Scout Your House Part 4

First and most frequently used are foam core boards.  I have a black/charcoal one and a white one.  Essentially, I use whichever one showcases the project the best.  If you’re shooting something really small, a large piece of scrapbook paper would work as well, though you’d want to make sure the pattern wasn’t competing too much with your project.  At times I’ll iron some fabric yardage and do that, but these foam boards really are super easy.  I keep them tucked behind a cabinet and pull them out at a moment’s notice.

Attributes: The pulled back shot shows where I typically place the boards: just inside the French doors leading to our deck.  This is right next to my cutting table where I’m usually working and the doors face West.

Equipment: Foam core boards, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, or fabric.

Prep: Pull the backdrop out and plop it down.  I can grab it up between shots or to let the dogs go in or out to do their business.

The other spot I shoot in a lot is on the table made from reclaimed wood in our office/sun room.  The texture of the wood is fun, and I can get the leaded glass windows in the shots sometimes as a nice feature.

Attributes:  Great wooden texture and loads of South and West-facing windows.

Equipment: None

Prep:  Quite frequently I have to relocate a cat who is sitting up there, and I like to use my prime lens (50mm f/1.8) for this setup.  If you’re using a point and shoot, the macro (typically a flower symbol) will help you get nice detail shots.

So there you have it — I really hope something I’ve shared as part of this series has helped you discover a location you can use in your house to capture great photographs of your projects!