Winter is coming soon, which means that amateur photographers will have less opportunity to take pictures in the fresh air. There are many reasons for this - short daylight hours, cold and frost, which harm the photographic technique, and, of course, laziness, which is especially aggravated when there are slush and clouds outside the window. For those who do not want to lose their knack and strive to learn more and more facets of photo art, we offer a small instruction on creating your own home studio and some tips for taking pictures at home. A photo studio at home will allow you to shoot interesting shots without leaving your home, you can try your hand at still lifes and portraiture. Far from everyone has the money to rent a real studio or buy a small mini photo studio, but everyone can try to make a small, albeit unprofessional, studio. In this article, we will also consider options for successful photography at home and without creating a photo studio. It is likely that you will get no less beautiful pictures than photo studio professionals in Kharkov, their work can be viewed at v-studia.com.ua.
Photo studio at home
So, for starters, let's talk about what a photo studio is and what equipment is needed to create it at home:
- Background. The presence of a photo studio, home or professional, implies the presence of a background, classic - plain, or creative - with patterns. A special large plain sheet of paper acts as a background in a professional studio, you can use a large canvas of fabric. Looks good in photographs background from dense dark velvet, black or dark blue. At home, a plain painted wall or curtains can also serve as a background;
- Light source. A photographic studio cannot exist without a constant light source, and it is an integral part in creating a home photo studio. As a lighting device, you can use a conventional fluorescent lamp, or a special studio lamp. To the ordinary lamp, on the sides, you can attach several sheets of white paper to enhance the power of the emitted light. The source is installed on the right or left side of the subject, it is better to put in front of the window;
- Camera. In a professional studio, lights and flashes are synchronized with the camera. At home, when there are few lighting devices and they are not professional, synchronization may not be required. The camera itself must be equipped with an external flash. It is mounted on a tripod opposite the subject, during photography, its position can be changed;
- Extra light. If you are photographing a portrait, then for the attractiveness of the frame, you can install an additional lamp that will illuminate the hair of the model. This will give a special shine to the hair. Another light source will be useful for subject shooting, as it neutralizes excess shadows;
- Reflector. A reflector must be placed opposite the light source. Thanks to him, your home photo studio will be filled with soft light, and rough shadows will not appear on the subject. The reflector can easily be made independently using foil or white paper fixed to a dense base of plywood or metal;
- Shooting model. At home, you can still shoot high quality still lifes and portrait photographs. As for the placement of the model, it is better to place it in the center, between the light fixture and the reflector. The distance to the background should be from 0.7 to 1 meter, it depends on the type of shooting and the size of the home photo studio.
Home Photography
Everyone wants to create good photos at home, regardless of their skill level. It happens that there is no time, place or need to create a photo studio at home. In the end, if you occasionally photograph your loved ones at home, then you do not need to create a studio for this, but you want the pictures to be attractive and high-quality.
To create beautiful photos at home, it is not necessary to have special equipment, or to create some kind of supernatural conditions. Just know a few tricks and be able to fantasize. Below are a couple of convenient and affordable ways to take pictures of your home:
- Use a curtain or plaid as a background. Taking pictures at home, you can use blackout curtains as a background. It doesn’t matter what color they are, whether there is a pattern or not. The curtain creates a uniform attractive background and does not distract from the small details of the background. It is better to hang them on the door, or fix them on the wall, it is not recommended to shoot in front of window curtains, as photos may turn out to be dark. If there is no curtain, then you can use the usual rug, which should be fixed on an armchair or sofa, down on the floor, it is worth equipping a convenient place for photographing. It is desirable to take pictures with a flash and have a homemade or real reflector with you. In the end, to reflect the light, you can use an ordinary white sheet of paper;
- Blanket. When photographing newborns or young children at home, a blanket can greatly help to create a cozy home atmosphere and will serve as an excellent background for the first portraits of the baby. When shooting young children, pillows and blankets, soft textured towels and sheets will help. The main thing is that the child would be comfortable and warm there;
The carpet and the festive table have not flickered on photos from events for a long time, which is very pleasing. Their places were taken by beautiful thematic backgrounds and zones, selected dresses and costumes and high-quality processed photos by the professionals at the exit. Yes, and the goods have long been photographed using special devices - light boxes or background systems for subject shooting.
