Home made tabletop photography studio

How to make a photo studio on a shoestring budget? This question is asked by many aspiring photographers. The main reason for this is the extra cost it involves setting one up. The good news is that actually you don`t need thousands of $$$ to get yourself started in studio photography. In this article I'll go through the possibilities and options you have to make a table top studio for shooting small items and subjects.

Most of the things you need you probably already have at home. One thing you'll need to buy is a tripod with a tripod head (there are some cheap ones available too). For a tabletop studio you don't need a fancy carbon fiber tripod that costs some $300 without a head. The main thing you should be looking for is the sturdiness of your future tripod.
Now, lets go through the set up. First thing you need is a light source. For most applications window light will satisfy your needs and you'll be able to produce some great shots. Choose a large window and place your chosen work surface next to it. Make sure to avoid direct sunlight. Get yourself a background. You can use a lot of different materials as a background: paper, fabric, plastic, wood, stone etc. Paper backgrounds: you don't need special paper backgrounds. Go to your local art supplies shop where you'll find large sheets of paper in different colors. Choose the colors you need, bigger size is better, it will give you more space to work with. You can attach your background directly to the wall behind your subject or construct some sort of a support system. Just use your creativity.
One more thing you need is a reflector. Again, you can buy one in a camera shop, or use any reflective surface. A sheet of white paper (use a large one), cooking foil (make a frame and attach the foil to it). The main thing to look for is the reflective qualities of the surface and the size (should be at least the size of the subject you're shooting) of the reflective surface. Use a reflector to fill in the shadows of the subject. Different reflective surfaces have different reflective qualities, some produce harder light some softer. Just try out different reflectors to see the difference.
Artificial light sources is another option. You can use them to compliment the window light or on their own. As an artificial light source you can use an off-camera flashgun or some household light sources, just remember to adjust the white balance accordingly to the light you're using.

Lets summarize the things you need to set up a home made tabletop photo studio:
1. Work surface
2. Light source
3. Background
4. Reflector
5. Tripod
6. Tons of creativity

Remember one thing, it's not the gear one is using that creates great images, it's the photographers creativity. Try this setup out and you'll know if you need some special equipment.

Prime photo lenses

Nowadays there are two general types of photo lenses: zoom lenses and prime lenses. All photo lenses can be divided in these two groups. Each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages against each other.

Basically, a prime lens has a fixed focal length, in other words, you can’t zoom it in or out. For example, a 20 mm prime lens is fixed in it’s focal length and in order to fill the frame, with the subject you are shooting, you’ll need to get closer. And vice versa.

For a long time there were only prime lenses in use, zoom lenses where created only in recent decades. Today they’re made in good quality and give high quality results. But still, prime lenses are not dead.

Why, you’d ask. Well, the best thing about the prime lenses is the maximum aperture you can get for the price you pay. Construction of a prime lens requires less glass because it’s focal length is fixed, therefore you can afford a wider aperture. Other advantage is the high quality of the image it gives. Because of less elements in the lens images are sharper. And because of the same reason the lens is lighter and smaller then a zoom lens of equivalent focal length and maximum aperture.

So, let’s sum up the advantages. Wide maximum aperture, sharp images, lighter weight, smaller in size and the price you pay for it all is lower compared to a zoom lens that gives you equivalent image quality and the same aperture at the same focal length.

What about disadvantages? Well, I can see only one, and it is the reason the zoom lens was created. The ability to change the focal length without changing over the lens itself.

Of course, today you can get a zoom lens that can offer you a wide aperture and a sharp image at a cost of weight, size and a higher price tag.

On the other hand, if you need to cover a wide range of focal lengths you will need more then one prime lens, this could make you pay more then for a single high quality and fast zoom lens covering the range of focal lengths you need.

Conclusion: it all comes down to your needs and budget. Before you buy you need to think what your needs are, then shop around and make your choice.