Build this portrait studio at home for under $20

Whether we’re in lockdown or not, it’s always great to have the option of shooting high-quality photos at home. And it’s even better if we can do it on the cheap. In this video, Pye Jirsa teams up with Adorama to show you how to create a portrait studio at your own home for under $20.

Okay, the first thing you need to do is find a door. Easy-peasy, right? Open the door to get a nice, flat light in the doorway. I gotta admit – this may be a little challenging for us who live in a building instead of a house, but I guess we could make use of window light instead.

Next, get a background. You probably have a 5-in-1 reflector at home – get the scrim that comes with it and use it as your white background. In case you don’t have the reflector, you can always buy one… Or just go with a bedsheet, a table cloth, or a curtain for your background. Pye uses a chair to hang his scrim, you can do the same, or use light stands or ladders in case you chose a cloth instead of the scrim.

When you’re done with the steps above, you’ve pretty much created your “studio.” Now it’s time to place the subject so that they face the open door. A nice, even light will shine on their face. Choose your lens, dial in your exposure settings, and shoot away. You can also take photos with your phone, which is what Pye did in the video and got some pretty neat results!

A large part of the video is dedicated to editing the image in Lightroom and Photoshop. Pye has prepared the exercise file for you so you can follow along if you like, and you’ll find it in the video description. But I suggest that you set up your own little “home studio” as Pye explains and take some lovely portraits of your own.

[How to Create a Home Portrait Studio (Under 20$!) | Master Your Craft via SLR Lounge]