FIGURE F


Yes, it really is a napkin holder. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Here in Central New Jersey, we have these interesting innovations called dollar stores. As you might guess from their name, everything in the store is a buck. So, these two napkin holders, which came from Denise' favorite dollar store, cost a dollar, each.

Combining these objects, we're talking about under $25 for some professional-looking backdrops and stands. It doesn't take much money, just creativity. For example, if I'd wanted to take a picture of my favorite little abacus, I could drop it on the napkin holder, which is then on the yoga mat. But, if you look at Figure G, you'd never, really know that's what I'm using.

FIGURE G


Use these found objects to showcase your favorite pieces. Roll over picture for a larger image.

To be honest, I didn't like the above shot. I found the napkin holder stand very useful when trying to prop up a PDA with a camera, but the abacus would work quite well without the stand. I like Figure H much better:

FIGURE H


Here's the abacus, shot at a slight angle. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Many of you are eBay sellers, so for a more detailed eBay picture, I also took a more straight-on shot, shown in Figure I.

FIGURE I


Here you can see much more of the detail of the object. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Compare those last two pictures, and then look at the setup of my "studio," shown in Figure J.

FIGURE J


Just lean the object on the backdrop for a clean picture. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Keep an eye out for found objects
In this article, I've shown you a number of pictures that showcase how a few simple found objects can make a wonderful, professional-looking backdrop. As you go through your day, keep your eyes open and use your imagination. You, too, may find something very inexpensive that'll create great pictures.

And yes, I did return the yoga mat to Denise. And yes, I did ask her if I could borrow it before I started strapping it to the desk.

David Gewirtz is the author of How To Save Jobs and Where Have All The Emails Gone? For more than 20 years, he has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com and you can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/DavidGewirtz.