Help with taking pictures?
I’m trying to take some pictures of some of the clothes I’ve made for my design portfolio. However, I only have a regular digital camera and no special lights, backdrops, or anything really. None of my friends are photography majors or have nice cameras, how can I still have professional looking photos? I’m a broke college kid, so anything requiring me to hire someone is out of the question. All guides I found online are for people with nice cameras
It is amazing how much you can do with the simplest gear, all you need is a bit of knowledge about photography. Start by really learning how to use your camera, and a few of the basics of photography.
Then work on your “studio”. Hang up a clean, ironed sheet, or use a plain wall.
Put down a clean “floor”, i.e. another sheet or some vinyl or whatever.
Hopefully you’ll also have a fairly low and white ceiling.
Now get a few lamps (such as desktop clip-ons or corner lamps or whatever). The most important part is to put the same type of bulb into all of them, and the bulbs need to be full spectrum (also called daylight bulbs) because they color temperature is the same as any daylight you’ll have coming in through a window.
Move your subject away from the background and arrange it nicely.
Now point your lights at walls, ceilings and/or reflectors to make sure you get a nice indirect light without harsh shadows. Point one at your backdrop to blow it out.
Try a few different settings on your camera, then finish it all off with a bit of post processing to make the most of the shots.
I worked as a product photographer for a few years and all I had was a Canon S3 – a little bridge camera – and a home made light tent.
It takes some effort, but it can be done.
Photography Lighting Techniques : Backdrops in Photography
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