Jonathan Grado

I had some downtime on a recent trip to Los Angeles and wanted to shoot during golden hour (the time leading up to sunset). Golden hour in California is some of the best light I've ever seen, and I’ve been wanting to do more still life work in everyday settings. I was wiped from The Huntington Garden earlier in the day and didn't really want to leave the hotel room. Figures.

Finding Objects for Still Life Photos

Sometimes we just have to use what’s around us. This was my first time staying at this hotel in Santa Monica, and fortunately, the room already had a few compelling props: old blue luggage, a rotary telephone, and a moody red carpet. I decided to group them together and see what I kind of still life scene I could set.

The Fuji X-T5 handled the low light beautifully, especially as the Santa Monica sunset started to filter in. The golden hour tones paired so well with the red carpet that I thought I'd prefer the color shots. But I liked the black-and-white photos just as much. Stripping away the warmth made the textures feel more sculptural.

It might not look like it, but my mindset wasn’t all that different from when I shot the car wash series - just a different setting. I wanted to see what I could make with everyday objects and a limited window of time. Hotel still life photography with a time constraint.

What else was I going to do? Try to nap so my mind is able to run rampant not only at 3AM but also the middle of the day? No no no.

See more of this trip:
01. Walking Santa Monica
02. The Huntington
03. Venice Beach Skate Park
04. Hotel Telephone

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