Thoughts On Presenting & Design mike-pulsifer.org

DIY Stock Photography

Have you run into a situation where you need a photo for a slide and you either can't find one that works and looks just right on services such as iStockPhoto or for a shot like this, you can't justify paying for a photo of some Sharpies?  You can try the Creative Commons route at flickr, but even then it's a crap-shoot whether you'll find something worthy of being included among your slides.

Well, a lot of us presenting slide design bloggers have suggested using your own photos in place of stock photos when you can.  Not only can it be cheaper, but you're guaranteed to be the first to use that particular photo.

I faced this particular issue recently when working on a personal project of mine.  I needed two different photos: 1) Sharpies and 2) Tools that can support the message "layout."  Nothing good was coming up on iStockPhoto and frankly, for at least the photo of Sharpies, I just couldn't bring myself to spend the $3 for it.  Nothing of use was coming up on my http://www.behold.cc search either.  So, what could I do?  Well, there are a couple do it yourself options.

DIY Studio Lighting

In the ShutterTalk article, "Putting Together a Budget DIY Lighting System," they show you how for about $75, you can assemble a decent on-the-cheap lighting system to help you photograph items indoors.  It's something I definitely intend to assemble at some point, especially when I don't have reliable weather to make use of the cheapest lighting around: the sun.

A Solution For the Really Cheap

Sharpies

However, on this occasion, I didn't have the time or the $75 (I really need to replace my 5-year old computer).  What I did have was a $15 white board that I use for my brainstorming and slide design work.  A white sheet would have been better, but I'm working with what I've got.

I also had a clear day with plenty of sun.  It was 10 AM, so the lighting was awfully harsh and taking the shot within two hours of sunrise or sunset would have been better, but with the winter sun as low as it is this time of the year, I thought I could get away with it.

Tools

I set up my white board on my driveway and arranged my subjects on the white board with the composition I was looking for and with the sun to my side.  For those who may not know, I chose to have the sun at my side so I can get the shadows I need to give my photos a feel of some depth and not something that feels flat.

I took my shots, cleaned them up a bit in Photoshop and got myself the slide images I was looking for for a grand total of $0.  If you don't count the fact that I already owned the white board, then the cost for this set up was $15 for the white board or $19 for some white sheets at Walmart.

If you use your own photography, then you can avoid appearing unoriginal.  For as little as $15 or $75, you can give yourself the tools you need to help you get the shot you've been looking for.