Having a personal studio is a goal for many photographers during the onset of their career. As enticing as it sounds and appears to be, the truth is that the undertaking and maintaining of a studio can be as expensive as it is taxing; it is a huge commitment and emotional investment. Simply put, having a studio can be overwhelming.

Because of this, many photographers find themselves either renting a studio to shoot in or shooting in their own home. Jessica Kobeissi often chooses to shoot in her own home and is back with a very clever and cheap way to create your own backdrop for an in-home DIY studio setup that costs less than $5.

[RELATED: 4 Multipurpose Studio Hacks For The Modern Photographer]

You Will Need:

  • Sponge
  • Plastic Table Covers
  • Jump Rope
  • Tape
  • Binder Clips
  • Washable Kids Paint

This can all be found at the local Dollar Store.

[REWIND: How I Shot It – Simple One Light Portrait Studio Setup In A Garage]

Liberally pour the paint onto the sponge and apply it directly to the table cover by either blotting it or smearing it, whichever you like best, and then let dry. Tape the jump rope onto the wall to serve as a background stand and then clip the painted backdrop to the jump rope.

Backgrounds can cost upwards of $100 to well over $1,000 for the likes of an Oliphant which adds up fast, and that doesn’t even include the background stand. The backdrop doesn’t have to be perfect, it simply has to work for its intended purpose and this is a very creative and inexpensive way to transform your own home into an in-home studio.

You don’t have to invest in top of the line gear such as Broncolor or Profoto when starting out either. Paul C. Buff produces strobes and modifiers that are wallet friendly and their customer service is top notch.

Gear Used

Be sure to subscribe to Jessica’s YouTube Channel and follower her on Instagram for more creative, inexpensive and DIY ideas to try out.