Home Studio 1
By Barry Graham
I expect the first thing you were expecting to see were lots of
diagrams, with lines and squiggles showing where the lights, reflectors and all
the other paraphernalia involved in working a studio. Well sorry to disappoint,
but this the 'Easy Peasy Home Studio' remember. Now easy doesn't mean cheap and
nasty, it means why spend a fortune when there is no need to. As far as lighting
goes I think you will all agree there is no lighting better than natural light.
In this article I will show you how using your home, providing it comes up to some sort of minimum standard which the majority of you will have, you will be able to take stunning pictures. Please do not believe all the hype that for really pro pictures you need a big studio with fantastic sets. Why spend half an hour of precious studio time moving stuff around when you probably have whatever set you are creating already and for real. To prove the point the pictures on this page are taken in real locations and by available light. True you have to work carefully with a light meter and use lots of reflecting surfaces, but the results can be truly stunning.
The first rule you really must adhere
to is NO CLUTTER! Clear the decks. Look at the scene with a very critical eye.
No wall sockets, no bedside clocks, no tatty books with curled corners, get the
idea? Maybe you want your model in front of a bookcase, well make sure the books
are well laid out and neat. The idea is the viewer is looking at your models
charms not troubled by a messy background.
WARNING!
Photo magazines often say you should use large sheets like studio
backdrops. Forget it!!!! Use the room as the studio, using everything in it like
a prop. The only secret to this is to use your viewfinder beyond your model.
Look at the scene just as the scene. Not what you want, so move the furniture
around. You are setting a fantasy, be it a
bedroom, lounge, or even as I have done your garage.
Notice how in the pictures on this page the models stand out as the backgrounds
have been carefully selected. Look at the scene is the best advice I can
give.
So lets assume you have set the room as you want it and it is a
bright day. Lovely light is coming in through the window and is not throwing any
shadows. Using your cameras spot meter check the light on her brightest side.
Now check light in the shadows. As this is glamour and not art you should aim
for no more than two stops difference. Remember the viewer wants to see the 
model and
wants to see her clearly. So if you have a drop of more, now you can get that
sheet out and use it as a reflector. I must assume you understand about using
light meters and working for the highlights, or the shadows!
The wonderful thing about natural light is it gives you such soft shadows, unless of course you have sunlight streaming through the window. One of the biggest headaches people have is trying to get the model far enough removed from the background to lose the harsh shadow she throws when using lights. No problem with natural light. It does help to use a small amount of flash on the camera just to give the models eyes a sparkle. 1/4 power should be fine. Experiment!
My living room has a NE facing window and once the sun has gone over the house the light is wonderful. The room is 13ft long by 12ft wide, and yes I am restricted by where I can shoot from, but why keep changing position? I find in the early afternoon of a normal day I have f5.6 at 60 to 125, which is plenty. Obviously focus has to be spot on, but I hope yours always is anyway.
One of the above pictures was taken in a studio set, not by available light. Can you spot which one? My point is that at home with careful planning and studying your background you can match a studio set. Give it a try.
Next month I'll explain about the pitfalls of a home studio using lights and how to best overcome them.