broke "photographer" improvising

[Damon]

Hello everyone,

I have a dilemma, and I'm wondering if I could get anyone's input on something. I'm a "photographer" (not quite pro yet but i'm trying). Anyways, I bought myself a Nikon D80 and an SB-600 speedlight, and needless to say I've been broke ever since. I've done a few volunteer gigs around the community with a fellow pro photographer, and my stuff has come out quite nice (if I do say so myself). However, I'm really trying to add some studio portrait work to my portfolio. The problem is I can't afford any of that spiffy lighting equipment yet. My girlfriend's sister has asked me to take her graduation pictures. So I'm in a bit of a position where I have to get creative. Some of it will be done outside, and some inside.

Has anyone else had to improvise with around-the-house type materials.. for instance, white foam board instead of a reflector, or a milk jug to diffuse/soften a light? I have an old projector screen I could maybe use to bounce some fill light off of as well.

Any other suggestions? I basically have a camera and a flash. Everything else for my photo session will be scrapped together.

MacGuyver, feel free to respond if you read this.

[CaptainTom]

I bet that with some searching on the internet you will find a boat load of ideas. I know there are DIY flash diffusers, and instructions for building an inexpensive reflector panel from Home Depot stuff. You can also locate a silver or gold auto windshield screen and adapt that as a reflector. Look at the strobist.com pages for ideas. If you KISS (keep it simple stupid) you will get better results than experimenting with a dozen different gadgets.

[IVY]

check out ramen noodle styrofoam caps as your diffusers :)
but generally 45 degree flash with business card attached(rubber bended) to the top should diffuse some light, not really sure which grad. photos you will be doing, need some more info for mre ideas

[Damon]

thanks, those are some good suggestions.

As for the grad. photos, I'm not sure if she wants just a portrait to hand out as her senior photos, or if she'll want the cap and gown and all that jazz. This is all pretty spontaneous, but I told her to at least bring something like a "class of" object.. otherwise it would just be a regular portrait. She's going to want some stuff outside, luckily my apt. has a nice little pond with some palm trees, so that should be good. That's why I'm thinking of a nice poster-size piece of white foam board as a reflector of natural light. Or would that be too bright?

I will try and get creative with the poses though. God knows I don't want her to have that same awful, stiff, "i'm constipated" kinda pose they made us do for our sr. pics.

[IVY]

here is another diffuser, if interested I have somewhere the actual " blueprints " for it :)
commercial version of it, with some nice videos, showing uses http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/

[IVY]

here is another cheap version of diffuser(lightsphere?), dont do it commercially thou never tried, but apparently working

[Damon]

Sweet. Thanks!

[Gateruner]

I would strongly suggest you read Strobist. It is essentially geared to inexpensive lighting solutions to photography. Also you can do a search on making a constant light from Home Depot. Basically it is a shop light with daylight tubes hung vertically off a stand. Lots you can do with some imagination, searching the net. it wont all look professional but it will work.

[carrbowl]

http://www.diyphotography.net/homestudio

[toverman]

I have used an art canvas as a reflector before. The benefit is that it's got a wooden frame and can be controlled in a stiff breeze better than the folding kind. It works pretty well, too. So much in fact that I considered buying more canvases (of varying sizes) and painting one silver, one gold, one black, etc.

For the senior pics, I recommend shooting outdoors. Look for nice, even lighting (as in open shade) or shoot later in the day when the sun is low. Have your girlfriend be your "assistant" while shooting her sister to hold whatever "reflector" you come up with. Is she involved in any extracurricular activities? She might want some shots in her uniform, or with a ball or whatnot. If you have time, check out the latest issue of Professional Photographer magazine, which has some really great articles on high-fashion senior shoots.

[studiocygnet]

The number one thing to do is get the flash off the camera, and either hold off to one side 45 degrees, or get a hot shoe bracket that fits onto a light stand. You can rig the bracket onto just about anything, but you'll get much better pictures with the light off the camera. As other folks have suggested, read the strobist information. They do a lot with just a couple hot shoe flashes.

[PhotoChicken]

When are you doing the pics? I think I have a flash cord from when i shot Nikons in my closet collecting dust i would send you.

Speaking of Home depot my reflectors for shooting motorcycles are made of one sheet of 4x8 insulation with the shiny back and one sheet of the spun silver backing. I cut them in half and gaffer taped them together so now I have 2 4x8 reflectors with a shiny side and a soft side........now if I could just keep my assistant from leaving them at shoots I would be all set lol. ........oh yea a sheet of that stuff is only 4.88

[Damon]

I was supposed to do the shoot on Saturday, but the wonderful girl forgot and I was left hanging. Supposedly though, we're going to re-schedule for sometime in the next week and a half. She's graduating this month so I know it has to be before then.

That's a great idea for the reflectors by the way. I may have to look into that!

EDIT: Saw your website by the way, nice work!

http://www.notstockphotography.com/o...20Pastures.jpg

I love the sky in that picture! I've had my D80 for almost a month now, and I honestly have to say that since I got it, we haven't had one day where the sky has not been either completely clear or completely overcast. I really can't wait for the day we have one of those angry, turbulent skies. When we do I'm grabbing my camera and heading out as quick as possible!

[PhotoChicken]

That was actually shot with a d-70, and I will check my closet and see if i still have that flash cord pm me your addy and i will mail it to you. Even regular mail it should be there before your shoot

[Steelsun]

Check out http://diyphotography.net/ for all kinds of ideas.

I'm working on a ring light right now involving foamcore, CD Case, gutter materials, aluminum tape, spray paint, and wire.