Creating a home studio doesn’t have to be complicated or cost you a fortune. We’ve already discussed how you can create high-quality canvas prints without investing in expensive equipment and today we’re talking about how you can obtain the lighting equipment you desire by using items within your home.

That’s right! Here at Parrot Print we’ve put together the best tips and tricks, so you can create canvas prints with professional lighting equipment you’ve made with simple home props.

Backdrops
Most backdrops come in the form of a roll of paper, but without the paper-like price tag. Although they come in various sizes and colours that could affect the cost, you still need to purchase support stands and a pole to keep the backdrop in place. Rather than purchasing all these items you could simply buy a large sheet of high-quality fabric or use bed sheets you already own. Make sure you what you use is white or a light shade, so it will reflect the light and give you the results you’re aiming for.

If you’re studio is a permanent feature within your home or you have a spare room, you could always paint one wall or the entire room white. In addition to making your studio appear larger it will create a brighter and lighter area that is ideal for capturing photos in. Plus, if you have a large window that will allow a lot of natural light in, it will eliminate the amount of editing time required to make your photos appear lighter.

Softbox
A softbox is a photographic device that softens the light, so the shadows are less harsh. The power of the flash is controlled using buttons on the flash head. If you don’t have one these in your studio you could create something similar using tin foil and an umbrella. We know what you’re thinking this is a strange combination, but it will save you a small fortune. Simply cover the inside of the umbrella with tin foil and when your camera flashes it should reflect the light in the direction you require.

Since the angle, height and distance of the softbox are vital to getting the look you want. If you wish to have a more traditional softbox with a light in the middle, you could always cut and stick some cardboard together to create a circle shape with a hole in it and then cover the inside with ton foil.

Reflectors
A reflector is another tool used to bounce light back from the main light into the shaded areas of the subject’s face. This makes sure the shadow is in the right places to define and highlight. This is usually a square or circle piece of shiny fabric, which reflects the light. This is probably the easiest piece of equipment to create, as all you’ll need is a mirror or some card and tin foil.

If you’ve got a circle mirror hanging in your home than this would make an ideal reflector, as it’s simple to use and makes reflecting light easy. If you’d rather eliminate any possible accidents, then cut a circle out of a piece of card and attach tin foil to it. When applying your tin foil make sure it’s a even surface and not all crunched up, as this will cause the light to shine in different directions and not where you need it.

To make sure you achieve the best results with your new lighting equipment, we advise you check out these light photography tips that will help you capture images in low lighting conditions.

Have you used these props before? Do you have any tips or tricks you could share with us? Don’t forget to share your prop creations with us on Facebook and Twitter – we’d love to see what you come up with!