fbpx

DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

Submit A Story

How to photograph artwork like a pro with just one light

by Leave a Comment

Scanning artwork certainly has its advantages, but it also has its limitations. Brushstrokes can benefit from a more unidirectional light source. Photographing in a controlled environment allows for fine-tuning of texture and shadows.

Until the past few years, photographing artwork required either a larger sensor or stitching together multiple shots to get printable resolution. With the advent of pixel shift technology in full frame cameras, medium and some larger artwork can be reproduced allowing for better workflow and hence, better value.

[Read More…]

These are the best and the worst ways to use a single-light setup

by Leave a Comment

Although a single light doesn’t seem like much, there’s a lot you can do with it. From some more traditional setups to unusual horror setups, a single light can really be extremely versatile. In this video, Manny Ortiz will show you the best, but also the worst ways for using a single-light setup in only three minutes.

[Read More…]

How to make just a single light look like many for photos and video

by 1 Comment

For some of us, especially when we’re just starting out, we’re limited on gear. Maybe we can only afford a single light or perhaps we can afford more, but we want to experiment with just one before laying down a huge amount of cash. Either way, having just a single light for our work is not uncommon. It is possible to make one light look like many though.

In this video, filmmaker Brandon Li shows us a technique for multiplying a single light using multiple takes and compositing. It’s a technique that we’ve seen used a lot in photography, particularly product photography, but not that often with video – especially when you’ve got a moving camera.

[Read More…]

Learn three dramatic portrait lighting setups with just a single speedlight and a 5-in-1 reflector

by 1 Comment

The last few months have been a challenging time for photographers the world over. Some are now able to start getting back out and trying to lead somewhat of a “normal” life but others are still stuck at home. Whatever your case may be, many of us have somebody we can still point a camera at, and shooting portraits is a great way to practice and improve your skills when you can’t shoot your normal subjects.

While many portrait photographers will have a whole ton of lighting gear, many other photographers don’t. In this video, portrait and wedding photographer Jiggie Alejandrino shows us three very effective lighting setups we can do with just a single speedlight and an inexpensive 5-in-1 reflector.

[Read More…]

How to turn your single light into a multi-light setup… sort of

by 1 Comment

If you don’t own several strobes or simply don’t feel like making complicated lighting setups, you can use just one light and still get professional shots. In fact, you can turn this single light into two, three or even more lights. Well – kind of. It’s pretty simple, but you’ll need some Photoshop magic. In this video from Adorama, Gavin Hoey will show you how.

[Read More…]

How to shoot professional editorial portraits with only one or two lights

by 2 Comments

You may think that a single light isn’t enough to shoot magazine-worthy and professional-looking editorial portraits. But in this video, Elaine Torres shows you how to pull it off. She demonstrates a photo shoot with a single light and a two-light setup, so you can pull it off in a small studio or even at home.

[Read More…]

Here’s how to light a product with only one or two lights

by 1 Comment

Light is one of the key elements of photography, and product photography is no exception. If you’re just starting out, it’s certainly good to learn how to work with light and get the look you want. In this video, Jay P Morgan shows you how to create simple lighting setups with just one or two lights and how to control the light so that you achieve different results.

[Read More…]

How to shoot professional-looking product photos with just one light

by 1 Comment

There are plenty of cheap, DIY product photography tricks (the one with a garbage can will probably forever be my favorite). If you’re on a tight budget, you can always use one of these and get professional-looking shot without using tons of expensive gear. In this video, Ed Verosky shows you how to take great product photos at home using just one light.

[Read More…]

Getting creative with one light

by Leave a Comment

So you have just picked up your first light or you have had one light for a while now and you are wondering what more you can create with just that one light, well you can create LOADS.  I see many post/comments saying they can’t do that as they only have one light and while it is more efficient using more lights in certain situations it really is quite amazing what you can create with just one, so my best advice is to get out and shoot loads, experiment and fail as many times as you can, because honestly you will learn more this way and the experience gained will stay with you, In this post I will show you just a few ways I have created images with one light, now this is no tutorial more a post on ideas to try . If you want to jump straight to the video for this post click below.

[Read More…]

Recent Posts