All that’s needed is a sheet (I use a black twin size flat sheet, about $3 from Walmart), 2 chairs, 2 clips, good natural light, and a delightful subject.

Simply fold a few inches of sheet over the chair backs and clip them in place. Angle your “studio” so that it is perpendicular to the light (as in, the light is coming in from the right or the left, not head-on or back-lit. Also make sure you are not directly in the shadow of a window–where the outline of the window frame or blinds causes shadow lines to fall across your photo area.

I don’t have a super fancy camera, but frankly, most PHONE cameras nowadays are so good, I often shoot with mine! Just remember not to get in DIRECT sunlight (too harsh, below left). Now snap away!

And thanks to digital cameras, you can take lots of photos in the hopes of capturing that one great money shot! Of course, the “out takes” can be pretty fun too…

Well, at least you’ll have fun trying!

Hmm, and while looking through photo files to see if I had any other home studio pics… I see I was a LITTLE obsessed in 2011… No wonder my kids run for the hills when they see me pull out the black sheet (or any color sheet, for that matter)!

I’ve been known to tape a sheet to the wall, too (using blue tape which, ahem, would be cropped out)…

And on the floor (a sweet perspective, methinks, for precious ones who grow TOO QUICKLY!)…

Just make sure to angle yourself (or, um, your then-7-yr-old photographer) so that the backdrop is the, um, backdrop. {Incidentally, this is the New York Times bestselling One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and if you haven’t read it yet, please run out and get it immediately. It is change-your-life amazing. She blogs at aholyexperience.com}

So there you have it! Whose pic will you snap today?