Buildin a "Home Studio" any suggestions?

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/18/2005 07:58:34 AM · #1

ok, here's my problem... i want everything, and have absolutley no money! i have started to construct my very own "home studio" i have a very small budget, and want to get the most out of my money. I will probably end up building most of my equiptment, lol, i know what you're thinking, but it will get done. I know some of you out there are do-it-your-selfers so i was hopeing for some really-really-really creative and out there ideas about anything; lighting; backdrops anything!! like i said, i have verry little money, and i'm in the planning stages. By the way, i have a full room at my disposal, so quite a bit of room!

jiggs

Canon EOS-6D

09/18/2005 08:00:06 AM · #2

I was looking to do something similar, but I too am a bit lost.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/18/2005 08:02:28 AM · #3

try it on a 14yo budget, i'm sacraficing lunch at school for 2 months, lol

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

09/18/2005 08:18:42 AM · #4

You might be surprised how much space you actually need, I use my entire garage and still feel cramped sometimes. Really depends on what you want to shoot.

Considering your budget, here are some ideas... You can make your own backdrops using fabric and leftover house paints. My first backdrops were made from about 5 yards of inexpensive but very heavy black cloth. I used the smudge and dab tecnique with a paintbrush and regular wall paints to give it some texture. Remember you can paint both sides and get 2 backdrops out of one piece of cloth if the fabric is thick enough.

If the room you plan to use has windows, you may be able to shoot most things with just ambient light and some reflectors. I use the car windshield reflectors that are meant to keep your car cool. The shiny metalic looking ones. I have a silver one for cool light, and a bronze colored one for warm light.

In my opinion, a tripod is a must!!! and a remote release a definite plus. So I would spend my $$$s there.

Hope that helps.

3eyedcrow

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/18/2005 08:34:04 AM · #5

I've made my own reflectors using the wire-frame and fabric windshield barriers to keep your car cool in the summer and white, gold, and silver spray paint. About 10 bucks for everything.
I've also made scrims out of a white sheet and PVC pipe for the frame. Extremely handy for highly reflective objects.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/18/2005 08:42:58 AM · #6

I think you might want to look into Tinkertubes some pretty good cheap studio toys you can make yourself with stuff that is easy to find.

09/18/2005 09:42:34 AM · #7

I'm looking at making some sort of studio equipment, too, and I like some of the ideas already presented.
One of my main problems, though, is that I have very little room. We live in a 4 room (4 1/4 if you count the very tiny bathroom) house and use every room.
Anybody have any ideas for constructing collapsible background frames or portable/collapsible home-made lights? (And since I've very little to no budget, the more inexpensive, the better!)

A couple of specific questions:
Would a PVC frame hold up a backdrop if you don't glue the joints, or would it just wobble out of position if you look at it wrong?
Should you roll or fold a painted backdrop, and if you fold, does it crack?
None of the walls in my house are white (or anything even close). Should this create a problem with reflected light? Should I just bite the bullet and choose a room to redo in white or another neutral color? If I do repaint, what sorts of colors (other than white) should I be looking at that wouldn't affect the color of the light?

Sorry if I've hijacked the thread... :)
Sara

BigR

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

09/18/2005 09:52:52 AM · #8

pvc pipe does hold a backdrop no glue needed build it wide and use clamps (plastic clamps work great you can buy 20 for$5.00 at wall mart).
you can get a $40.00 stand light at lowes hardware works great.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

09/18/2005 09:53:38 AM · #9

thanks for the quick reply! I'll look into it...
:)

soup

Canon EOS-30D

09/18/2005 09:54:49 AM · #10

PVC pipe and fittings fit together pretty tight dry.

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/18/2005 10:16:04 AM · #11

All of these ideas are great! i thought i'd share this link i found! really helpfull do-it-your-selfity things :DLINK

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

09/18/2005 10:47:04 AM · #12

Home Depot is the poor mans lighting source.

k4rp

Nikon D200

09/18/2005 10:56:50 AM · #13

I kinda miss something in your info: what do you want to shoot? :p

I myself want to shoot some jewellery and other small objects, and I'll probably just use some sheets of paper, some cloth and some bright standard desk lamps to make a simple set-up.
Doesn't have to cost more than $20?

