DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Here is a simple $20 studio you can set up anywhere

Aug 31, 2020 by Dunja Djudjic 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

If you plan to set up a home studio, there can be a lot of things on your mind and on your to-buy list. But what if I told you that you could make it so much simpler? In fact, you can set up a studio anywhere with just a few props and for some $20. Pye Jirsa teamed up with Adorama to show you an idea for a photo studio you can set up at your home or anywhere else and get professional-looking results on a budget.

What I particularly like about this idea is that it uses available light. It’s not only because I like natural light, but it also means that you don’t need to invest in lighting gear. Also, you can achieve good results with any camera, even your phone. Sure, a phone can’t replace a dedicated DSLR or mirrorless camera with a good lens. But, even a great camera will give you bad results if you don’t have good light. Here are the steps to creating your “studio:”

So, the main thing you’ll need for this setup is natural light coming through a window. You’ll also need dark curtains and sheer curtains, but a simple piece of fabric will do too.

  1. Start by turning off the ambient light in the room. This way you won’t get mixed lighting and inconsistent tones throughout the shot.
  2. Now, close down the curtains to leave just a narrow strip of light. This way you’ll basically create a stripbox.
  3. Use sheer curtains to diffuse the window light. If you don’t have them, a white shower curtain or bed sheet will do the trick.
  4. As you close down the curtains, the wall behind your subject will become darker. Depending on the wall color it can already look awesome, but you can also add a backdrop. It can be a studio backdrop, or just simple paper or fabric. Find something to clamp it to behind your subject (Pye uses a C-stand).
  5. Place your subject next to the light source and add the backdrop behind them. Your setup is almost done – you only need to bounce off some shadows. For this, bring in a reflector on the opposite side of the subject’s face. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a white poster board or foam core will do just fine. If you don’t have a C-stand to clamp it on, just put it on a chair. If you want to create more of the edge light you’ll place the light a bit more behind the subject; and if you want to fill all the shadows, place it a bit more forward.

The beauty of this setup is that it doesn’t require lots of gear, meaning that it’s both cheap and simple. Also, it’s easily available: you can set it up pretty much anywhere where there’s a window. Of course, there are many ways to create a home studio and you may need to involve a lot more gear. There are also a lot of excuses not to do it, budget being the most obvious one. But this is a great way to get started and to get beautiful photos if your budget is tight.

[Create a $20 Photography Studio You Can Use Anywhere | Master Your Craft | Adorama]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

This DIY YouTube studio-in-a-box lets you film anywhere instantly How to setup a simple home studio combining natural and continuous light Default ThumbnailHow To Get A Black Background Anywhere No Snow? No Problem! This tip will let you create a snowy paradise anywhere!

Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: diy home studio, home studio, Pye Jirsa

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Tourist damages a 200-year-old sculpture after lying on it for a photo
The $10,000 teardown – Fuji GFX 100 vs saltwater »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy