Photographer Turns Storage Shed into Ideal Studio for Beautifully Lit Photo Shoots

DIY Photo Studio

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Photographer Irene Rudnyk proves that you don’t need an elaborate or expensive setup to shoot dreamy portraits. The Calgary-based creative recently produced a series of ethereal images using a storage shed in her backyard. Drenched in natural light with a dewy feel, they look like they were shot at an in-studio session. Unless you knew otherwise, you'd never realize that these photographs were taken in the same place that Rudnyk stores her bike.

Surprisingly, Rudnyk has used a shed as a studio before. “It started when I was a broke student out of necessity,” she tells My Modern Met, “and now I continue to do so to keep myself inspired.” The setup for her latest series was simple. She hung a fabric backdrop within the shed and had her model (her sister Orysia Rudnyk) stand far enough from the entrance that the white reflector illuminated her face and shoulders.

The minimalist photo studio can be replicated by any photographer on a budget. Best of all, it allows for a lot of customization and can even be recreated in a garage or in the front doorway of your home. So, if you're interested in trying this for yourself, be sure to approach it with an open mind. “[It is] trial and error,” Rudnyk advises. “Bring a friend over and experiment with different lighting scenarios and make it a challenge for yourself to use the space available to you.”

Photographer Irene Rudnyk proves that you don't need a fancy photo setup to take enchanting portraits. She snapped these in a DIY photo studio—aka her storage shed!

DIY Photo Studio

Home Photography Studio

Home Photography Studio

Home Photography Studio

DIY Portrait Studio

DIY Photo Studio

DIY Portrait Studio

Home Photography Studio

Watch the transformation in her video below:

Irene Rudnyk: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Irene Rudnyk.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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