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Still Studio · 114 photography techniques

Every photography look, ready to generate.

Lighting, framing, lenses and film stocks explained in plain words. Copy the prompt, or stack looks together in the Still Studio.

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114 techniques

Lighting category referenceLighting

Rembrandt lighting

Painterly, serious, timeless. It gives a face depth and quiet authority.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Butterfly lighting

Glamorous, symmetrical, flattering. The classic Hollywood beauty look.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Split lighting

Dramatic, mysterious, a little dangerous.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Loop lighting

Natural and friendly, the most universally flattering portrait light.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Clamshell lighting

Clean, luminous, polished. Skin looks smooth but real.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Rim lighting

Premium, graphic, separating the subject from the dark.

Lighting category referenceLighting

High-key lighting

Fresh, optimistic, clean and commercial.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Low-key lighting

Luxurious, intimate, cinematic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Golden hour light

Romantic, warm, nostalgic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Blue hour

Quiet, cinematic, melancholic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Overcast soft light

Honest, calm, Scandinavian.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Hard midday sun

Bold, graphic, summery, a little raw.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Window light

Intimate, natural, editorial.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Gobo shadow light

Artful, sensual, summery.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Dappled sunlight

Organic, dreamy, natural.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Backlit sun flare

Free, youthful, emotional.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Direct on-camera flash

Raw, party, paparazzi, unpolished cool.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Ring light

Modern, beauty-tutorial, influencer.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Large softbox beauty

Expensive, smooth, polished.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Neon-noir bi-color

Nocturnal, electric, futuristic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Candlelight

Intimate, nostalgic, ritual.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Volumetric god rays

Spiritual, epic, cinematic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Silhouette

Graphic, mysterious, iconic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Hair light

Polished, glossy, premium.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Kicker light

Sculpted, athletic, cinematic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Practical lighting

Authentic, story-driven, lived-in.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Colored gel light

Bold, artistic, music-video energy.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Underlighting

Unsettling, avant-garde, theatrical.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Bounce light

Natural, gentle, approachable.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Strip light for reflective products

Precise, premium, expensive.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Sunset rim glow

Dreamy, emotional, romantic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Moonlight

Quiet, magical, nocturnal.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Mixed daylight and tungsten

Real, cinematic, contemporary.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Fluorescent office light

Ironic, raw, indie, everyday.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Theatrical spotlight

Stage, star, dramatic.

Lighting category referenceLighting

Catchlight-focused portrait

Alive, engaging, direct.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Extreme close-up

Intimate, tactile, intense.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Beauty close-up

Polished, confident, cosmetic.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Headshot

Personal, direct, approachable.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Medium shot

Conversational, balanced.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Cowboy shot

Confident, cinematic, strong.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Full-length lookbook

Informative, editorial, complete.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Environmental wide shot

Story-driven, aspirational, cinematic.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Eye-level angle

Neutral, honest, relatable.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Low angle

Powerful, heroic, tall.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Worm's eye view

Monumental, surreal, bold.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

High angle

Vulnerable, playful, observational.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Bird's eye overhead

Graphic, organised, design-led.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Flat lay / knolling

Tidy, curated, catalog.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Dutch angle

Uneasy, energetic, youthful.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Over-the-shoulder

Voyeuristic, narrative, relational.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Mirror reflection

Self-reflective, layered, artful.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Foreground framing

Discovered, intimate, cinematic depth.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Rule of thirds

Balanced, natural, editorial.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Centered symmetry

Iconic, formal, Wes Anderson.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Negative space

Minimal, luxurious, calm.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Profile shot

Elegant, sculptural.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Three-quarter view

Natural, dimensional, flattering.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Back view

Mysterious, detail-led.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Detail crop

Craft, quality, tactile.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Hands crop

Human, tactile, intimate.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Walking shot

Dynamic, real, street.

Framing & angles category referenceFraming & angles

Group composition

Community, campaign, energy.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

14mm ultra-wide

Dramatic, immersive, distorted.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

24mm wide

Editorial, energetic, spatial.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

35mm lens

Candid, documentary, street.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

50mm lens

Honest, classic, balanced.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

85mm portrait

Flattering, premium, creamy.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

135mm telephoto

Isolated, runway, cinematic.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

200mm compression

Graphic, dreamy, voyeuristic.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

100mm macro

Tactile, scientific, luxurious.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Anamorphic lens

Cinematic, epic, filmic.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Tilt-shift

Playful, toy-like, surreal.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Fisheye 8mm

Skate, rave, 90s music video.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Shallow depth of field

Dreamy, focused, premium.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Deep focus

Informative, architectural, documentary.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Bokeh city lights

Festive, nocturnal, glamorous.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Soft-focus diffusion

Romantic, vintage, dreamy.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Motion blur

Kinetic, alive, art-led.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Freeze motion

Energetic, playful, crisp.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Prism effect

Artful, experimental, dreamy.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Vintage lens swirl

Nostalgic, painterly.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Infrared

Surreal, otherworldly.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Double exposure

Poetic, layered, conceptual.

Lenses & optics category referenceLenses & optics

Long exposure night

Urban, electric, dynamic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Portra 400

Warm, gentle, real, nostalgic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Portra 160

Clean, airy, fine-art.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Portra 800

Atmospheric, low light, intimate.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Ektar 100

Bold, crisp, vibrant.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Gold 200

Summer, family album, 90s.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak UltraMax 400

Fun, vivid, casual.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

CineStill 800T

Nocturnal, cinematic, moody.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

CineStill 50D

Crisp, cinematic, sunny.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Fujifilm Pro 400H

Light, airy, soft.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Fujifilm Superia 400

Casual, 2000s, street.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Fujifilm Provia 100F

Clean, precise, vibrant.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Fujifilm Velvia 50

Bold, intense, landscape.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodachrome

Iconic, vintage, magazine.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Ektachrome

Crisp, retro, editorial.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Kodak Tri-X 400

Raw, timeless, documentary.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Ilford HP5 Plus

Soft, honest, classic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Ilford Delta 3200

Gritty, nocturnal, artistic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Polaroid 600

Personal, spontaneous, nostalgic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Instax mini

Playful, youthful.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Bleach bypass

Gritty, war-film, tough.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Cross-processed

90s, rave, experimental.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Disposable camera

Party, candid, Y2K.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Technicolor

Hollywood, theatrical, nostalgic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Teal and orange grade

Blockbuster, modern, cinematic.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Sepia toned

Heritage, archival, emotional.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Lomography

Playful, lo-fi, analog.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Medium format

Luxurious, rich, fine-art.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Large format

Monumental, precise, timeless.

Film stocks & color category referenceFilm stocks & color

Fine film grain

Authentic, less AI-looking.