All this can be rented in photo studios or by photographers, or you can do it yourself with a little effort, time and materials. The main criterion for selecting the background is the purpose - for the wedding and for subject shooting, you need to use different equipment.
Background for home photo shoot
You can make a home photo studio for a portrait or family photo shoot and backgrounds for it yourself, using a free wall or any frame made of wood or metal. The peculiarity of filming at home is the presence of walls and the frequency of filming. For a holiday or an important event, it is not necessary to construct a capital base for the background.
To fix the background, you can use ordinary office paper clips and a vertical surface, a rope firmly stretched between two walls, a spacer for the curtain in the bathroom, ordinary baguettes or a curtain rod fixed to the wall, and any other device.
The main condition is that the background should be pulled, then the photo will look harmonious. The material is used absolutely by anyone, as the photographer intended - a color or plain background, image or thematic landscape. You can supplement the image with accessories, furniture or attributes to fill the picture and create volume.
What sizes should a background have for home use? If a subject shooting is planned, then the volumes should come from the size of the object, if a child is to be shot - height is from 1.5 meters, width is from 1 meter, the more, the more the photographer can move further.
Again, a newborn child and a child at 14 require a different amount of space, this must also be taken into account. For an adult, the background height will be already from 2 meters, and the width - from 1.5 meters.
At home, backgrounds are required to celebrate a birthday or wedding anniversary at home or in a cafe. The last 3-4 years it has been popular to have a photo wall or a zone for filming at a holiday, which attracts the attention of guests and allows you to make memorable pictures. It is necessary to take into account the number of guests in the frame at the same time - for 5-7 people, the background width will already be from 3 meters and the structure will need a more solid and stable.
Background for wedding photo shoot
On their most important day, a young family tries to make the maximum number of memorable pictures, beautiful holiday pictures. To do this, many order photo walls or photo corners, where various accessories, paraphernalia and a background hang.
Popular topics are a wall with cut out frames, floral themes, names of young people and the date of marriage. This background is already heavier than home and requires more thorough preparation. Usually, a wooden or metal structure is used, which is assembled and disassembled directly on the day of the holiday, a fabric, film or paper with an image is attached to it.
You can also make your own background for a wedding photo shoot from rooted posts with a taut rope or cable for tension. All this is decorated with flowers, ribbons, balloons, funny or beautiful pictures and creates the atmosphere of the evening.
Guests can take pictures in the area. Since the wedding option involves shooting adults, it is better if it is 3 meters wide and 2 to 2.5 meters high.
Background for subject shooting
Another option that is fundamentally different from the first two is a home-made background for subject shooting. What is it used for - photography of goods, jewelry, toys of own manufacture, shooting of objects for sale on the network. Its size directly depends on the object - 50 x 50 cm is enough for jewelry, 1 meter per 1 meter or more may be needed for goods.
The peculiarity of shooting in the position of the object and the camera - the product lies in the background, and the light and lens are on top.
To create the background, you can use wood, paper, plastic, drywall, fabric and other materials that create the desired texture. They are decorated, painted and create the desired color and look for specific shootings or objects. All these materials are easy to process and do not require special skills. This type of design does not require fastening and can be transferred to the right place.
Another option is to create a background of the house from a section of the wall or interior items. There are a lot of options - decorate the right place, hang it with cloth or paper, just put the elements on a sofa or table. If shooting is often required, it makes sense to find a place in the house with the right light and equip it with a constant background.
Portable backgrounds, on racks
The most convenient option for field shooting is photophones on special gates. They are assembled and disassembled in a couple of minutes and are a metal frame on racks, on which the background is attached - fabric, banner, paper. Background gates are an indispensable thing in the photographer’s arsenal, with their help you can create a photo zone anywhere.
They are offered in different sizes, height from 2 to 4.5 meters and a width of 2 meters, optimally 3.8 - 4.1 m.
They are adjustable and may not be installed at maximum sizes, they are stable, easy to assemble and lightweight. A background fixing system, such as a “gate”, is an excellent option for both home and outdoor photography, and subject shooting can be arranged with it.
In addition to the "gate" you will need fasteners for the background - ties, wire, clamps. They are also necessary for tensioning the material, especially if fabric is used, because it has the property of giving out fractures and shadows in the photograph.
