STUDIO tutorial
STUDIO
This is my home studio.
I am on a very tight budget so I used things around the home.
Things you will need
2 tripods- can use chairs
black sheet or blanket- not shiny
as the shine bounces off the flash
and you wont be happy with the results
bedroom lamp, no lamp shade
water bottle to spray flowers – not models lol
shiny steering wheel cover
mine is silver on one side and gold on the other
I used the silver side for the Lilly photo
and the gold side for the look portrait
or Aluminium foil – shiny metal baking stuff
And something to photograph
all items I use are as pictured below
take tripods/chairs and spread them apart
Place blanket, sheet over them but make sure it is fairly tight so you wont get wrinkles in the background
then line everything up and happy snapping to you.
It helps if someone can hold the reflector to direct light onto the subject
images I have done in my studio
Francesca Rizzo
love the pics, thanks for the tips
AlexMac
replied
you are very welcome =0)
Cathy Carbonaro
OK, WOW, that is what you use? YOUR END RESULT IS FABULOUS!!! Thank you so much for sharing ! : )) love your work
AlexMac
replied
Thankyou so much, Its just goes to show, you dont need to be rich to create your own studio at home =0) alfoil works as a reflecter if you do not have the steering wheel cover =0)
Kimberley Davitt
wow fab tips
thanks for sharing
AlexMac
replied
most welcome Kim =0)
dancinfreakshow
Great info Alex!!! Thank you:)
AlexMac
replied
your welcome Robert =0)
Cathy Carbonaro
Thank you so much!
Mark Jones
Very well improvised. It goes to show that its not what you have, but how you use what you have. Very well thought and done.
AlexMac
replied
Thanks Heaps Mark, I thought I should share the info to maybe help others who didnt think of using stuff around the house and getting professional results from it =0)
naturelover
So simple but so effective- great tips!!!
AlexMac
replied
Thanks Naturelover, I wish I could do more photo tips, but im late for school now haha
Hans Kawitzki
Simple but very effective,thanks for sharing
AlexMac
replied
Your welcome Clive =0)
myoriginalsin
I do a similar thing in my kitchen because I get great light in there. I actually have a range of coloured pieces of paper which I blutack to the window. I then place the flowers in a vase in front and arrange them until I am happy. I am always pleased with the results. Here is an example:
AlexMac
replied
Awesome idea, I will have to try this technique tomorrow, thankyou for your tips =0)
dairygirl08
That is fantastic, goes to show you do not need to have all the most expensive things to get that studio effect in a image.
AlexMac
replied
Glad you enjoyed the tips =0)
barnsis
Thanks for the hints, I am going to by some different color materials to use in a color box I have built, 3ft X 2ft. X2 ft. I just used old partical board to make a three sided box and will use the fabric in it. to get the background effects you are showing.
AlexMac
replied
awesome, cant wait to see your results =0)
SharonD
Great info. Thanks.
HeatherBud
very clever Alex
Tainia Finlay
Your very inventive Alex! Thank you for sharing your tips, I’d love to have a go! :D
Mark Ramstead
Gets the job done! : )
DiEtte Henderson
Now see, this is what I LOVE about RB and the people here. What a wonderful thing for you to show us a simple but effective way to get such a great shot. I too appreciate knowing how to do things on a low budget. You Rock, Thank you for this information my dear.
Taschja Hattingh
Great! Don’t worry about wrinkles – untill your old- if you focus in on the subject and use a zoom lense you don’t see the wrinkles because it is out of focus= a beautiful blur!
Vikram Franklin
The results are awesome – I would have bet money that it required a pro-studio setup. Thanks for sharing!
Samantha Goode
Fantastic tips – thank you very much for sharing! – hope I get to use them!
dawndavies
wonderful tip,dawnx
JTomblinson
(sigh of gratitude) THANKS, Alex, for posting this! Sometime in the next 10 days I am going to hand-rig some sort of impromptu studio setup to take holiday photos of wiggly small people at my daughter’s school. I have been wondering about lighting and reflecting, and this will help SO much!! Thanks again!
