Aside from the camera, a photographer’s arsenal includes a variety of equipment used for effect or to just make things easier when setting up a photo shoot. Many photo accessories are quite expensive or hard to get, but the good news is that you can also make use of ordinary materials lying around your house as excellent alternatives.

Here are some ordinary things you can use in your photo set ups:

Car reflectors – these are handy to block out the sun in your car, and are also effective in providing additional illumination to the shadowy area in your composition.

White sheet of paper – these make a perfect backdrop for small product shots. In the set up below, two sheets of plain paper were used as the background for a shot of a camera lens. Bear in mind that these white sheets also act as reflectors which help lessen hard shadows.

Photo by Janne.

This is the final result:

Photo by Janne.

Black cloth/curtains – if you prefer a black background, you can use black curtains especially for larger subjects. Velvet is an ideal fabric since it does not catch the light.

White bed sheets – on the other hand, if you need a white background that is larger than a sheet of paper, a white bed sheet can do the trick. Drape it over a chair, or a makeshift frame, or tack it to the wall to keep your background looking neutral and without distractions.

Cardboard carton – if you have an empty carton, you can turn it into a useful light tent without having to spend a cent. To make a DIY light tent, you will also need sheets of paper, tape, and scissors. Cut out a square or rectangular window on both sides and the top of the carton, and tape sheets of paper over the holes. Place another sheet of paper at the back end, making it drape seamlessly in a curve that will also cover the base. It would look something like this:

Photo by upton

Stack of books – if you don’t have a tripod, a stack of books will do in a pinch. Just be careful not to stack them too high or they might topple over and bring your camera crashing down.

Empty Pringles canister – after finishing a can of Pringles, you can use it as a reflector that will not need to be propped up. Slice the can open like this:

Photo by teresatrimm

The inside is metallic and reflective, and one of the great benefits of this makeshift photo accessory is that it can stand on its own.

Kitchen tissue – these are wider and thicker than bathroom tissue, and are another effective option if you want a white background. This is a set up of an ornamental owl using tissue as the backdrop:

Photo by Sarah Korf

Here is the final shot:

Photo by Sarah Korf

Modeling clay – these are fantastic for propping up small subjects, such as jewelry. Simply roll clay into a tiny ball and place it behind the subject to make it stay in place and set at the desired angle.

This set up is composed of many ordinary items, from chairs to prop up the board supporting the wine glass, to a black cloth to keep the background dark.

Photo by The Ewan

Here is the final result:

Photo by The Ewan