How to Create a Home Photo Studio on a Budget

How to Create a Home Photo Studio on a Budget:
Do you dream of setting up your own home studio but have always found the cost too high? Fear not help is at hand. All you need is the space to take photographs and some basic equipment. The tips in this article will have you up and running in no time at all.

Photo captured by Christopher Seufert (Click Image to See More From Christopher Seufert)

1. Check Out the Free Ads in Your Local Paper

See if somebody is upgrading and selling their used home studio equipment. I bought my first lighting set-up, a set of Courtney Studio lights, in just this way. Also checkout if they are selling any other accessories like flash meters and synchronization (sync)cords.

2. Create Your Own Backdrops

You can create your own backdrops for very little cost;

• Get a sheet of 9 ft x 9 ft Muslin and tie-dye it (remember the grand-dad shirts of the 60′s!) for a great professional looking backdrop.


• Get a canvas sheet (size as above)and Dye that, although this will be heavy and will need a lot of dye.


• Check out eBay for great bargain backdrops.

3. Use Natural Lighting

The simplest, cheapest (it’s free) and often the best lighting source is natural window light. Utilize voiles to get a soft diffused light or allow direct light for more dramatic effects.

4. Make Your Own Reflector

You can create an inexpensive reflector from a piece of cardboard (break up an old cardboard box), silver foil, white paper and spray adhesive. Use the spray adhesive to stick the foil to one side of the cardboard and white paper to the other and hey presto, you have a cheap reflector. This can then be used to bounce the light and thus act as a second or fill light. This is how I made my first reflectors in my early home studio set-ups, before I bought a set of reflectors.

5. You don’t Need To Spend a Fortune on Lights

You don’t need an expensive lighting set-up for your home studio.;

• Check out Interfit gear, it’s cheap and cheerful but does the job.


• Once again look in eBay for studio kit.


• A good set-up, if you can find it, is the Nissin 340T kit. This consists of two hot-shoe flashes, a main swivel head unit and smaller fixed head fill unit.

6. Some Home Studio DIY Projects You Could Tackle Yourself

Here are a few suggestions for DIY projects;

1. Create your own backdrop.


2. Make yourself a bounce reflector.


3. Construct a soft-box from an old cardboard box, silver foil, muslin and spray adhesive.


4. Build yourself a still life table.


5. Check the web for Photographic DIY sites to get more ideas.

By thinking outside the box you can build a home studio on a very small budget with careful planning. While this is not your dream studio but it will enable you to practice and hone your skills. In time as you improve your studio techniques you will be able to get some commissions and use this to upgrade your set-up.

About the Author:

Charles Demain – For more photography tips and a tricks hop over to http://www.creativeslrphotography.com.

Go to full article: How to Create a Home Photo Studio on a Budget

Join the discussion of this article on facebook: PictureCorrect on Facebook

Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips