Mesmerizing Photos Captured Using Unusual Photoshoot Setups

Working in photography is a gig many people aspire to achieve. However, not everyone has the eye or the skill and talent for photography. To succeed in photography requires something special that not everyone has. Sometimes it takes years to master techniques, and yet some people have the audacity to ask photographer friends to take pictures for free. If you have ever witnessed what goes on behind the scenes of photoshoots, then you will understand how much effort, time, talent, and elbow grease photographers put into their work. Before a picture becomes worthy of the front page of a prominent magazine, many hours are spent perfecting it and making it look just “right.” We have compiled for you photoshoot set-ups that seem typical but produce amazing results that will hopefully make you appreciate the work photographers do.

Who would have thought?

If you look at the setup on the left, you won’t expect much from this photoshoot. Still, a professional photographer’s skilled and talented hands can turn some of the simplest settings and backdrops into the most amazing pictures.

Look at the picture on the right, and you’ll see exactly what we mean. We have to give props to the little girl for being so professional. She’s so cute and beautiful too and deserves to be highlighted in this photograph.

We love her make-believe world

Sometimes, the world we live in can be a bit too much that the only thing we want to do is get away, shut the door, and not go out of our room for a few days. This lady must have felt the same way. That’s why she thought of creating a whole new world.

And we have to say, we love the world she created, especially for her DIY photographs. Take a board with a few fake plants, and you have yourself a very nice backdrop. Throw in a nice dress, and you have yourself an Instagram-worthy photo.

Drowning in a sea of balls

How do you drown in a sea of balls and still manage to look glamourous at the same time? We could all learn a lesson or two from this lady. She does it so effortlessly and without breaking a sweat. And her photographer is talented.

When you just look at the end product, you wouldn’t know what happens behind the scenes. It’s not as easy as the end product looks, however. We love this photo, except for one thing, and that’s the fact that they smoothed out the model’s skin so much when she didn’t need it.

A breathtaking landscape photo

Landscape photos have always been one of our favorite photography categories. Looking at stunning vistas and spectacular views makes you feel things. It makes you want to just transport yourself to that specific spot so that you can experience the area for yourself.

This one is a great example. Mother Nature is already so beautiful that you don’t need to photoshop her at all. You just have to know how to work your camera to achieve the best angle, light, and depth.

You look beautiful, momma

Some would disagree with this, but many people agree that it was Demi Moore’s then provocative 1991 Vanity Fair cover photo that sparked the popularity of maternity photos. Since then, we have seen pregnant women worldwide wanting their pictures to be taken before they give birth.

Some photos are daring, while others are more subtle. Whatever their preference may be, we take our hats off to pregnant women who want to document their motherhood journey. And we love this lady’s take of her own journey. It’s simple but sweet.

Such a talented photographer

This is another clear example of how a talented photographer can work his magic and make photos exceptional with minimal resources. You don’t need expensive and fancy backdrops and props to come up with something amazing and impressive.

Looking at the setup, you would never expect the photo on the right to be the end product. If we ever find ourselves in Rwanda, we will be looking out for this guy because we also want our photos to be taken and edited by him.

Using nature as a canvas

If you’re looking for beautiful things, you don’t need to go far. All you need to do is look at Mother Nature. She is the repository of all things delightful and gorgeous. Look at the lakes, the mountains, and the ocean, and there’s your answer.

Mother Nature is one of the best canvasses to make excellent works of art. Need any further proof? Just look at this photo. The autumn leaves perfectly frame the woman’s beautiful face. Of course, we must also give credit to the person behind the camera.

How did the photographer do that?

If you look at the photo on the right, you’d probably be wondering, wow, how did they take this photo? What did they use? Well, now you have the chance. It turns out it doesn’t take much, just a lot of talent.

Add in photo editing skills to the mix, and you have the perfect photo. Turning simple things into something unforgettable can be done if you have time, effort, and of course, skills. Don’t we all wish we could do what this photographer did?

Now, that’s a sexy holiday photo

This is a photo which makes us wish that it’s already the holidays. Or maybe we don’t have to wait for any holiday. You can have your photo taken like this, no matter the season or time of year.

All we need now is a sexy dress and a few balloons. Of course, it’s also a must to perfect this pose to come up with something that will not only wow your audience but inspire people too. It can’t be that hard, right?

