Take it one step further and run a color transparency through your handy printer and you can get patterned backdrops. Ebay is definitely your friend on this one. I've listed a few of the better deals out there below:

800W/S 2 STUDIO STROBE LIGHTS/2 Soft Boxes/BarnD. NEW!    US $399.00

**Complete Par 38 Lighting System w/ Tripod KJ DJ light    US $129.95

Hand Held Rechargeable LED Searchlight Spot Light NEW    US $194.24

Hand Held Rechargeable LED Searchlight Spot Light NEW    US $149.98

780W STUDIO LIGHTING FLASH STROBE LIGHT KIT FOR CANON 600D 60D 7D    US $429.84

750W STROBE STUDIO FLASH LIGHT KIT LIGHTING SET 3x 250W    US $380.00

900W Flash Photography Studio Strobe Light Kit Softbox    US $429.84

Olympus PT-EP03 Underwater Housing Case E-PL2 Camera    US $599.99

Panasonic DMW-MCTZ10 Marine Case Underwater Housing    US $269.95

Olympus PT-EP03 Underwater Housing Case E-PL2 Camera    US $599.99

2) Lots of extra batteries if you have them. The cold will sap your batteries longevity much more so then you realize. Battery life is half what it normally will be depending on your brand of battery. The canon battery packs I have worked with all seem to hate the really cold weather and give perhaps 50% of their normal battery life for a canon slr camera.

3) Bring an assistant if you are shooting a model outside in the winter. If you are fortunate enough to have a model that is up for an adventure outside in the winter time you're in for a challenge, and some great photography. One of the best ways to facilitate an outdoor shoot during the winter is to have an assistant with you, or at least another set of hands. The biggest issue is keeping the model warm during shoot down time. Have your assistant at the ready with warm clothing and warm liquids that the model can access very quickly when the need arises. The last thing you want is a freezing model!

4) Let you camera warm up or down to the temperature you will be shooting at. One of the easiest ways to get lens condensation is to have your camera out in a warm car then step directly outside into freezing cold winter air. Trust me, you do not want to get condensation inside your lenses or camera. Take the time to allow your equipment to adjust slowly from its original temperature to the shooting temperature of the winter photo session.

5) Don't be afraid to get into snow. Its cold and wet, but it makes awesome photos. Most snow storms aren't the first place people want to be out in, but nature will provide you with an abundance of unique and beautiful photographs if you brave the weather. Walking is the best way to experience a snowstorm, or snow shoes if you have them. Get out in the storm and shoot while the snow is falling. I've found using a wide angle lens and getting close up on objects can produce a wonderful affect when combined with snow.

UB12350 12V 35Ah Electric Mobility Turnabout Battery    US $55.95

B+W 67mm XS-PRO MRC 010M Nano UV Filter - Made in Germany Multi-Coated 67 mm    US $66.50

Spiratone Extension tube set for M42 Pentax Mount-Mint    US $44.57

Created Opal 925 Sterling Silver Stud Blue Earring    US $43.44

Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera + Nikon Lens Kit    US $1,176.95

One of the hardest things to do in the professional field is start your own business. If you take a cruise around the internet and search for home businesses, home based photographer is generally up at the top of the results. Its fairly easy to set up a small studio in your garage or basement (provided your wife doesn't kill you first) and start taking photographs that are passable as decent shots. The real tricky part is getting clients. Not many clients are up for traveling to your home and doing a shoot - especially if your home is creepy looking or your shooting in the basement. So whats the next step? Leasing studio space.

The search for studio space is one that I thought wouldn't take long, and for some reason I'm an idiot. Of course it will take you time, energy, and in the end lots of money. The overriding principle of business is location, location, location. Ask any seasoned business owner and they'll tell you that location is 80% of the final equation that will make or break you're business venture. So when your out looking for studio space make sure its in an area that needs and more importantly can sustain your photography studio. The best studio space you find might be in the worst part of town and as such will hinder you're efforts in gaining clients. Try and pick a space that is conducive to both clients that book by appointment over the phone, and those that are just walking or driving by your new space. If you take this into consideration when searching out studio space you'll be much better off in the end, even if you don't have the biggest or best space that you've looked at.

