The 8 Best Still Life Photographers in Salt Lake City

We’ve all seen classic still life photography before…The flower arrangements, the fruit bowls, and found ordinary objects, sculpted under carefully arranged studio lights. But did you know that the genre also includes commercial subjects like delicious food, crisp outdoor apparel, cosmetics, and more? The top Salt Lake City still life photographers certainly do! Their work finds the right balance between artistry and advertisement, helping brands find their target audience without feeling too derivative/

Why not take a moment to explore the artists we’ve tapped into on this list? Any one of them might be the one that brings your dream collaboration to life!

1. Sheena Bates

Sheena Bates is a Salt Lake City still life photographer whose work revolves around food and beverage subjects. Food editorials, food portraits, flat lays, table spreads…If there’s a tasty treat involved, she has the experience required to tell its story. Her clients come from all over the country and include brands like Black Bow Chocolate, Mora Ice Cream, and Cafe Zupas. They choose her because of her engaging and crisp still life approach.

Sheena favors vibrant saturation, repeating shapes, and colors that complement each other. It leaves you with an image that is both an advertisement and an artistic celebration of a culinary delight!

2. Derek Israelsen

https://www.instagram.com/disraelsen/

The commercial still life photography of Derek Israelsen centers on the product and lifestyle categories. From jewelry to apparel, his work explores how light, shapes, and colors engage and enthrall us.

Derek is especially talented at overhead and flat lay product images, where we get a view from above. Directional lighting creates shadows that hide or enhance certain parts of a subject. A warm white balance can create a nostalgic mood and macro lenses allow us to appreciate crisp details that would normally escape our inspection. Derek’s work is the very epitome of the still life work in its ability to inspire our curiosity about both ordinary and extraordinary objects!

3. Brian Smith of BPD Studios

Brian Smith is the founder and lead photographer behind BPD Studios. His journey into the visual arts has been a series of explorations; Brian has worked at a film development lab run by TIME Magazine, as a staff photographer for Knight Ridder newspaper, and even on his own on solo travels abroad.

His images target viewers by conveying the essence of what a brand has to offer in just a few frames. The liquid softness of shampoo, the homey feel of a cookie recipe…Brian’s work is emotional and manages to target senses beyond sight. He also works with his wife Shoko, who is a producer, art director, and project manager. Her prior career in graphic arts makes Shoko a natural match for Brian’s photography talents!

4. Jesse Coss

Product still life photography is what Jesse Coss does best. His subjects include activewear, cologne, food, and apparel, all rendered in a style that’s unique to him. Jesse favors a dark and moody approach, with strong vignetting and earth tones dominating the frame. Compositions are minimal, leaving you with a clear subject to catch your attention.

Even in such clean images, Jesse manages to convey deeper narratives, however. The purpose, lifestyle targets, and form of an item are all immediately evident. Few product photographers are so good at hinting at so much in just one image!

5. Vargo Photography

Vargo Photography nicely demonstrates the strong technical ability required of the best Salt Lake City still life photographers. From ideal lighting to flawless compositions, each image demonstrates what happens when you tailor every element in the frame to convey a message.

Sometimes that message is simply the innate beauty of an organic subject. At other times, Vargo Photography uses punchy backgrounds and accessories to help a product trigger childhood memories in you! But at all times, the focus is on the narrative, the target audience, and the subtlest of details.

6. Chad Kirkland

After a childhood accident left him without speech, Chad Kirkland learned a new language: the art of photography. It enabled him to convey the appreciation for light and beauty that he still felt. And while people are his favorite subjects, Chad still manages to reach audiences through impactful still life photography.

As he shares in his own words: “’I’m always searching for that indescribable spark, the fleeting nostalgia found only in a real lived moment.”

7. Lindsey Stewart

Lindsey Stewart is a photographer interested in conveying the emotional and personal qualities of her subjects These range from interiors and newlyweds to still life product subjects. One aspect of Lindsey’s work we love most is her approach to color grading. Many Salt Lake City still life photographers prefer bold and vibrant colors. Others instead use dark and moody approaches, with deep shadows.

Lindsey instead charts a middle path, with soft, pastel tones that are ideal for contemporary editorial publications. Lighting is diffused rather than direct, creating a natural light character that hints at lifestyle elements. It’s that much easier to envision a cosmetic product in your home when it’s captured in this way!

8. Matt Barr

Matt Barr is a top Salt Lake City still life photographer who is most active in the commercial sphere! He has over 20 years of prior experience creating images that help consumers better visualize what companies have to offer them. From corporate portraits to product shots, Matt’s work is renowned for its engaging qualities.

Some of his still life product subjects include guns, food, containers, jewelry, and industrial components. Many of these are large or difficult subjects thanks to their reflective surfaces and textured qualities. Yet each time, Matt and his team manage to ideally convey what a particular subject is like, giving the target audience a chance to experience it before ever holding it in person!

Find unique photoshoot locations in Salt Lake City on Peerspace