As photographers, it can be easy to fall into the trap of looking at the super expensive gear that another photographer has, thinking you can’t do fun, creative photography because you don’t have the same piece of gear. Here is just more proof that this simply is not the case.
Mark Wallace has been synonymous with photography education for years and he is back with another great video for Adorama TV in which he talks about a simple one light shoot where he uses silver window screen to great some amazing textured images.
This is something that you could do for incredibly cheap after a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s, or even maybe free if you have a window with a screen at home that you no longer need (we don’t recommend tearing apart your house, though). All you need is the screen, a dark blanket or sheet, and a Speedlight with a soft modifier of some kind.
The setup was simply enough too, with Mark pretty much draping the screen over his model with his light source lighting her from the side. The result is pretty incredible, with some crazy textures being produced by the screen while at the same time revealing his subjects face beneath.
Next time you find yourself in the doldrums thinking you can’t create with the limited gear at your disposal, remember that Wallace did it with a window screen, so think and see what crazy ideas you can come up with. Chances are you can create some ways to use your gear that you have not thought of before. Keeping that creative mind sharp will be a valuable asset in the future.
