DIYPhotography.net Photography and Studio Lighting

Once we have explored location and a few basic backdrops options we are going to hit lighting. The backdrop assignment will be up next. However, I thought it would not be fair to do the first assignment without even a little bit of home lighting discussion.

After all, light is the substance from which your photograph is made of.

There are several lighting options if you are building up your home studio: Tungsten, Halogen, Florescent, small speedlites and the big canons - studio flashes. Each with its vices and merits. I will dedicate a full post to explore the several options. But just to get things started, I wanted to discuss the most available light of all: Available Light.

Ever had your light stand taken down along with your precious 5000$ Profoto? Not a fun experience.

Next runner up on the not-so-fun light stands falls is a knocked-down speedlite. While the cost of speedlites is considerably less than the cost of a Profoto, if this is all you have it can still be pretty annoying. Especially if you're on the beach where it's sandy. 

Keep reading for a cheap and ingenious solution. 

Here's a great project for a weekend. The DIY Light Table, courtesy of Félix Ménard (Flickr).

The idea behind the light table is simple. Things look really great if the light is passing through them. As opposed to light being reflected off them. This is why slides look so good, this is why we love vitrage windows in churches. 

A light table is the perfect way to inspect slides, negs and to do some really interesting art.

This project by Felix uses an old desktop (from when desktops were actually made from wood and did not have any chips in them), however, a similar project can be made with more temporary means which are great for a weekend project. I'll discuss this towards the end.

If you've read the small backdrops post on Studio @ home, you know I am now on some R&R with wify. Of course I am packed for the ride with my photography gear. Aside from a camera I wanted to share how I pack my flash things. I got this tip from a long while ago at Strobist and here is my adaptation: The Portable Flash Pack.

OK, so you have your space, and ready to take your first shot on your new studio.

One of the first things that you'll need is background. Whether you're doing a product shot or a full portrait, backgrounds play essential role in the final outcome.

A good background will not create distractions from the subject, and will help draw attention to its features.A bad background, on the other hand, can spoil a perfectly good subject and create a cluttered feel that will distract from the subject.

In this post I'll cover backgrounds for small objects and product shots.

The following guest post by Brian Carey will show you how to make a powerful macro glass using some old filters (and really good and cheap glass)

One method of delving into macro photography is to use adapter rings.

These rings have threads on both sides, one end is screwed onto your present camera lens like any filter and a second lens is attached in reverse onto the other end of the ring. So two lenses can be attached front to front using the adapter rings filter threads. You can buy these adapters or you can make them yourself by taking filters matching the thread sizes of the lenses being used and removing the glass and epoxying the rings together with the threads sticking out on both ends.

About a week ago, James Burger shared a fantastic video where he showed his bedroom transformed into a 100% class A photography studio. In no more than 108 seconds the transformation was completed shots were taken and the studio collapsed into nothing leaving the bedroom completely intact.

Connecting to the theme of Studio @ Home, James explains how (and why) he did it:

In this installment of Studio @ Home we will deal with the most fundamental aspect of having a home based studio - space.

When dealing with studio space can be easily overlooked while taking care of all the musts: camera, lighting, backdrops, props and more. But the fact of the thing is, you cannot have a studio if there is no studio space. So, how much space do you need?

The “A.I.R” = Affordable Inflatable Reflector

There are already a lot of DIY reflector designs out there, which are built of PVC tubes and are definitely great: cheap, easy to build, effective and often collapsible. But there is a drawback: the length of the tubes limits the minimal size of the disassembled reflector.

Tobi Troendle created the A.I.R reflector. Aside from having a cool name it also folds to nothing.

Photographer James Burger walks us through a 108 seconds journey of converting his bedroom into a studio and back. And he does that stop motion, no less. (If you are reading this via RSS, you may want to click the post to see the full vid). 

More after the jump.