Not everyone has a photographic studio at home

Not everyone has a photographic studio at home, but that doesn't mean you can't still create a studio effect, all you need is a flash and a little camera wizzardry to create that studio look and feel.

My daughter (A huge Harry Potter fan)

My daughter (A huge Harry Potter fan) wanted some pictures of herself in her Harry Potter costume and that gave me an idea for this article.

As you can see from this image, taking a shot indoor with flash can create some really harsh and distracting shadows that really distract from the image. (Taken at 1/320th sec at f22 ISO 100 with Flash on full power in manual mode).

Unlike the first image, this one was taken outdoors and in the snow believe it or not!.

Unlike the first image, this one was taken outdoors and in the snow believe it or not!. (Taken at 1/320th sec at f22 ISO 100 with Flash on full power in manual mode).

The same settings as the first shot but by moving outdoors the time that it took for the flash to hit the background in the garden and reflect back was too long for the camera to capture it due to the fast shutter speed.

In essence the speed of the shutter and the high aperture made the camera blind to the background scenery while the flash was able to illuminate the subject.

Not everyone has a photographic studio at home

Now, not all flashes can fire quickly enough to sync with a shutter speed above 1/250th, but with a little bit of time and patience and in the knowledge of this little trick you should be able to find a setting that separates the background in your shot like the one above. I would suggest starting with an ISO of 100, f20 or above and a shutter speed of around 1/200th sec with your flash on full power. Avoid using TTL (Through The Lens) setting on your flash as the camera will automatically adjust your flash and that is likely to reduce power and spoil the magic!

The final trick to complete this magical shot was to fire up Photoshop and add in a little lens flare using the lens flare filter, a fairly simple addition can make a huge difference to the feel of the shot. Have fun creating some magic!!