• In-home portrait lighting does not have to be professional.portrait image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  While the key to great photographs does not lie in the equipment but rather in the photographer, some equipment is necessary for studio photography, and professional equipment is an expensive proposition. Fortunately, there are ways to devise needed equipment. The idea is recreating the light effect and not recreating the equipment itself.
  
  

Backgrounds

• Backgrounds are necessary to bounce light onto the subject and must be illuminated to prevent shadows. Large white cotton sheets, linen or canvas can serve as backdrops. Clean painted walls can also be used, as can room scenes, such as a fireplace, a stairway or a couch, as long as the scenery can be illuminated to reduce shadows.
  
  

Light Stands

• Light stands can be rigged from virtually anything into which you can screw a lightbulb. Regular standing lights can be bent sideways, or a desk lamp can be set on a high table and tilted toward the subject. The purpose of the light stand is to bring the light to an appropriate level, either at the same height or taller than the subject.
  
  As an alternative, lights with clamps can be attached to beams or poles. These clamp-on lamps are available at most home and hardware stores. A basic studio setup needs three lights -- two background lights and one principle or key light.
  
  

Bounce Boards

• Bounce boards help to create even more light. When light bounces off a white or metallic screen, it can then be redirected toward the subject. Bounce boards can be made of any large board-like material, such as a large piece of white cardboard, a white foam board or a frame covered with white fabric. The board is held by an assistant or propped up. It should be angled toward the subject to fill shadow areas that the light does not reach.
  
  

Light Diffusers

• The difference between a professional-looking photograph and an amateur-looking photograph is often a matter of light diffusion. Direct light is harsh and washes out the subject's features, while leaving sharp shadows. Direct lighting also gives the photograph an unnatural tone. Light diffusers intercept the light and spread it evenly.
  
  Professional photographers use light umbrellas. But you can make softboxes or screens. A softbox is a hood made of white cardboard, foamboard or fabric that goes directly over the light. Instead of going to the trouble of making a softbox, you might simply use a diffusion screen in front of the key light. Flash diffusers that attach to your camera can be purchased for $15 to $20.
  
  

Location

• In-home photo studios can be set up in any location. But there are some rooms that are better than others. Large open rooms, preferably with all-white walls, help to bounce light around and naturally illuminate the subject. Rooms with large or multiple windows are also ideal, as they allow in optimum natural lighting.
  
  

Light Bulbs

• Obtaining natural light in the home is difficult if your shoot is not at a convenient time during the sun's rotation. To mimic natural light as well as possible, use full-spectrum daylight bulbs. The daylight bulbs do not shed the unnatural color casts that incandescent and fluorescent bulbs do. The bulbs can be found at most home and hardware stores for $7 to $10 each.