How to Make Lighting for Photography Studios
With the price of quality still cameras continually dropping, making your own photography studio at home is becoming financially feasible for more photography enthusiasts. Yet professional photography lighting can cost thousands of dollars, making it difficult for hobbyists or start-ups to create a complete studio setup. Frugal photographers can make their own lighting for a home photography studio for less than a few hundred dollars. These lights can be used to create professional-looking photographs indoors.
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Things You'll Need
- 3 construction work lights with stands
- Wax paper
- Large piece of white foamcore
- Aluminum foil
- White translucent cloth
- Cardboard boxes
- Large piece of flexible white poster board
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions
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Assign the three work lights for three-point lighting: use one as a key light to dominate the lighting, one as a fill light to lighten up shadows, and one as a back light to shine on the back of the subject and separate it from the background. Attach wax paper in front of paper with tape or clothespins to diffuse the light if desired.
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Use the white foamcore as a reflector to bounce light off. For an extra-reflective option, cover one side of the foamcore with aluminum foil, attaching it with glue or tape. The aluminum side will reflect a bolder light, while the white foamcore side will reflect a softer, subtler light.
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Remove one side of a small cardboard box and cut a hole in the other side that will fit your flash. Light the inside with aluminum foil and cover the open side with a translucent white cloth. Attach this box to your flash to use as a softbox, diffusing the light from the flash to give it a more gentle look.
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Cut holes in the top and two sides of a larger cardboard box, then cut the front off the box. Cover the side and top holes with translucent white cloth. You can now set up lights to go through the cloth-covered openings and insert a piece of flexible white poster board as a backdrop to create a light tent for shooting product photos.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with different bulbs and light sources. Try using china lanterns for soft light or a colored bulb for a stylized effect.
Color temperatures are sometimes inconsistent with homemade lighting units, so make sure you white-balance your shots if you are using a digital camera.
Use extension cords to vary where your power is coming from. High-wattage lights consume a lot of power and can blow fuses easily.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
