As a product photographer, I use paper in various different ways as a background for still-life photos to keep costs down for creative shooting. In this article, I'll show you how I do it and how you can do it too. [Read More]
Fashion photography is expensive. Even a small test shoot has some costs associated with it. What is more expensive is good fashion photography. Cameras, lights, modifiers, crew, retouching, locations all add up to some ghastly sums.
For my latest project, “we are the dead,” I decided to build a room in which to shoot my pictures. I had absolutely no idea how to do this, but there were some facts I needed to consider.
I have a client who builds amazing luxury apartment complexes all over California, and I’m their pool guy. I know it sounds funny, but they call me whenever they need exterior images and pool images (they call another photog to do the interiors of the model apartments). This is one of the delivered photos of […]
For those of us born in the 1970s and 80s, this new phenomenon of mottled, cloudy backdrops appearing in modern portraits is an odd one. You see, back when we were kids, we had horrendously cheesy family and school portraits taken in front of these bizarrely arranged patterns, so to us, it’s pretty weird to […]
Finding a $500 camera setup that can deliver stunning portraits as well as a wide range of other types of photography was a challenge, to say the least! First and foremost I had to put together some bare minimum requirements/standards.
Every year, a pine tree close to our house produces the most perfect cones, and I often pick up a handful of them on my way home. The cones are undeniably beautiful, but not of much practical use. Or so I thought, until one day it hit me that a cone would make a rather […]
Photography. It’s expensive. And who really has the money to buy all the name brand photo gear? I certainly don’t. With that said, expensive equipment does NOT make the photograph — the photographer does, which is why I am exploring various non-photography-specific gear and using it for my photography. Let’s take seamless background paper for […]
Professional portrait backdrops can cost over $1,000 apiece. If you’d like to get creative without getting broke, photographer Jessica Kobeissi has a thrifty DIY idea for you in this 4. 5-minute video.
I recently got bored and decided to expand a super-budget project I’m working on. I love gridded beauty dishes for dramatic artsy stuff, beauty, and as a generally very versatile modifier. However, even a cheap one is out of budget for this project.
There is an almost endless supply of lighting modifiers available on the market right now, some are cheap and some of the better ones are certainly a lot more expensive. But does cost directly relate to quality? Well, a lot of the time yes it does if you’re referring to build quality. In general, the […]
The Sainsonic Kamlan 50mm f/1. 1 is a lens you can buy for just $170 for mirrorless cameras (Sony E, Canon EOS-M, Micro Four Thirds, and Fujifilm X) that delivers some beautiful bokeh. Here’s a 10-minute video by Kai Wong that shows what this lens can do.
Here’s a quick DIY video from Kyle Martin on how to create an extremely powerful suction mount for your GoPro instead of buying GoPro’s $40 suction mount. The video is 6 minutes and will show you how to create the mount for around $20 in materials.
Action shots of cars in movement are often taken with a ‘car rig’ – basically a long pole that is attached to the car, with a camera mounted on the end. A professional car rig can cost in the thousands, but this 13 minute video from Practical Photography will teach you to make your own for […]
Let’s say you spent pretty much all of your camera budget on a shiny new $1,400 Sony a6500 mirrorless camera, yet you want a super telephoto lens for getting way up close to subjects. Here’s a thrifty option you could consider: buy a cheapo 500mm lens, Sony adapter, and 2x teleconverter for just $80. That’s […]
I have a studio. For those of you that know me — the author of the Studio Anywhere books, which focus on shooting anywhere but a studio — this statement may sound oxymoronic or even blasphemous.
My name is Nick Fancher and I’m a portrait and commercial photographer who specializes in lighting, specifically with the use of small flash in unconventional locations. I’ve written a few books on the subject, the latest of which is Studio Anywhere 2.
Are you in need of a new camera bag, but you’re on a budget and still want something durable? An army surplus store may be your answer. I’ve been wanting a new camera bag for a while but there’s so many options out there.
Light shaping tools are very expensive. What if you could take any object and turn it into a modifier? That would save you a lot of money as well as give some unique results.
If you want ideas for getting creative with portrait photography while on a shoestring budget, check out the work of the Mexican photographer Omahi. In addition to sharing his imaginative work, Omahi also shows behind-the-scenes photos of how they’re made.
In this article, I’m going to show you how you can make a DIY darkroom safelight using very simple products from IKEA. Yes, IKEA the store that sells furniture that’s almost made of cardboard.
High-end photo backdrops can cost over $1,000 apiece. When photographer Jeremy Cowart couldn’t find a backdrop he needed a few days ago, he had an idea: Cowart drew his own backdrop on an iPad Pro and printed it out at 40×80 inches on a $4,000 professional Canon printer.
Film is not making a comeback, it has come back. Photography students I teach are always so excited to start their journey in shooting, developing, and enlarging film, until they start. [Read More]
If you’re a photographer who often turns to Dollar Tree for cheap photo props or do-it-yourself materials, get ready to pay (a bit) more. After 35 years of selling most products for exactly $1, the retail chain announced today that it is hiking its price to $1.25. Founded in 1986 with the name Only $1.00, […]
Over my past 7 years as a professional photographer, I have received many questions from startups and amateurs who are worried about the considerable investment they thought they had to make on cutting-edge equipment.
Camera and lenses aren’t the only photographic essentials that cost money. A decent machine with plenty of RAM and fast storage (preferably SSD) and rather expensive serious photography software are must-haves, too.
What started off as a quick lighting test in my garage has turned into a full investigation and installation of my own DIY photography ceiling rail system. My shooting space measures 7×10 feet (2x3m) — not a great space for shooting portraits.
When you’re just starting out, building a fashion photography portfolio can be quite a daunting task. Having to organize and prepare shoots can be difficult, especially if you have no budget. These are my tips for shooting on a shoestring when you’re just starting: #1.
Want to get started in macro photography but don’t have much to spend? There are ways to jump into the niche using mostly the gear you already have (assuming you don’t have a dedicated macro lens).
Sometimes, you’re forced to work with what you’ve got, even if that means just the flashlight on your phone. In this 10-minute video, you’ll learn 5 ways to light portraits using just a phone flashlight.
Did you know that you can buy AmazonBasics-branded batteries for certain Canon and Nikon cameras on Amazon? They’re significantly cheaper than their Canon and Nikon-branded counterparts. AmazonBasics is Amazon’s private-label product line — you can find all kinds of electronics accessories at great prices.
Do you enjoy making your own lighting gear instead of spending hefty fees for commercial products? Here’s a 10-minute tutorial by photography instructor Joe Edelman on how to build and use your own strip light modifier for under $25.