I've been trying to post more photos of my work on this blog and also on my Facebook page. The temptation is to be lazy and not bother with photos as it can seem like a really time consuming task. Mostly it was the set up that kept putting me off, having the bother of clearing a space, and trying to get good light. Something had to change!
I looked around my house and saw that I had a really bright spot in one area of my studio, I was using the top of a chest of drawers to store envelopes and packaging stuff. I cleared it all away and made a permanent photography area that would always be ready for me to take a few quick snaps. I set up a back board that has vintage material draped on it, and placed a matching base material to cover the table. New backdrops can be added really easily if this colour theme doesn't suit my subject, behind this floral material the board is covered in blue gingham wrapping paper(which you can see below). I covered another board in tinfoil, this helps to bounce light onto my objects being photographed, and allows me to take pictures a little later in the day by pulling in a little extra light.
I force myself to keep this area tidy and not let it build up with clutter, unlike every other available space in my studio! Because of the tinfoil board I've found that I barely have to edit my pictures afterwards which also saves me tonnes of time. Below are some examples of before and after shots, on the left are the new pictures and on the right are older ones that I took over the years. I'm using a bog standard camera, a Canon IXUS, so I'm pretty happy with the results I was able to get.
Did you find this post helpful or interesting? To follow my other post here is my RSS feed.
Pin It
This is such a fantastic idea! I have to say I am drawn to the first image, love red with white spots :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Eva! It's extra nice to hear that from a photographer :-)
Deleteoooh the tin foil is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteYep it reflects the light in a soft way that isn't too obvious, but still effective
DeleteExcellent idea, I too am a bit short of space, and this if it was portable can go anywhere to make the most of the Irish ( lack of )light. Thank you for all your wonderful and helpful ideas.....I'm going to be busy!
ReplyDelete