There's a lot to be said about a fully equipped photo studio, filled to the brim with expensive lights and equipment just waiting to be applied to some artistic task. Unfortunately, most people who love photography as a hobby, don't have the budget to spend money on a professional lighting equipment setup. In fact, if you enjoy photo as a hobby but not as a profession, there's really no reason to spend so much on something that you will use so little. Here are some ways that you can get studio-quality images simply by using the light you have around you.
Use Your Flash Correctly
A direct flash will often make the subject have harsh shadows or look shallow but if used correctly it can be a great lighting tool. Focus on bouncing it off surfaces around your subject whenever possible, and only use it to fill in the shadows from the front. Think about it this way - if the image you are building looks like you won't need a flash, that's a perfect time to use one for additional fill.
Make Your Own Reflectors
One of the keys to studio lighting is "bouncing" the light off of reflectors or umbrellas to create full, soft, and even light. Although you do need a few lights to do this properly, you can still mimic the effect by making a few homemade reflectors. If you need help softening the shadows created by one main light source (like the sun), you can reflect the light by using white surfaces like a large white poster board or a big piece of Styrofoam or even a white bed sheet.
Start Painting
Whenever you go to shoot, always remember that all surfaces either reflect or absorb light so keep this in mind especially when designing a room for taking pictures. If you know you're not able to add a bunch of lights to a room, try painting the entire thing white (even the floor, if possible). Having your walls white, they will help to bounce the light around so you'll have a more even look.
Watch Your Time
The brightness and quality of the light will change depending upon the time of day. By using your homemade reflectors to soften the shadows and your backdrop faced towards the early morning light, you'll be amazed at the studio-like quality of your images. Try taking photos at different times of day to see how the difference in light impacts the way things turn out, then book your studio sessions in for the times in which you'll have the best light possible.
Get Creative with Your Backdrops
You may not be able to offer the wide variety of backdrops found in a portrait studio, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun. You can use bed sheets for basic colors and then if you want to get creative you can always use paint to create a pattern or add color. If you hang these backdrops opposite a large window (or garage door opening), you'll get the same effects as using a fill light pointed at them.
Don't forget that studio lights are designed to simulate natural light as this is the type of lighting that is the most appealing. If you know how to harness this light and make it work for you, there's absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be able to generate images that compete with those created in the most expensive studio in town. If you have a little creativity and the will to do it, you can easily create your own inexpensive makeshift studio with just a little effort. Really, the tools that you use to get studio lighting doesn't matter as long as you get the quality results that you want.
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