How to Shoot Beauty Photography Absolutely Anywhere

All photos © Weronika Kosinska

We wanted to have a deep red background, so makeup artist Izabela Szelagowska brought what used to be a dress in the perfect color. We cut and taped it to my apartment wall.

1. Portable Backgrounds Make a Big Difference

Cardboard is okay, but if you don’t feel like carrying it with you, use fabric. It’s easy to fold and can add a great texture. Get your favorite colors or patterns and make sure to get non-wrinkling material. Keep in mind, though, that creased fabric can ?sometimes have a cool effect as well.

2. Expensive Equipment and Most-Wanted Brands are Not Crucial

Practice, however, is paramount. Don’t let any excuse stop you from practicing as much as you can! Develop your skills: feel and know the light, search for the most flattering angles and beautiful frames, and learn to communicate with models. And check your camera screen often to correct mistakes. Beauty photos are all about the details, so learn to pay attention.

Taken in my apartment, makeup artist Klaudia Klos wanted a light pink background, so she brought her own curtains and we taped them to the wall.

3. Sometimes Less is More

When you have limited space and equipment, one lamp will do just fine. One source of light gives a lot of options. Use neutral screens and reflectors to evoke the right mood, and play with light modifiers, different angles and black screens to make your photos pop and give them a more three-dimensional effect.

The model sat on a pillow on the floor between two black screens. A piece of deliberately wrinkled material taped to the wall behind her and one lamp with a softbox did the trick.

4. Catching Sparkles in the Eyes is Key

Reflections in the eyes can be magical. If you decide to shoot outside, it should be simple to get an unusual effect. If shooting inside, you can arrange something bright to spice up eye reflections (a piece of glass or paper, small mirrors, etc.).

5. You Can Set Up a Studio Wherever You Want

When choosing a location, space is not the problem—only a lack of imagination. To shoot beauty you need very little space: a corner of your room, one wall or even some space outside—such as a garden, a beach or the sky—can make for a beautiful background. Even daylight can be both soft and sharp, so experiment with both.

The model sat about 3 to 4 meters from the white wall to make it a bit gray. I put two black screens on both sides of her, and used one lamp with a softbox on her right side. Szelagowska used a brown sugar mixture for her eyelids.

6. Most Things Have More Than One Function

Baking paper can be used as a light diffusor, aluminum foil as a reflector and A4 folders made of colored foil can be used as a color gel (but don’t forget that the model light can melt it, so use minimum power or turn it off).