Photos always tell a great story regardless of where they are taken. If you cannot go out as much to capture images as usual, maybe you can try taking portrait shots for your portfolio or Instagram feed for now. You don’t need all the fancy equipment and venues to do this -- you can turn your garage into a makeshift photo studio! Yes, you heard that right. With just a bit of creativity and your basic photography equipment, you can have a photo studio at a fraction of the cost of renting a real one. If you’re raring to start, you have to keep your supplies in check. You will need the following:
- A roll of seamless paper
- Backdrop materials
- Backdrop stand
- Sandbags, rocks, or bottles with water to prevent stands from rolling
- Gaffer’s tape
- Scissors
- Spring clamps
- Ring lights
Once those are ready, you can proceed with the actual fun activity of putting up the photo studio. Here are the simple steps that you can follow:
- Clean the garage -- Well, you don’t have to do a major cleaning (but that is also a great idea) but you can at least sweep a little to make sure that the floor does not have rocks, dirt, or liquid, You can also organize your clutter on your garage storage or overhead racks.
- Follow the light -- This only means to look for the spot with the lighting that you want. That’s the best angle for your backdrop. If you want a more airy and fun vibe, you can try to position the backdrop to the open garage door. Installing a ring light is another option. If you want a little drama, find a place where the lights start to fade. You can also install ring lights, speedlights, and even studio strobes.
Note: Instead of photos, maybe we can try to embed this Youtube video: [embed]https://youtu.be/h5L2B61gyrk[/embed]
- Put up your stand -- Assemble the stand once you’ve picked out an ideal place. It’s better if your stand has wheels so you can reposition them whenever you want without hassle. If not, don’t worry, you will have all the time to change locations since it’s your garage! You can keep them in place by placing rocks, sandbags, or heavy boxes on the sides.
- Unroll the seamless paper -- Seamless paper is a go-to supply for photo studios. It’s cheap and creates a smooth and clean background. For your garage photo studio, gently unfurl the seamless paper and let it roll onto the floor. To keep it in place, use spring clamps and gaffer’s tape.
- Prepare other background materials -- If you want texture, flair, or drama, you can add different materials such as curtains, garments, and muslin to use as a backdrop. Forage through your closet and you might just find these background treasures!
- Position your model-- By now you are ready to place your subjects by your stand and backdrop. Find the right angle and light so you can get the effect that you want.
Let creativity take place
Magic happens when you let creativity take over! Even a simple garage can turn into a place where you can take beautiful snaps with very little. After all, a photo studio is wherever you want it to be.