Background installation system
An already more complex and expensive mechanism for photo shoots is a background installation system. It is a suspension system of gear brackets on which the material is attached - fabric, film or paper.
The rollers with backgrounds can be set in motion manually, according to the principle of blinds, or automatically, using the motor and the remote control. Up to 6 backgrounds can be installed on the system at a time, they are in a twisted state, if necessary, the desired one is omitted. The width of the entire structure is from 2 meters, rolls with backgrounds can be replaced.
The cost of such a system is much higher than other options, it needs to be mounted on the wall, and paper backgrounds are quickly consumed, because the lower part gets dirty. Therefore, it is advisable to take it only if necessary - for a studio or photo studio.
DIY photophone on the wall
One of the simplest decor options that does not require a design and depends only on your image is a photo wall. The decor is applied directly to the wall section, you can use a primer, textured plaster, paint, tile, drywall elements, stickers and much more. You can paint the wall with drawings, seal with paper flowers or balloons, hang pictures or ribbons, fasten letters or numbers, drape with a cloth. This design option is suitable for a holiday or a meeting of guests, according to this principle, a candy-bar is created - a table with refreshments.
DIY light box
Light-box is a special box for subject shooting, which you can do yourself. The main idea of \u200b\u200blight boxing is the absence of shadows from the subject, thanks to the scattering of the supplied light. The design is simple, to create it you will need:
- Base, for example, a cardboard box of the right size. Everything superfluous is cut from it, the side walls are cut for access of light;
A piece of white paper, whatman paper is perfect. It should close the back wall and move smoothly to the bottom of the box without an angle.
- Scotch tape or stationery buttons, they are needed to fix all the elements on the box.
translucent tracing paper or white fabric, which drapes the upper and side slots so that the light coming from sources is scattered as much as possible;Sources of light, the shade and power you need;
Actually, the camera that you need to configure for subject shooting and check the white balance on the whatman paper before starting.
Cyclorama - DIY background
Cyclorama is essentially the same light box, but large. This is the background of walls and floors without corners, which creates the impression of endless space. It can be white, black, blue or green, used for catalog and advertising shooting, for photo and video shooting of people, objects, cars.
In a home photo studio, for infrequent use, a light-box will be enough, but for studio shooting, a cyclorama is necessary. With your own hands, you can create it using the same materials, only you need to correctly calculate the angles and transitions so that the borders of the floor and wall are not visible.
Interior items and tools for creating a photophone
The greatest scope of imagination gives the use of any available means for taking pictures. As the background can be used interior items, furniture, mirrors, household appliances, fences, doors, trees and any other objects. They can be decorated with decorative elements, painted and supplemented with any details.
Rustic weddings on a background of trees, shooting pregnant women in fabric huts in the forest, children’s birthday and shooting in the yard, in paper balloons and ribbons, and many other ideas and options. They usually do not require fastening, the maximum that needs to be done is to hang the swing on a branch or arrange elements, throw a cloth or toys. This kind of background is gaining popularity, many take cameras and beautiful objects and go to shoot.
Materials suitable for creating photophones
Regardless of the type of mount or its purpose, each photophone should have certain qualities: strength, ease of attachment, relative dust and dirt resistance. An important factor is the price of the background. Most commonly used:
- Fabric basis for the background or fabric with a printed pattern, plain fabric, the choice depends on the idea. It is durable, ironed, easy to transport, easy to mount and looks very beautiful in photographs, as it does not reflect light, but scatters it.
The minus of the fabric is the need for tension, if kinks and bumps are not conceived by the plot. This is a rather expensive version of the background, suitable for mounting in any way - on the wall with buttons, on the “gate” with ties, rolls on the background lifting system. Specialized stores offer a wide selection of fabric photophones with various thematic drawings and compositions.
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Paper backgrounds
Budget material, great for rare filming or for home use. It can be made independently from Whatman paper or roll wallpaper. In shops for photography, a huge selection of the design of such backgrounds is presented, they can be plain, multi-colored, textured, with thematic images, landscapes and panoramas. The paper is lightweight, easy to store, transport and install, but not strong enough and easily soiled. If the background is laid on the floor, then it is almost one-time, because traces and spots in the photo will be very noticeable.
