How to Maximise Small Photoshoot Spaces (by Laurel Guido)

In my photography experience, I have had to shoot in enclosed places – especially during winter. If you don’t have access to a studio, setting up a small area to shoot in can work just as well – as I chose to use my apartment. However, there are a few things to look out for.

The first shoot is called “Topiary” and was one of the most incredibly difficult shoots I have ever done. I created an indoor space for an otherworldly garden, but this space was only 5 feet x 5 feet, and I had to go with what I had. In order to have images that worked, I had to go out of my way to come up with compositions that succeeded.

The second shoot is called “Blackened Apartment” and was not even extremely planned. My model came over, changed, and we shot directly in my bedroom and the main room of my apartment. This proved difficult and had its own struggles – this type of shooting was foreign and I was not ready to go, but I made the most of my small apartment, attempting to get images without so many of my other items in the background.

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Another example was a shoot called “Saturation”, and was shot in the same area that Topiary was shot in, so I did not have much space. Much of the shoot was spent trying to figure out whether or not things were in the picture, as I only shoot in film and could not see the images directly after. If you are shooting film, make sure that you pay close attention to detail as you are actually shooting!

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All of these shoots have the same things in common and helped me grow as a photographer and allowed me to create dynamic shots and a dream-like feeling rather than becoming distracted by background objects.

• Watch for background objects – cords, lamps, paintings, if in a situation outside of the studio
• Plan angles when shooting so these extra things are not in the way: shooting downward will usually eliminate background distractions
• Add more close ups and move in as close as possible, while keeping the composition intact
• Use a shallow depth of field in order to have less focus on items around the subject (I use f1.4)
• Crop the image when in certain situations, but only a small amount
• Keep the model toward the center of the setup to get the most out of what you have
• Layering a backdrop can create the illusion of depth when used with a shallow depth of field

.Written by Laurel Guido. We also encourage you to visit Laurel’s website and follow her on Facebook to see more of her incredible work!