5 Super Easy To Do Tips to Improve Studio Shots
October 12th, 2010
1. Use a white card or paper as reflectors for small subjects. Use bed sheets, foam boards or other large flat surfaces as reflectors for large subjects. Mirrors may also be used to lighten dark areas. These reflectors can act as fill light or as additional light if you have only one light source. They can also diffuse the light that hits the subject, therefore lessening the appearance of hard shadows. Best of all, reflectors are easy to acquire since you most probably already have them in your house.
2. Show the object’s best profile. If your subjects have shapes or details that stand out, use these as the focus of your shot. Subjects can appear more attractive when positioned in a certain angle. A mug positioned to show the quirky shape of the handle might be a better composition compared to one that hides it. Flowers that are drooping sideways and showing the curve of the stem will look more appealing than those drooping towards the back.
3. Clean your subject beforehand, especially if it is glass. Glassware and other reflective surfaces have this nasty habit of showing off every grain of dirt and grime in the image. Unless you are prepared to spend time doing major photo editing to heal or clone out those thousands of tiny specks of dirt, the easiest solution is to just thoroughly scrub them off first before the shoot.
4. Move your lights around – don’t be afraid to experiment with the angles of your light. If you do not like how the light illuminates your subject, position the lamp or lamps in different locations. Try placing the light source under the subject or right behind it. By lighting the subject in an uncommon way, the impact becomes more dramatic and you will have a more creative interpretation.
5. Arrange and rearrange your subjects – composition is essential in studio shots because things can look very messy otherwise. Arrange your subjects in visually pleasing ways and if an element seems off or doesn’t seem to complement the rest of the setup, either discard it or rearrange the subjects to make them more enticing.