Megan Martin
Those are really great tips Alex! I never thought of using a steering wheel cover! Ha! Great ideas for being on a budget! I am too and its hard cause every time I go to the photography store I want to buy everything but can afford nothing! =) Thanks again!
totty23
Thanks so much for sharing! im a single mum and cant afford much. I have one camera its a fujifinepix s8000 and i love it. I was very blessed to be able to get it. Your really helpfull info on shooting indoors has really helped me think about what i can do more inside as well thats were i spend most of my time being on my own with my girl. :o)
sam
AlexMac
replied
Hi Sam,I am so glad the tutorial is going to help you, being a single mum it is hard to get out some times,I know this too well.
I have the fujis5800 and this is also a brilliant camera to use in the home studio, because it has the macro- and the super macro setting…have you played with that yet? its the best function on the whole camera I feel, I use this camera instead of spending 600+ on a macro lens .
I found this camera does exactly what I need it to do without having to spend hundreds of dollars to get the same result. There are a few artists on this site who use the fuji also, it goes to show you dont need thousands of dollars to get great results on a budget.
Cant wait to see your indoor shots. Happy Snapping =0)
Stephanie Ogg
Thanks so much for sharing your tips, but I have a question. I have tried making a studio like yours, but you can always see the light hitting the fabric. I like to do macro shots, but if I have a flower lying on my sheet you can see the sheet in the picture. With your pictures it looks like no light hits the background, you can’t even see a background, it’s just black. I think I have the lighting wrong. I have a flexable desk lamp that I shine on to my flower, which also lights up the background. Any suggestions? I’m learning as I go. Thanks.
AlexMac
replied
Hiya Stephanie, Thanks for stopping by and looking at the tutorial…I make sure I use flat matte background paper or a non shiny quilt cover or sheet as a background – canvas tarpaulines that truck drivers use are also great – but more pricey….I tend to place items on a chair, zoom in as much as I can & then sit on the floor and shoot upwards or squat and walk around the object until I see no glare or lines…check the D.O.F as that helps blur out the background…hope this helps
Stephanie Ogg
Thank you so much for responding. I will play around some more. I chose the fabric very carefully- very little texture, no shine, but shooting upwards would definitely help, and checking all the angles. What a great place to learn!
Thanks again.
Jo Ann Craig
These are wonderful tips for beginners – thank you AlexMac, et al!!!!
AlexMac
replied
You are very welcome, I am here to share any tips that I can to help everyone…Really glad you like them
Cheri Perry
SOme excellent tips…thanks for your suggestions and help. I have my own studio set up as well, I use just about everything you do except the steering wheel cover.
Instead I took an old umbrella and painted the inside with a very flat white and use it to bounce light or to shade something when shooting out side. :) It works great for outside work.
In side I have not had anything except paper to try at times but I will definitely see about a wheel cover this summer when they are out in the stores again. THanks again for your help.
AlexMac
replied
You are more than welcome, and thankyou for the tips also, let me know if you get the steering wheel cover…they work a treat =0)
oddoutlet
I’m liking your studio hints- just the type of studio I would like to set up- a cheap one : )
AlexMac
replied
glad you like them, they seem to work for me, so i cant complain =0)
Carol Lewsley
wow fantastic tips thanks for sharing them. cheers carol
AlexMac
replied
You are very welcome Cazz, hope they help =0)
Victoria Jostes
what a great learning place! can’t thank you enough! :)))
AlexMac
replied
You are more than welcome Victoria, have a beautiful day
MickThow
What great tips Well done this is going to help. Have a great day.
Mick
AlexMac
replied
Hey Mick, so glad you enjoyed these tips, I think even if i had the money to buy expensive props etc, i would still use the things in my home…oh i got a towel rack from a cheap shop that i also use as a holder for coloured sheets that I use in back drops :0)
Justine Devereux
Thank you very much for the tips Alex!! will give it a go!
:)
jujubean
wonderful tips! looks like my “studio” though hadn’t thought to use the car reflector thingy! xcellent.
priddylaydee
thank you so much for the tips. i have taken photos before with simply white paper or a black bed throw as a back drop. i hadn’t thought of reflectors like steering wheel covers, i’ve just started using alfoil covered card which i painted with glass paint :D the results are quite cool sespecially when you use funky colours like green blue or purple. hehehe. i also have used music stands to prop these cards up and keep them at the right angle. thanks for sharing, and i look forward to trying the results :D x
van049
Great photo tips Alex!! Thanks ever so much for sharing!!!xx