Lighting How To

It’s nice when you can make something yourself, save a bit of cash, and end up with more creative photos as a result. That’s exactly what’s going on in the five-minute video below, demonstrating seven DIY light modifiers for creative portraiture.

Yesterday we demonstrated how to make better outdoor portraits by balancing ambient light with flash. Today’s lighting tutorial takes a different approach, explaining how to shoot indoor group portraits with a simple on-camera flash technique.

On-camera flash tends to get a bum rap, especially for portrait photography. But if you want to shoot stunning people pictures at night, unencumbered by flash brackets, light modifiers, or other flash attachments, all you have to do is watch the quick tutorial below. 

Most of us occasionally shoot portraits at home, and in the absence of a real studio rely upon a white wall as the backdrop for our shots. For those on a budget, wouldn’t it be nice to do something more dramatic without spending money on a custom backdrop or fiddling around with Photoshop?

I doubt anyone could foresee the rapid changes digital technology has brought to photography. As a veteran of the business (40+ years), we have come a long way from the match-needle metering and manual flash units of the past. Heck, I can remember when thyristor circuits were a big deal because they could help us automate flash exposures.

“Photography is all about light, composition and, most importantly, emotion.”—Larry Wilder

The photo reflector is an affordable, easy-to-use device that can make a big difference in your images by diffusing harsh light and filling in shadows. In the video below, photographer Aaron Nace demonstrates why he says “every photographer should have at least one reflector in his arsenal.”