How to create a makeshift portrait studio with household items

Are you an amateur photographer eager to start experimenting with models and portraits in a studio environment? By following these easy steps you can create a temporary studio for taking pictures without having to be a professional or rent a studio space.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Several large bed sheets, patterned and solid color
• 3 floor lamps
• Clothing or costumes you want to feature
• Willing friends to be your model
• Two 40 watt household light bulbs
• One 60 watt household light bulb

1. Begin by deciding which room or space you have decided to use as your studio, a medium size guest room or a corner section of a large room are good choices.
2. Completely clear out your chosen space, making sure to clear out space behind the area where your camera will stand as well to enable free movement away or torward you subject.
3. Next, choose one of the large bed sheets and hang it on a wall as a backdrop. Having several choices of patterned or solid color backdrops at hand will give you more options for mood and atmosphere.
4. Now take your 3 floor lamps and exchange the existing bulbs with the two 40 watt bulbs and the one 60 watt bulb. By having these varying bulb intensities you will be able to control the amount of light you shed onto your subject more easily by employing different combinations of the 3.
5. Tilt the floor lamps toward your subject area so the lamp's light shines onto the area you are going to photograph. This is done best by leaning the lamps against any 2 to 3 feet high stable object such as a chair or ottoman.
6. Have fun choosing a whole universe of model, costume, and situation combinations to photograph.

Tips & Warnings

• Mounting your camera on a tripod will give you more level and steadier shots.
• Try to keep the lamps behind your camera, a lighting fixture creeping into your shot usually doesn't look very good.
• Try out different elevations and angles with your lamps to create shadows or highlight certain aspects.
• Always make sure that the object you are resting the lamp on is not at risk for catching fire. Check on your lighting often to see if your lamp is too hot for the object it is resting on.