Photography is a beautiful tool which you can use to express yourself and to showcase your vision to the world. It’s easy to think that we need a studio with all the latest fancy equipment, the best lighting & the most amazing space. But the truth is, all you need is inspiration, some ideas, but most importantly, imagination.
I love nature & I love being outdoors, especially when the sun comes out. It was spring & as I looked out into the garden, I felt inspired by the new growth of flowers & leaves, the new colours, the new life that was starting. It made me think of Frida Kahlo & her use of colour & flowers to create a vibe. That was it. The colour blue stood out in my mind. How or exactly why just didn’t seem to matter. I was inspired.
It gave me the beginnings of a theme based on a blue colour. I started by searching online for backdrops that fitted the bill. I found a few that I liked, but in the end, I settled for this one from Amazon
You can find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2TIJHxj
I chose it because the colour was perfect for what I wanted & also because it’s made from a crease resistant material - an absolutely indispensable feature when it comes to storage & readiness for spontaneous or ‘inspired’ use. It was reasonably priced too, compared to some of the expensive ‘professional’ backdrop out there!
I wanted to create a corner backdrop setting, so I bought three backdrops. However, if you plan to shoot from just one angle, you’ll only need just the one backdrop. But for what I wanted to create, I needed the freedom of movement, angle & position, so I ordered three, two side and one for the floor.
To create a corner, I also needed an extra backdrop stand. Again, I found a decently priced stand on Amazon. Well priced, compared to my heavy duty ones, but designed for light fabrics - perfect for the job. It also came with clamps and sandbags - a bargain! In fact, I was so pleased with this item that I ended up ordering an extra stand, so that I could set up multiple backgrounds for future shoots!
I needed to create a floral piece, so I used some mesh wiring & florist tape as a base on which to wind & twist a selection of fake flowers & plants which I had from a previous shoot. You can pick these up at Amazon and at any local second hand furniture shop or pound store. I added some flowers & foliage which I picked from my garden to fill out my arrangement.
It was very easy to twist and weave the flowers in through the mesh and florist tape and wire is your best friend on these projects.
The hardest part of the shoot was deciding where to set up. I set up the shoot in a part of the garden with an overhang of tree leaves & foliage so that I’d have the option of using that additional natural backdrop as part of my set. Shooting outdoors in natural light has many benefits, but it can also severely limit your ability to control light & where & how it falls.
I attached a few reflectors in the overhanging foliage to create shade and block out some of the harsh light to the model’s face as it was afternoon sun. However, it was not enough to cover her fully, so I then brought out a large studio umbrella to provide more shade in the areas I needed. After much trial & error adjustments, I was happy with the way the light fell with this arrangement, especially on the backdrop.
Without doubt, it was such a wonderful journey from imagining & visualising my idea, to creating the set, directing & posing the model & then shooting the scene! My imagination continued to tweak my original concept throughout that journey. When coupled with inspiration & imagination, that ‘tweaking’ is the process of creativity that makes art so unique & fulfilling…
You too can do the same. The learning curve can be enormous, yet exciting at the same time, but your results will astound & inspire you!!
Be inspired & let your imagination take you somewhere…
The total cost of items I bought for the shoot was under £200. But for a single-backdrop set-up with some flowers picked from outdoors, you should be able to create a set for less than £100 - maybe even a lot less with a little creativity & imagination!
And here is a peak of our behind the scenes video:
Special credits, thanks & appreciation to:
Model: @ Lola lola_smith_model_
Designer: TJ @iscreamldn who totally connected with my vision and styled the wonderful Lola
Videography: @bouquet_g for her wonderful videography
Hair & Makeup: @hairandmakeupbylax for making this whole look come together
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