Careful in the water

Pictures taken in the water are the trickiest of all, that’s what we have heard and read, but the photos they produce are also the most interesting. This one proves our point. Although the water is shallow, it can be difficult to hold a pose like that.

You have to be careful in the water because you want to protect your gear, and you also want to ensure that everyone is safe while shooting. This photo is remarkable but to us, what happened behind the scenes is more interesting.

Shine bright and shimmer

Glitter has always been used for photoshoots to elevate them. It creates a unique effect that can’t be achieved with other props. However, it does have a habit of getting everywhere and anywhere. You have to be careful when using them.

Glitter can get into your eyes, your clothing, and of course, your camera equipment. And it can cause serious damage, which you want to avoid at all costs. We do have to admit that they used it well in this photo.

Put your back on it

This is a photo we especially love because it’s subtle yet sexy. Nothing fancy here. It’s just a bareback and some, we’re guessing, lavender feathers taped to the wall. We’ve always loved the color of lavender, so we’re partial to this.

If you noticed in the BTS photo on the left, the feathers were taped to the wall, but on the right, the tape disappeared. We can only think that they worked some Photoshop or Lightroom magic to achieve such an effect.

This photo highlighted the model’s beauty

Before we even talk about the photo, we just have to comment about the model. She is gorgeous, and this photo definitely highlighted that. We love her eyes because they stand out the most from all the other elements in the photo.

The studio was not set up lavishly for this photo. They took a few lights and a green cloth for a backdrop. We have to give credit to her makeup artist because she did an excellent job highlighting her true beauty.

This photographer has serious skills

Photo editing skills are in demand these days. People who know how to sharpen images, apply adjustment layers and masks, and correct saturation and color can earn a substantial amount of money. But, these skills must be perfected.

We’ve always been interested in photography, and looking at all these photos makes us wish we took Photoshop and Lightroom classes when we were younger. We would also love to take and edit photos like this one. Ah, maybe one day.

That is one pensive cat

Most of us have heard the song lyric that says a picture paints a thousand words, and we can all agree on that. Pictures convey emotions that are sometimes too difficult to put into words. This is true not only of human subjects but also of animal subjects.

Just look at this cat! Don’t you think it’s a little pensive? Hmm, we’re wondering what it is thinking about? Did it not enjoy the tuna? Or did it enjoy the tuna but thought that it could benefit from a more generous portion?

All that for a nice wedding photo

It’s no secret that photographers are willing to go to crazy lengths just to make sure they get that perfect wedding photo. After all, it’s not every day that people get married. If you do it right, you only get married once.

Photographers are not afraid to kneel or lie on dirt and sand to get that perfect photo. After, they head to the studio to further refine the raw pictures they’ve taken. Fortunately for this guy, he didn’t have to get grit on himself.

Careful not to step on the photographer

Like we said earlier, photographers often find themselves in some of the most uncomfortable positions just to get that perfect shot. Bend here, tilt there and perhaps even lie on their stomachs. As long as they get a good photo, they’re happy.

This model is careful that she doesn’t touch the lens with her feet, or else it might damage it. Depending on their purpose, lenses cost a lot of money, and they are one of the most valuable objects in a photographer’s arsenal.

Bringing out a woman’s beauty

If you’re wondering how to bring out a woman’s beauty through a photograph, you might want to take a master class from this person. If he ever conducts one. We’d eagerly sign up, too. We love what he’s done with the photo.

The picture is showcasing a woman with beauty and power, fierce but serene at the same time. We’d love to learn these skills; they would come in handy when creating content. Plus, they could help you earn money, too.

That’s a clever way to use a car mirror

Photographers have eyes that don’t see what we normal people do. What seems banal and mundane to use may be amazing to them. They have a different perspective, and they see beauty where we don’t.

If you come across a car mirror, you won’t think much about it. After all, it’s something you see every single day. But photographers see something entirely different. They can use it to come up with a nice photo such as this one.

Vogue!

The pose of the model in this photo reminds us of Madonna doing her infamous vogue pose. That song became the world’s best-selling single of the year 1990, and until now, people can’t help but dance to that song when they hear it.

But, back to the photo. Who would have thought that it was taken in what looks like a normal living room? However, after editing it, it looks like an entirely different place. That’s the power of Photoshop for you.

Who’s the fairest of them all?

This lady is reminiscent of Cinderella. The only difference is she is the one looking in the mirror instead of the evil queen, Snow White’s stepmother. She looks like she just finished all her grueling housework because she still has curlers on her hair.

