Setting up a
Home Studio
While you can take plenty of great microstock shots in the great
outdoors, many of the best-selling images are, or look like they
are, taken in a studio environment. No room for a studio? Not to
worry. Not many have the space for a dedicated studio or the money
for lots of expensive lighting equipment. “Indoor photography”
is a more apt phrase, and you can achieve a lot on a shoestring
budget.
Check out what you can use in your local environment (Figure 7.1).
For example, you probably have a dining room table, coffee table, or
the like, something at a normal tabletop height is best. You also prob-
ably have a white tablecloth that could be used as a neutral back-
ground, or you might be able to use sheets of white paper for a neutral
high-key background. White is ideal for isolated images and the high-
key shots that are so popular with the microstocks. And a natural wood
table can make an excellent background for a range of food and object
shots.
Of course, if you are shooting by natural light, you will need a fi rm
support for your camera. But even a cheap tripod will suffi ce
indoors.
To get you off and fl ying, I am going to suggest a few ideas for you
to experiment with.
Table and Window Setup (Available Light)
Let’s start with a simple setup anyone with a fl at surface, window,
and cheap tripod can use. No fl ash or other additional kit items are
needed for this.
Hold on a moment, you need a break—go and make yourself a cup
of tea or coffee. When you come back, I’ll be ready....
Back so soon? Well, here is Figure 7.2, an image I took as an
example. I think it is pretty reasonable food macro shot for the micro-