Make lots of pictures, make mistakes, learn from it all and use it to develop a perspective. This is a valuable job and a great way to make a living. There’s beautiful craft in what we do.”