Spanbond
Plastic
- Often used as the basis for creating the background. It is durable, dense and holds heavy decorative elements well. Such material is sold per meter with plates, has a thickness of 1 mm to 7 mm and different densities, respectively. To fix it, you will need a base made of wood or metal, since ordinary paper clips or ties will not hold it.
Banner film
This is the usual advertising material that we use on the streets. It can print almost everything and use it in any weather in outdoor conditions, which other materials are incapable of. Banner film requires an installation frame or stretch of metal or wood, quickly and easily stretched, and looks great in photographs.
Before choosing a background for your photo shoot, you should decide on the theme, shooting conditions, attributes and decor and choose the material already for the idea. Is it possible to fix this or that material, is it possible to use it for decoration, will the wind, rain or a large number of guests withstand the background and other moments. There are numerous companies that rent or make custom-made photo walls and backgrounds for the holidays, you can order them to create a photo zone. Or do it yourself on your own.
Vivid photos that can decorate an album and disrupt hundreds of likes in social networks are created not only on the seashore or in an expensive studio. Own apartment can easily become the background for great shots! Want to learn how to take a beautiful photo at home? Read the tips in our article!
How to make a beautiful photo at home on a smartphone
We will get by with minimal means - no SLR cameras or professional lighting. Only you, a smartphone and improvised means. The techniques that you can use to get high-quality images depend on what you will be photographing.
1. Portrait
Shooting in front (the face looks directly at the camera) often creates flaws even where they were not. Try to turn to the camera half a turn - this is one of the universal options that will suit most. This angle visually makes the face narrower, emphasizes the cheekbones and slender neck.
Even a slight turn of the head makes the face in the picture more attractive
Even if you are shooting a portrait where all the viewer's attention is riveted to the face, do not forget about what is around. Unpicked clothes on a chair or an unfinished lunch can spoil an attractive picture in two ways. Try to have an interesting interior behind your back.
Keep your background aesthetic
2. Subjective shooting
If you like taking pictures for instagram, you will certainly need the ability to photograph small objects. Despite the apparent simplicity, there are enough pitfalls. It is necessary to convey the invoice, the smallest details, the exact color. Our tips will help you make a beautiful photo on your smartphone:
For subject photography, it’s nice to use a small table where the object will be located. If you use natural light, you can settle down on the windowsill. It is highly advisable to use a tripod, even if shooting is done from the phone. This will avoid shaking hands, to achieve maximum clarity.
How to make a photo even better
Even a successful shot needs to be processed. The program will improve the quality of the photo, remove the excess from the frame, retouch the portrait or apply effects. What opportunities does she offer?
I completely copy this topic from the topic I created on a similar resource some time ago - users of that resource took an active part in supplementing my ideas, so I save some of their nicknames (where the surname-name is not indicated) and photos of their works in compliance with copyright right
Beads, let's share that I found successful art backgrounds for photo shoots. I found a few for myself:
1. A shot of decoration on a white draped fabric. For example, lay out the fabric on the table, bring in beautiful folds, and lay out the decoration. Satin, matte silk, and light, thin fabrics look good in the photo. Like that:
2. Shooting earrings on beautiful glasses. Well this is a classic :-)
In the photo, my favorite kit of our bead
3. Shooting in the background thin lace. Moreover, depending on the color of the decoration, you need to apply white or black lace.
4. Looks good in the frame and “does not clog” the decoration of dishes made of twigs, rowan brushes, yellow leaves (but with leaves and mountain ash it is easy to “look” from the decoration to the composition).
5. I almost forgot! Music notes create an excellent background. But it’s also easy to go too far with them. Vot :-)
Further options were suggested by the users themselves in the comments:
6. Discreet antique gizmos, shading the decoration and setting the accent of the composition. Thanks to the idea of \u200b\u200bKaterina Solovieva about antiques, I found a beautiful photograph. In the photo there are legs of an antique dressing table (the author’s blog contains a description of how she restored and decorated it). The truth in the photo is not decoration, but lipstick :-)
7. Photo on the model. I really liked the latest collection of works by Ekaterina Deomidova. Photo of her Santorini necklace on a beautiful girl:
8. Tortilla suggested ideas for suede and concrete flooring. If everything is more or less clear with the fabric, then with a large approximation, the concrete texture is actually interesting and looks in a new way:
9. Evgenia Karaseva suggested photographing on the background of knitted fabrics. Here is what Google gave me at the request of the images “knitwear background”:
I think the same can be attributed to monophonic large-knit fabrics.
