At least once each photographer had to postpone a shooting due to weather or season. The only exceptions are studio photographers, because studio always provides ideal conditions for shooting. The main trick is that these conditions are adjustable.
Today we will describe how you can create adjustable conditions for filming at home by listing several options of organizing a home studio with minimal investment.
Surely, you might understand that one way or another, a home photo studio has certain limitations, and such studios are not fully universal. Among common limitations of all home studios first comes the size: length, width, height, unless you live in your own mansion or a spacious loft. However, most often, at any home one can shoot objects and large portraits. It may be possible to shoot full-height portrait, but it depends.
Option 1. Natural light. Up to 5000 r.
In this option, try to make the most of the light, which is present in almost any room — light from the window. In sunny weather, this light can be harsh, so it’s better to get a light modifier — a scattering surface. A tulle curtain can come in handy.
Shadows can be managed using a reflector. Although, it is possible to use a dense white piece of fabric on a frame or at least on a crossbar, but it will be much more convenient to get a reflector and a mounting system. Thus, you have a better control and can fine-tune the position of a reflector.
As for the object shooting, you can equip your set with a table and vinyl / plastic / wooden / paper backdrops worth of 500 rubles and more.
For shooting portraits, you can add fabric backgrounds of different colors and textures.
Such a studio still relies on the time of the day, but notably, it is almost free. It would be best if you can find everything you need at home already. Such conditions will suit for shooting creative projects and arranging photoshoots for social media.
Option 2. Artificial constant light. Up to 10 000 r.
The light from the window is not suitable for shooting at any time of the day. Here the electric light comes to the rescue. In the simplest version, the problem is solved by purchasing several ordinary floor lamps. They can cost about 1000 r. I recommend choosing lamps with dimming or smooth brightness control. If there is no built-in dimmer, you can buy or order a dimmer additionally. Lamps should be as bright as possible and support dimming.
A floor lamp with a sizeable lampshade would be useful to create soft light. Or you can reflect directed harsh light from a reflective surface.
The main disadvantage of such a studio is that household lamps may be rather weak. Therefore, it is important to arrange a possibility to darken the room completely — choose a room without windows or, easier, put up blackout curtains. So that the window light does not touch a shade you need, and the light pattern remains expressive.
With all possible control, such a studio will not provide a lot of light, so you still have to increase ISO (for example, for portraits), or use a tripod (object photography).
If it is possible to add another 2-3 thousand rubles, then instead of household light, you can purchase a starter kit of adapted studio light with more powerful lamps, diffusers and adjustments for height, angle and power.
Option 3. Affordable impulse light. From 10000 r.
Yes, pulsed light can be affordable. Of course, it is clear that certain risks and low power come with a low price. However, at a small room it is sufficient for a vast majority of tasks.
The budget of creating a home photo studio will highly depend on the purpose and number of use cases. The more diverse are the tasks, the more diverse accessories you may need. If the shootings are typical, then you can get by with minimal investment and without compromising on quality.
In all of the above mentioned options, one cannot do without ingenuity, thoughtful use of available square meters and knowledge of studio shooting and light control. Learn to shoot in the studio using any equipment and come to our school for the course «Studio shooting«.
Peter Pokrovsky
