Studio Equipment and Software Alternatives : Photography
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Photo Alternatives
Taking Photos
Don't have a standalone camera to take photos for your project? Use your phone!
Best Practices for Taking Photos
Best Practices
- Hold your phone horizontally to take photos
- If using an iPhone, change your Camera settings to "most compatible." To change your settings:
- Open Settings
- Choose Camera
- Open Formats
- Select Most Compatible
- If using an Android, you shouldn't need to change any settings
- Make your own tripod to keep your phone steady
Editing Photos
After taking your photos, you may need to edit them. You can use some Studio-supported web editors to do basic editing, like Canva and Adobe Spark. If you need to do your photo editing on your phone, both Canva and Spark are available as apps for iOS and Android devices.
If you don't have the above programs or a computer to edit your photos on, try the following.
Canva
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CanvaCanva offers basic photo editing in addition to graphic design tools.
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Canva PathfinderStudio guide to getting started with Canva.
Pixlr
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PixlrPixlr offers two web-based photo editors, Pixlr E and Pixlr X. Both let you edit and transform your photos, but Pixlr E offers some more advanced tools and has a slightly higher learning curve. Pixlr also offers mobile versions of their editor.
GIMP
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GIMPGIMP is an open source photo editor similar to Photoshop, and it can be used for editing photos and graphic design. It is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
Need more help?
If you need more help, contact the Studio however you feel comfortable:
Call us at 423-425-2219
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Schedule a ConsultationWe are available for appointments by Zoom to help with assignments.
Studio Pathfinders
Studio pathfinders are guides to get you started with the software that we actively support.
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Studio PathfindersStudio guides are available as PDFs that you can download and refer back to. You may need to sign in with your Mocs ID to access the guides.
Disclaimer
Remember that unless otherwise noted, the Studio may not be able to fully support all the software options on this guide. If you have questions, please contact the Studio and we will help you to the best of our abilities.
Lighting Options
Being thoughtful about your lighting always helps make your photos better. Taking photos outside, especially if it's a little overcast, is a great way to get well-lit photos. If you can't take your photos outside, here are some tips for taking better photos inside using things you have around the house.
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How to Make Homemade Photography Lighting / WikiHow3 easy ways to improve your lighting using things you may have around the house.
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A 6-Step Guide to Natural Lighting for DIY Product Photography / ShopifyThese tips are designed for photography products for online stores, but can also help take better photos for portfolios.
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A photographer’s guide to the best budget lighting alternatives / LightingRumorsThis page covers several at-home replacements to professional lighting kits, as well as some alternatives to standard lighting.