10. Natalia Klarissa showed an example with an old book (in the photo of her work):
11. Natalya Klarissa also made amazing plexiglass photos:
12. Pussi suggested the idea with a gray background, which will advantageously shade and accentuate any color of the product. In general, Pussi gave a lot of practical advice - for which many thanks to her :-)
By the way, an unbleached linen came to my mind on the topic of gray:
13. Galina Soboleva suggested ideas with bulk materials: semolina, granulated sugar, millet. I’ll add river sand from myself (it’s cleaner and finer than sea sand)
14. kalena shared an example of using lightbox. Lightbox of course can not be attributed to the background as such. These are the shooting conditions, rather. However, it helps to achieve better results in the photo. Who does not want to spend money on a purchase - here's a link for you to make a lightbox yourself.
15. Oksana Kosmodemyanskaya suggested using white or black watercolor paper, canvas, dense fabric. She also presented the idea with a photo on a candlestick (in the frame there is a fragment of a bronze candlestick with a patina).
16. Barawina Ella suggested a great idea of \u200b\u200bphotographs in the lap of nature. Look how Ekaterina Kostina’s earrings look fabulously on a tree branch:
17. Repair prompted krot1 that in the frame you can use beautiful wallpaper. So what? Now they make all kinds of embossed expensive wallpapers there - the photo should look luxurious and resemble brocade. I think a great idea :-)
18. In turn, the idea of \u200b\u200bkrot1 with wallpaper prompted me to see a brick, a wild stone, and a decorative facing tile under a stone look good on the photo. Something like that:
19. Pussi continues to delight us :-) Look at what wonderful backgrounds she found in full-scale shooting in the forest. I am delighted! By the way, in a personal email she sent me another wonderful background with picturesque forest moss. So do not neglect photos in nature!
20. Here comes the same inspiration :-) You can use shells in compositions! Large beautiful shells, such as:
Once again, I supplement our collection with excellent backgrounds that you, cute beads, suggested:
21. proposed a cool idea with aged paper and English text, and also showed how notes benefit from aging. Admire how stylish it looks:
By the way, I also used the idea of \u200b\u200bdried leaves in my photos. Now is the time to collect beautiful leaves and dry them in the shade :-) In winter, you will get great shots!
22. offered to photograph products on the background of bamboo napkins. It seems to me that this is an elegant solution: the work comes to the fore, and the napkin does not “clog” the image and serves as a good interesting background :-)
23. showed a whole set of different beautiful works and backgrounds! :-) I will add here those backgrounds that we did not have yet. Most of all I liked the ideas with fur and crumpled paper - and you?
24. removes work on a simulated felt. It embroiders on it :-) In my opinion, it looks very noble! :-)
25. showed how beautifully photographed works were on suede, linen and textured paper :-) I would also like to note her idea with suede coating for gift wrapping :-)
26. suggested photographing works on gray pastel paper, or on matte photo paper, because
I want to add that in most cases a win-win option is a photo on medium gray paper (for pastel). On a white background, the product is darkened by the camera, and on black it is highlighted. But on the medium gray just right, the colors are as close to the truth. But the gray background does not always look advantageous, sometimes other colors are needed.
Here is what Google gave me on request about gray pastel paper:
27. showed an interesting idea with a photo on a children's swing - look, what a delight:
And she also noticed that it would be nice to photograph the work on pebbles - in principle, pebbles of shades of gray will perfectly tint the photo and will not “overload” and draw attention to themselves - we admire:
I express my deep gratitude to everyone who helped me collect ideas :-)
If you have any other ideas, please, unsubscribe - we will collect all the good thoughts about backgrounds in one place :-)
How to make your photos stylish? Many do not think, and it is the background of the picture that plays an important role in the overall composition of the frame. What photophone for a photo to choose? For you, 12 best and budget ideas that could be implemented at home would be collected!
