How to Do a Photoshoot Without a Backdrop

Orchestrating your own photoshoot can seem like a daunting task, especially if you're adding the burden of creating a home studio from scratch. If you don't have a lot of professional photography experience or just don't have the space to set up a backdrop with lighting, consider some alternatives to using a backdrop.

Instructions

1. Stage your photo shoot outdoors in a natural environment. Look for areas that have a simple combination of large blocks of color. For example, an area with some water, some trees and some sky provides a good balance of simple colors.

2. Alternatively, stage your photo in a place where there is a lot of color variation but easily recognized patterns that don't detract from the subject of the photo. For example, a patch of flowers that are all different colors, a car lot full of different colors of the same car or a city block full of buildings can all be good choices.

3. Look for outdoor scenes where you can place your subject next to a single object that has an interesting texture. For example, sit your subject down on a cobblestone road and eliminate all the rest of the surroundings. The single color will eliminate distractions, while the texture will add interest.

4. Look for settings where the colors are muted except for one or two objects that standout. For example, a sandy beach that has one red umbrella on it or an empty green field with one white bench are both great places to put a subject because the accent color adds interest.

5. Control the lighting as much as you can. When you choose not to use a backdrop and a studio, you lose complete control over the lighting, but you can still choose areas that have good lighting and research when the light is best. Morning or evening light generally looks best on subjects, but remember that bad light or light that shines in the subjects' eyes can completely ruin a photo shoot.

6. Make sure that any area you choose is free of distracting objects. Place all objects in the scene deliberately, and treat the landscape as your own studio just as you would if you were indoors and in control of every detail.