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.
Welcome to Studio @ Home.
After three years and some change that this site is running I am getting a lot of feedback that makes me think that some order is needed.
True, over the last few years we've covered almost any aspect of home photography on a budget going through backdrops, light modifiers, and camera tweaks that will make your life easier when going on this long journey of getting a home studio. However, all the info was scattered all over wisely spread across the time line.
My gift to you readers for DIYP 3rd Year Aniversarry - 43 Photography Hacks, Mods And DIY Projects. (And some shameless self promotion)
3. Using A Cooling Honeycomb As A DIY Gridspot
5. The DIY Speed Strap - Accessories And Samples
6. Kimel’s Pop Up Flash Soft Box Diffuser
7. Drinking Beer - Out! Snooting - In!
10. V Cards
The following guest is written by Matt Haines (site, blog, Flickr). After surfing his awesome Flickr stream, I asked him if he'd like to share his mojo with DIYP readers. I should have known better. Now I am trying to find a new lighting trick to make my face look less red.
I’d like to thank Udi for inviting me to do a guest blog posting (my first!). Initially when he asked me to write about V-cards, I thought…huh? V-cards? Just a couple of foam panels taped together, what’s the big deal?
But Udi is wise. Oh he’s a wise one alright. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there’s plenty to say about such a simple—and cheap—light modifier. They’re so simple, the DIY construction part is hardly worth mentioning. Although I’ll mention it anyway. But it’s not how you build your V-card, it’s what you do with it. And you can do a lot!
When I just started exploring artificial lighting, I had no strobes. I had no light stands and had no nothing. Yea, when I was your age, we use to walk barefoot to school. In January. When it snowed. *cough* *cough* sorry. Something just took over me.
Anyway, when I just started lighting, I looked for the cheapest light that I can afford. Halogen seemed like a good choice. It was cheap and it could be plugged in even cheap light stands. With some baking paper, it ever provided some diffused light. [Image by fangleman].
Light tent, or Light box is a piece of lighting gear used mostly for product shots. It creates a nice, smooth, safe light with almost no hot spots.
We've posted a tutorial for a really simple light box before. This light box was made of a simple cardboard box and was super easy to construct and really dispensable.
Reader Randi Scott constructed a PVC light box skeleton that is both sturdy and, not dispensable, but can be stowed away so your significant other will not complain. Read all about it and learn how to make one yourself on this link.
One of the simplest mods that were featured in DIYP is the lightstand to backdrop holder mod.
It is fast to make, has some PVC in it - PVC ROCKS - and it is a can be a cheap and easy alternative for on location instant backdrop.
Martin Kimeldorf (Flickr) who is the master mind behind this simple-yet-genius contraption has been busy. Taking in the great reader comments on the original post, Martin has improved his original design. I was really happy when I got the note in the mail asking to share the new generation of the Light Stand Backdrop Holder.
A few weeks ago I stumbled across Sandra Freeman's photography site. I was captured by her stunning life-like flower images. I then asked Sandra to share her photography ideas with DIYP readers.
Gladly for us, she agreed.
I was surprised to learn that Sandra is using nothing but one window as light source, and nothing but black fabric and some foam core board as studio. Then again, Sandra shows us all that there is no need for fancy studio equipment to take great shots - all you need is good brains. Just like the Spraying Flowers tip, it can not get any simpler.
In the following article, Martin Kimeldorf will show us how to make a backdrop stand that can be mounted on your I-carry-it-anyway lightstand.
I don’t like to carry a ton of photo stuff. The notion of trucking around 2 lights stands and a cross bar, with backgrounds, plus tripod and additional light stands for off-camera flash…well, it just ain’t me, not at my age. I went into my head-shed and tried to work with an existing light stand (costing $20 $45) and materials found at my local hardware and fabric outlet. I now have a lightweight, portable set up for less than 1/3 the cost of the commercial ones. Plus it is smaller than most being only 6 feet across. I can remain mobile.
On my Ode to my Power Supply Unit post I got quite a few comments about that nasty double reflection. I just had to fix this. The reason for this reflection is that a glass board has some thickness so I got one reflection from the top surface of the glass and one dimmer reflection from the bottom surface of the glass.
I intended to go with the strobist solution of black granite tile when I realized that I would have a hard time explaining my wife why I just had to have a piece of junk I mean a black tile I mean a photography accessory to make my studio complete.