Crystal Clean
The perfect white background is a classic photon for a photo that is suitable for 80% of shots. In addition, under the universal background, you can impose any texture in the photo and video editor that you want. From the materials you can choose one of these:
- sheet;
- blanket;
- gauze;
- long pile wool rug;
- painted plywood;
- laminate;
- inexpensive countertops from IKEA.
If you want to buy a photophone for food photos, then plywood is not the best option. When drops of water fall on it, it absorbs everything well and has the property of swelling. And this in the frame does not look very aesthetically beautiful.
White laminate of different sizes can be bought at any hardware store.
Plywood
Plywood is a very interesting and lightweight material for a photophone. It is a thin board with a homogeneous wooden texture. You can buy it at a hardware store.
Plywood itself is a great backdrop for shots. But if your photos lack zest, then you can treat the sheet with stain to give it a different shade or paint.
It is important to remember that such a photophone for a photo does not tolerate much moisture. Immediately abandon the pictures using water or spray.
Price per sheet starts from 200 rubles.
Panels
In the hardware store in the departments with wallpaper you can find decorative panels for the ceiling made of wood or polystyrene. They are both absolutely even and embossed with convex patterns. Their pleasant to the touch texture looks great in the frame. For the background you need 4 or 9 squares.
Such a panel serves as an excellent reflector in subject shooting.
Price: from 50 rubles.
Adhesive tape
Self-adhesive film with various prints and textures, which are also sold in construction stores, can set the mood for your photos. If you look good on Aliexpress, you can find self-adhesive paper with the effect of marble, wood, stone and other natural rocks. The film is best glued onto thick MDF paper or hardboard.
Adhesive tape can be found at Fix Price stores.
Price: from 100 rubles.
Concrete
At first glance, making a complicated photophone for a photo is rather difficult. And it’s better to put it in the hands of knowledgeable people. To create a concrete background, you will need cement (or cement-containing products: tile adhesive, grout) and water.
All this must be mixed with each other. Apply interior primer to the fiberboard and allow it to dry. And then smear with a spatula to cover the fiberboard with a cement mixture (hypoderm) or a sheet of plywood. When it all dries, you get the effect of real concrete. Looks pretty good!
White gypsum photon is suitable for cakes, cupcakes and other pastries.
Price: from 250 rubles.
Craft paper
The next photon background for the photo is craft paper. Pictures with such a background are very interesting. Universal background is perfect for any still life and other things. You can buy paper in any creative and construction store or order on the Internet. It is sold in rolls or goes straight sheets. You can use it as a flat surface or a little dented.
The perfect photophone for manicure, nails or jewelry display.
Price: from 100 rubles.
Cardboard
An unambiguous advantage of this material is that cardboard has a huge color palette. It is with the help of it that you can create original and vivid pictures. But among the shortcomings, it should be noted that this material does not tolerate moisture at all, it absorbs everything well and forms different spots on its surface. It deteriorates quite quickly, and it lasts for a couple of photo shoots.
Price: from 100 rubles.
Fibreboard or fiberboard is the ideal material as the basis for the background. You can dye it or glue paper on it. Fiberboard 60 * 120 cm costs about 80 rubles.
Fabrics
There is no limit to fantasy. Fabrics can be chosen to your taste of various textures and textures, from burlap to tablecloth or from chiffon to organza. You can combine them with completely different objects to achieve the perfect composition.
In addition to fabrics suitable:
- towels;
- curtains;
- tablecloths;
- scarves
- large knit sweaters;
- silk pillowcases;
- covers for furniture.
Price: from 100 rubles per meter.
It looks insanely beautiful if the fabric is wrinkled a little and give the background a bump.
Ceramics
Ceramic tile or porcelain stoneware is a very good photophone for a photo. If you have several plates left after repairs, then you can safely use this background for your shots.
If your bathroom has good lighting and beautiful ceramic tiles, why not? This is an ideal place for pictures under the relaxing sound of water! As a result, you can get unusual images with amazing effects!
Photos of clothes on such a photophone will look just amazing!
Metal shield
How to make an imitation of a metal surface at home? There is an exit! A metal shield comes to the rescue. Finding it is much easier than you think. You don’t have to look for him in the district or buy from local men for a bottle. You can find a sheet of aluminum surface in any hardware store.
Price: from 200 rubles.
