Stunning still lifes

Get pro effects in the comfort of your living room by creating a studio in a box!

Using window light to take pictures at home is perfect when its available, hut during the winter it can be in pretty short supply so you need a more reliable and predictable light source if you want to shoot when its too dark —or bright —to use daylight.

The ultimate solution is a studio flash set – up, but theres a simpler and cheaper option. Reading lamps are convenient and cheap, but they arent designed for photography so the light isnt always ideal Point them directly at the subject and youll get harsh, patchy, high – contrast light. The solution is to build yourself a mini studio so that vou can take control.

START BUILDING

Start with a cardboard box big enough to hold your subject, Next, cut out the back of the box, leaving a small lip to ensure that it holds its shape, then cover the inside with black paper to reduce reflections and stop light from

bouncing around. Leave some extra card on the two shorter sides to use as additional shading. Now cover the back of the box with a piece of baking paper or white translucent material

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