I mentioned I wanted to experiment with indoor photography and had a few people say they too wanted to learn. I am proposing a group form who are willing to experiment and to share what they learn with each other. This is not a group for the knowledgeable, or people with studio set ups; rather a group with a camera and a willingness to learn. I have a cheap tripod, use poster board for my backgrounds a lot, use flashlights and table lamps for lighting. I have a reflector circle(?) now but have used household things to reflect flash. Lets experiment – share what we did and the results and then maybe have others experiment with the same things. We can teach ourselves and have fun.
I have added the tag lightamateur to my recent indoor attempts. I hope others will join me and use this tag to so we can find our way together. Please if you are an expert do not dampen our enthusiasm with your expertise. We need to have the camaraderie of fellow amateurs on a learning quest.
Joan, I am just like you in this. I only have the on camera flash so I rely a lot on natural light, using a torch or household lamps for lighting. I don't have a reflector of any sort but do sometimes use white card or a small mirror. It would be interesting to know how certain pictures have been set up using normal household things as backdrops, lighting etc.
@joansmor sounds like an interesting subject to learn. I use my iPhone and don't have anything extra at home , so would be good to learn about every day items to increase lighting techniques.
@joansmor I love this idea - I'm another one with no professional lighting equipment, and I've found myself using all kinds of odds and ends since I started - table lamps, flashlights, LED lights, candles, cellphone lights, fairy lights... and all kinds of paper/card for reflectors.
I didn't even have a tripod until very recently (thank you Santa!).
May I join? I think I am close to 'all of the gear and no idea' - have the defused lights, tripod and some backgrounds but no reflectors and pretty much no idea - shadows drive me nuts!
Hoping this will run for a while as I'm not sure I can commit heaps of time to it right now.
Ooh @joansmor great idea! I do have a speed light and a tripod, and a little table (with poster board!) but I struggle with this when. I shoot indoors! It's the window light that makes me crazy! Count me in! Love it! Great idea!
I'd like to learn too! I keep saying I'm going to learn my flash and then I just don't because...blah. But I really do need to stop limiting myself. I just have my camera, tripod, my flash, and some reflectors, but that's it.
Sign me in. I am putting this kind of photography off because I don't know where to start. I only have built in flash, and results with it are not really good.... I love to use natural light but it is rarely enough. I would like to experiment with different light sources, and even get myself that macroflash, cause I like macro but I would prefer trying other things first...
And as a total beginner here I Would love to see how the improvised(not profesional) indoor sets look like if anybody is willing to share...
Great Idea!!!
Sounds like an excellent idea Joan. I just use whatever comes to hand as I do photography for fun and therefore I'm loath to invest in equipment that may well not get used very much.
@joansmor Joan, I would love to see your set up, but you have the photo restricted.
Looking forward to following this group and playing when I can. I also decided I need to work on some indoor photography this winter since I leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark.
I take most of my pictures indoors, but using natural light. I have a cheap (and slightly broken) tripod. My last two photos are my attempts at indoor low light with no set-up. Count me in!
Can I play? I too use art board (black and white) and have recently acquired a ring flash and I can do remote flash on His camera. I tend to balance the card on a stool or beanbag near to natural light.
Great idea Joan! And timely too - I just created and posted a shot that I had to do indoors. Had some difficulty with it, which I coincidentally discussed as lessons learned. Just tagged it with your suggested tag, and I look forward to seeing what folks in the group share. Thanks!
Use the tag lightamateur and I promise I will try to get to every one. I am not an expert as I am learning with you. You can also post on this thread. If you do not know how to tag or how to find photos that are tagged just ask. If you don't know how to post to a thread ask.
You can also post a link to you photo - what ever works for you. Do this first attempt any time in the next week. I really don't want to do contest right now but I would like to point out some of the attempts to help people find them.
Thanks, Joan. Yes - very interested to look at this subject of indoor photography with you all - I'm new to this site and amazed at all it's got going on!
@bfairfield We have the people who post pictures mostly of their family, birds, landscapes, etc, etc. So interesting to follow people and make friends this way and more to sample and learn from. Some shot with cell phones and others have elaborate cameras and set up but all are welcome.
