Time For A Little Reflection
Reflectors are useful tools for both studio and on-location/natural light settings. These simple gadgets, as the name might suggest, help to bounce available light back towards your subject and fill in any shadowy spaces where detail would otherwise be lost. Purchasing one from a store can cost anywhere from $10 to $40, but with a minuscule amount of craftiness, you can create your own for just a few dollars with supplies you likely already have laying around your house. Simply grab a square of poster board (or discarded cardboard, at least a foot wide by a foot high) and completely cover the surface in aluminum foil. Boom! DIY reflector.
Nifty Fifty
Even more important than your camera body is your camera lens. The camera lens not only controls how close up or far away you can be while shooting, but dictates just how low the aperture can go in order to achieve those perfectly blurred, covetously creamy, bokeh-filled backgrounds that are ideal for portraits. While many lenses can run up a cost that far surpasses that of a camera body, a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, lovingly nicknamed the “Nifty Fifty“, can typically be purchased for under $200. Adding such a tool to your arsenal of equipment will completely change your shooting game and is well worth the investment.
Film Is Not Dead!
Film is making a comeback, and it’s a great time to hit up thrift stores or your grandparent’s attic in search of a film camera of your own. While the cost of film and development itself will add up over the years, decent 35mm cameras can be found for under $100, so they’re a great option if you can’t afford to invest in a pricey DSLR upfront. Experimenting with different film cameras and film stocks is also a great way to develop your own style and better understand the inner workings of a camera.
No Studio, No Problem
Copping your own professional photo backdrop or renting a studio space can quickly add up. No worries— simply bring the studio to you with a few dollar store accouterments. Locate the room in your house with the best natural lighting; using clothespins, tape, string, or whatever else you deem necessary, rig up a makeshift backdrop by hanging a sheet or unraveling a roll of sparkling wrapping paper. Plop a stool in the middle and grab that DIY reflector from tip #1, and you’ve got yourself a pretty formidable setup.