4 ways to get a studio look without a photo studio Few amateur photographers can afford the luxury of a dedicated studio, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take top-quality images that look like they were taken in a studio. In their latest guest post the team at Photoventure show you how… 1. Find some space Many top professional photographers have large studios with a changing room for models, high ceilings and fixing points for high-level lights, but almost any room can be used as a photographic studio. Taking full length portraits requires a lot more space than a head shot or a still life scene, so you may have to tailor your shoot to suit the room, but you can still get top-notch results. However, it’s amazing how much space you can create by shifting around the furniture of your living or dining room. Garages, lofts and attics can also be turned into temporary (or permanent) studios. Many professional studios don’t have windows because the photographers want to have complete control over the light. However, many photographers also spend a lot of time trying to recreate the appearance of natural light with studio lights, so don’t rule out using a room for a shoot just because it has a window. If you really don’t want any natural light in your shots you can cover the windows with thick curtains or shoot at night. Bear in mind, however, that in the northern hemisphere it’s often best to use a room with a north facing window to avoid harsh direct sunlight. That said, you can always diffuse sunlight or shoot on an overcast day. If you’re using natural light to light your subject you usually want to be close to the window for maximum illumination. A reflector will also come in handy to bounce back light onto your subject and fill in the shadows on the side that is away from the window. There are lots of reflectors available in camera stores, but you can also use a piece of white card or even aluminium foil that’s been scrunched up and then smoothed out again. 2. Make some light Studio lighting kits cost a lot less today than they did just a few years ago and there are some very reasonably priced two-head kits that come complete with stands and light modifiers. Many also have wireless triggers included so there’s no need to connect your camera via a cable. Most studio lights work like manual flashguns and you need to control their output manually. The easiest way to measure the exposure settings required is by using a flash meter, but you can also take a few test shots and get the exposure right by trial and error. With a little practice you will soon get to know how far away to position the light from your subject, what power setting to use and which aperture to set. There are also an increasing number of constant lights becoming available on the market. At the affordable end of scale these don’t tend to be as powerful as studio flash lights, but they have obvious advantages when it comes to measuring exposure and balancing brightness across the frame. You don’t have to use studio lights to produce great results. You can also use your flashgun(s). Ideally this should be used remotely from your camera and connected via a cable or wirelessly. These days there are a huge number of light modifiers that are designed to be used with flashguns usually (but not exclusively) to soften the light and achieve even illumination. A cold shoe or two is handy for holding your flashgun(s) either or a tripod or a lighting stand so it’s in exactly the right position and at the correct angle. One advantage of using dedicated flashguns is that they work with your camera’s metering system and can be controlled automatically. However, many photographers prefer to set their flashguns to manual (or buy more affordable manual-only flashes) so that they are in total control. One of the most important things to remember when using lights, whether they’re flashguns or expensive studio lights, is that if you double the distance between the light and the subject you reduce light intensity by a quarter, so the exposure reduces by two stops. 3. A bit of background The easiest way to have a clean background in a home studio is to invest in a background kit. This usually consists of two stands, a cross-piece and a roll of paper or fabric, but there are also pop-up backgrounds available which are very convenient to use. You can also use a wall as a background or a piece of fabric such as a bed sheet or curtain. Of course if you’re shooting table-top still life or a head-and-shoulders portrait you won’t need as big a background as you do when you’re shooting a full-length portrait. Whatever the size of the background, make sure that it is perfectly smooth and crease-free. As a rule, you want to avoid your subject casting a shadow on the background. This may take some careful positioning of the lights and your subject relative to the background. You may also need to light the background to fill out a shadow or just make it brighter in the final image. 4. Attention to detail Successful, experienced studio photographers are meticulous about the details in the images that they shoot. The subjects in a still life are all very carefully chosen and arranged with precision to create the perfect composition. Portrait models are also scrutinised to make sure that any make-up is perfect, clothing looks just right and jewellery is sitting straight. A model’s hair often causes the most issues, any stray strands must be tamed and brought under control. Keep checking throughout the shoot to make sure that everything is still in place and smooth hair back down whenever necessary. The last step in getting a studio finish is to process your images carefully. It goes without saying that you should shoot raw files so you have maximum scope for adjustment. It’s also essential to clone out any specks of dust or marks on the background.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:26:00 +0000
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