1.Find an area that is flat and which you can make totally black/dark but also has other light sources. In my case I have an over head light and light coming from other rooms. You could have a room with two or three lights such as table or floor lights.
2, Use black poster board or cloth to form a black background.
3. Pick something white or bright to photograph.
4. Turn on all you light sources
5. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and set it for F5. Set for timed photography if you can.
6. Place camera on tripod and align your shot,
7. Take a picture and decide if your alignment is correct,
8. Once you are satisfied with alignment and composition, try taking a new picture each time you turn off one light source.
You can learn how light from different angles and differing amounts of light affect your shot.
@joansmor Just about all of my photos are outdoors, but I would love to learn how to get proper lighting indoors! Hopefully i can develop enough confidence to branch out and take pics indoors, as our weather has just turned terribly cold outdoors. Please tag me in so I can get all of your instructions!
hi I would like to join in. I have speedlites (cheap manual ones) and a garage painted white to help with my photography and a big piece of black velvet when I want a black background. I have done my splash shots, but its a real heath robinson set up to achieve it all.........
Can you add me aswell? I'm in the "lots of gear but not much idea" gang - I generally use A3 size white paper propped up against whatever is handy in my kitchen, or any coloured card we have in the craft drawer. Great idea for the group.
Would love to join and try this. Bridge camera, no other equipment, very little skill and not much spare time.......but.......enthusiasm knows no limits :D
@joansmor Me too! Me too! I often am looking for things to photograph and cannot always get out to do so. I have very little to work with except 2 very different cameras and the flash they each have. I would love to join all of you!
I fit in this category, I think. I've done lots of strange items from around the house and end up using a desklamp for side lighting occasionally. I would be interested in seeing what people are doing. It would be great to see a photo and also a picture of the set-up?
Hi Joan. I would like to join. I like to try indoor shots, but am not very good at them. Like others I have camera, tripod, fixed flash, and use all sorts of household items to muddle along. Now following you, so I can join in.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
I didn't even have a tripod until very recently (thank you Santa!).
I'm in :)
Hoping this will run for a while as I'm not sure I can commit heaps of time to it right now.
And as a total beginner here I Would love to see how the improvised(not profesional) indoor sets look like if anybody is willing to share...
Great Idea!!!
Looking forward to following this group and playing when I can. I also decided I need to work on some indoor photography this winter since I leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark.
I am following your project now.
I am beyond thrilled with the response. When I first joined 365 a group of people offered to mentor newbies and I took advantage of this opportunity with amazing results. @taffy & @vignouse were two of those mentors. I hope if they follow any of us they will give helpful suggestion to our attempts.
I did my first study and hope some of you will try the same thing or a slight variation depending on your circumstances. The details of what I did are on my page. http://365project.org/joansmor/365
Use the tag lightamateur and I promise I will try to get to every one. I am not an expert as I am learning with you. You can also post on this thread. If you do not know how to tag or how to find photos that are tagged just ask. If you don't know how to post to a thread ask.
You can also post a link to you photo - what ever works for you. Do this first attempt any time in the next week. I really don't want to do contest right now but I would like to point out some of the attempts to help people find them.
http://365project.org/joansmor/extras/2017-01-04
1.Find an area that is flat and which you can make totally black/dark but also has other light sources. In my case I have an over head light and light coming from other rooms. You could have a room with two or three lights such as table or floor lights.
2, Use black poster board or cloth to form a black background.
3. Pick something white or bright to photograph.
4. Turn on all you light sources
5. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and set it for F5. Set for timed photography if you can.
6. Place camera on tripod and align your shot,
7. Take a picture and decide if your alignment is correct,
8. Once you are satisfied with alignment and composition, try taking a new picture each time you turn off one light source.
You can learn how light from different angles and differing amounts of light affect your shot.
Hope this makes sense.
The lights are a bit rubbish to be honest, so if you can find a cube without lights I would say it's a must. It does make background so much easier & helps control shadows. :)