Shooting people or larger objects is a whole different story tho...

09/18/2005 11:33:44 AM · #14

well, i wasn't very clear about what i wanted to shoot but not many people have a studio just to shoot jewlery! i'm hopeing to eventually get into portraits just as a side hobby, and, well, i'd just like to have a basic studio where a can work. currently my studio contains a door that i removed from our laundry room, painted mat white, as a backdrop; a lamp with a 60wat bulb, with the shade off, as a secondary light source, a florecent celing light as a primary light source, and my Tripod! it is kind of sad really! Anything, especially lighting; would be better!

09/18/2005 11:38:01 AM · #15

Originally posted by swinging_johnson_v1:

Home Depot is the poor mans lighting source.

So those construction lights work pretty good for portrait lighting? I guess you'd need a diffuser in front of 'em - they're really bright.
I think my father-in-law has a set of dual-head lights that he doesn't use any more... This will be looked into...

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

09/18/2005 11:40:59 AM · #16

this linkstudio lighting has some ways to work with the larger lights in photography!

oOWonderBreadOo

Canon EOS-5D

09/18/2005 11:44:53 AM · #17

check this article out, i use a bunch of ideas from it myself. :0)
"Cheap Tricks"

09/18/2005 11:50:00 AM · #18

LOL, if nothing else... i loved looking at that article!

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

09/18/2005 11:54:29 AM · #19

Thanks for all the links, ya'll!
On a not-lighting-related question, what sizes of backdrops should be made/used for portraits? I know that larger backdrops can still be used for tighter shots, but has anyone found it convenient to have smaller backdrops hanging around?

*edit - stupid typos!

Message edited by author 2005-09-18 15:54:46.

oOWonderBreadOo

Canon EOS-5D

09/18/2005 11:58:00 AM · #20

I've used posterboard as backdrops but only for my children... :0)

Travis99

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/18/2005 11:58:43 AM · #21

Originally posted by saracat:

Originally posted by swinging_johnson_v1:
Home Depot is the poor mans lighting source.

So those construction lights work pretty good for portrait lighting? I guess you'd need a diffuser in front of 'em - they're really bright.
I think my father-in-law has a set of dual-head lights that he doesn't use any more... This will be looked into...

Yes but remember those lights get hot and I mean HOT! And its hard to stare at those lights and hard to control. I think they are more trouble than they are worth. I am saving up to buy some cheap stobes I found 4 strobes on ebay for $289, so I will be buying them soon.

Travis

09/18/2005 12:02:16 PM · #22

Originally posted by Travis99:

Originally posted by saracat:

So those construction lights work pretty good for portrait lighting? I guess you'd need a diffuser in front of 'em - they're really bright.
I think my father-in-law has a set of dual-head lights that he doesn't use any more... This will be looked into...

Yes but remember those lights get hot and I mean HOT! And its hard to stare at those lights and hard to control. I think they are more trouble than they are worth. I am saving up to buy some cheap stobes I found 4 strobes on ebay for $289, so I will be buying them soon.

Travis

I know they get horribly hot - I burned the back of my hand on the housing once! Would it help to seriously diffuse them and place them farther from the subject? I'm probably going to have to experiment with this one. Now...how to find a willing victim - er, volunteer!
:)

09/18/2005 12:12:57 PM · #23

I just thought of something... Critiques and comments on this idea very welcome.

This would be a modified soft-box-type contraption. Instead of leaving the inside of the box white, either line with foil or spray paint metallic silver/chrome. Then use a regular household incandescent (or GE Reveal (better on the white balance, I hear) ) bulb in the box. Maybe use the box with a free-standing floor lamp with the shade taken off and use the shade-support (don't know what that's called) to support the silver box. You could then either use the box as is or put a baffle over the opening to soften the light.

Anybody think this would work? Any naysayers?
Sara