Some subjects are harder to photograph than others. Glass is one example. Its transparent nature makes it very tricky to capture with a camera.

Working in the studio, with still life, you have every opportunity to overcome the difficulties, but you need to know where to start.

Taking the example of glass, and all subject for which the lighting is critical, you may want to start with the object and a single light. Move the light around it and see what it looks like from each and every possible angle.

Transparent objects are often best lit from behind. This causes the rim of the object to be highlighted, thus emphasizing its form and shape.

For many types of subjects, the exposure can also be critical, and working in the studio, there is no excuse for getting it wrong. You can take a large number of spot readings with the camera's built-in light meter, or with a specialist light meter if you own one. If you are using off-camera flash units, your camera's built-in meter will not be of much use and you will either have to use a flash meter, which is rather expensive, or you may have to improvise and simply guess the exposure and bracket around your selected setting.

With most digital cameras you can connect your camera directly to your computer, and see the results immediately on screen. This is a massive advantage, as it allows you to make all adjustments on the spot.

Half the fun with still life photography comes from experimenting, and anyone can get amazing results as long as they are patient and persistent.

For more information about using on-camera flash, have a look at our flash technique feature.

And don't forget to read our basic photography tips explaining hard and soft light.

And then, when you're done, go shoot some great still life photographs and upload the pictures to our website!