The next criterion you should look at when selecting studio space is the layout of the studio itself. Try to imagine how you would put together a floor plan while you're looking at the different spaces. If you can't easily envision the layout in your head as you're looking at the space then its not going to work out very well once you start trying to move in furniture and backdrops. Also take into consideration various needs of your clients. Is there a bathroom available? Does the space have access to hot/cold water? Is there enough room to build in a changing room? A props or utilities closet?

The biggest concern when looking to lease studio space and move yourself up into a larger location then your basement is the bottom line cost. How much is this space going to cost you a month, and how much are you willing to go in debt to have it. Most photographers that are starting out work a day job, then work as a photographer nights & weekends - much like myself. This leaves a quandary for which the studio space is based solely on the disposable income of whatever is left over after all other bills are paid from the day job's income. Depending on where you're located, the price per square foot of space for leasing will vary. In this particular area of the country it ranges from $5 to $10 per square foot for unfinished space. This means that a 1000 square foot unfinished space will run you $420 a month on the low end, and up to $850 on the high end. And thats just for the space, thats not including heat, electric, water etc.

If you're considering buying studio space the cost factor will be your biggest concern. Most new businesses take a loan out from the bank to offset the cost of leasing space. This is a good idea if you have the time to properly set up your business plan and you can get financing from a bank. I would highly suggest taking the time to come up with a business plan, financing from the bank, and then get the biggest space you can while staying under your budget. Keep in mind that most businesses loose money the first two years of operation.

So sure enough I found a great box that would fit the needs I was looking for. I wanted to use a refrigerator box due to its large volume. I wasn't really sure what I would be photographing on the table, but I wanted to make sure I had enough surface area to shoot anything I came up with. I also took the step to make the box into a triangle as you can see below in the photo. This allowed a much more stable platform to work with, and would let me support a greater weight of object. If you decide to build one for yourself, which I highly recommend over buying one for $100 or more, be sure to have a lot of packing tape handy. Duct tape also works well, but clear packing tape makes it look a bit more upscale.

Once the box was completed I took my strobe and placed it in the center of the box. I'm using an open faced strobe and bouncing it off the walls of the inside of the light table. This further softens the light coming from underneath the subject material and makes a nice subtle light. You can also take a soft box and drop it in the middle of the home light table to further control the light source. For this particular setup I wanted a fairly harsh light to really create some pop on the light table surface.

The next step after getting the initial form set up was to find a suitable backdrop to work with. Normally I would throw a roll of seamless paper behind the box, but I'm working in a confined space on this project. I chose to go with a muslin canvas that has eyelets in one end to hang from a support stand. This would allow me to have a few feet of distance from the back end of the light table to the muslin itself. Having a decent distance from your backdrop to the edge of the light table accounts for light fall off and should keep your backdrop nice and dark if you choose to go with black.

With the muslin backdrop being a good twenty feet long, I had plenty of material to work with. Once I managed to get it strung up and holding itself to the wall, I took the other end and flowed it over the back side of the light table and down into the middle. This lets the back of the home light table match the backdrop and creates a nice transition from table to back wall while maintaining the same color.

After getting the setup this far, I needed to run to my favorite home improvement store to grab some more material to complete the home light table setup. The final item needed was an inexpensive piece of plexiglass. If you've never worked with plexiglass in photography before, then you've been missing out. Not only is plexiglass safe to work with since it very rarely shatters, it also can create stunning reflections. As you can see in the next photo, I'm just laying it directly on top of the box. No need to secure it down to anything since the triangle box setup nicely supports a center weighted object.After this point you're all set to start shooting some objects on your new home light table. Be sure to have a note pad handy to write down your camera settings for quick reference next time you want to shoot a product. To create some more interesting light effects stay tuned for a further post on additional light setups.

Hopefully this will help out some photographers that are starting out with a home studio. Basically everything you can create from very low cost items if you're really trying to cut down on the monetary investment in this very expensive industry. Now go build your own home light table and post some images you've taken with it. I'm always interested in seeing what others are doing with home projects.