But she still looks pretty, though. Just a little touch-up, and she will be all food to go for the ball. All she lacks now is her pumpkin carriage and her glass slippers, and she should be off. She just has to remember to come home before midnight.

We didn’t know iPhones make good lights

We wouldn’t normally think of iPhones as good light sources for photos, but it turns out they can be turned into one if you’ve forgotten yours or if you have an impromptu photo shoot. The lady in the photo seems glowing.

Sometimes, photographers just have to improvise if they don’t have all the tools they need. They have to make do with what they have, which is one way a photographer’s skills can be measured. Can they produce a good photo even if they have incomplete equipment?

Chubby baby

This is one chubby and cute baby who deserves to be highlighted. The baby is already cute as he is, but we love how he posed and smiled for the shot. He looks 100 times cuter, and we’d just love to pinch his chubby cheeks.

You wouldn’t guess that he was photographed on somebody’s sofa. Naturally, you’d think they went to the studio to have his adorable pictures taken. Well, it seems that’s not necessary if you have a photographer with A+ skills like this one.

The lady in red

First of all, where do you get a giant flower like this? Do people have them readily available in their homes? Because we sure don’t have one. We’d also like to lie down on a giant red flower and have our pictures taken.

This is a sexy shoot, but it’s still tastefully done. We can hear Chris de Burgh’s Lady in Red playing in the background, and it makes us wanna put on a red dress, too, and dance around after we have our photos taken.

What are you peeking at?

Phones today are so high-tech that they can easily take the place of bulky DSLR cameras. Phones today are equipped with powerful lenses that can even take macro pictures easily with clarity, detail, and little to no noise, like this next stunner.

This photo was taken using a Samsung S7 Edge phone, and although that’s not the latest Android phone, the results are astounding. Amazingly, the only prop they had for this photoshoot was an empty water bottle.

The drowning princess

Careful there, princess! We don’t want you drowning during the photo shoot. We love seeing BTS photos and comparing them to the results because they can be so vastly different. They allow you to see how magic was created and thought of.

We love her makeup and her gown, and we love how she was made to look like she was underwater.  We’re just wondering if she was underwater, or was the magic done by photo editing? We can’t tell, but it doesn’t make the picture less cool.

This makes us want to buy the shoe

This type of photography makes people want to go out and buy the shoe. This is an excellent way to market a company’s product. We all know how powerful a photograph is, and he is the type of person you should hire for your marketing campaign.

Artistic people like photographers see beauty in simplicity, and they see details which most of us don’t. Some of the best photographers may charge expensive fees, but you can be sure that they’ll do a stellar job like this guy.

So, this is how they do this type of photography

We’ve often wondered how people manage to take photos of people in the shower or people in the bathroom, with moisture and all. Now, we know the secret, and we’re thankful that they finally let the cat out of the bag.

It may not be as magical behind the scenes, but this only goes to show that effort, time, and a lot of elbow grease go into a photographer’s work. Powerful phones may have allowed people to take photos instantly, but a photographer’s job is still very different from that.

That’s one great photo

Although we do not doubt that software such as Photoshop and Lightroom has made it a lot easier for people to manipulate photos, a good picture still starts with a skilled photographer. Without their eye for beauty, there would be no photo to manipulate at all.

Of course, you also need the right gear to be able to take photos. There are plenty of cameras available today, so make sure to get the best one that your money can buy. Look at what the combination of excellent talent, great gear, and amazing Lightroom skills can do. 

Do you like this shot?

How difficult is it to shoot with a massive airplane in the background? Well, perhaps if you live near the Los Angeles Airport, it won’t be as difficult as plenty of planes take off and land every hour.

We like the concept of this photo, but for some reason, the angle from which the photographer took the picture makes the model look like her body is distorted. Nevertheless, it still is a good photo, one we’d want to copy.

Silver lining

There’s always a silver lining to things, and sometimes you just need to look hard enough. Well, this is a silver lining, both literally and figuratively. They must have bought meters and meters of silver foil for this shoot.

They used it as a backdrop for a female model. The setup may look like they didn’t spend a lot of money on it, but the photo taken using it as a backdrop looks expensive and classy. You should try this sometime and see what results you get.

Is she checking her pulse?

We call this the checking your pulse pose. See the placement of her palms on her neck? We’re pretty sure she’s still alive. Otherwise, how can she pose like that? When it comes to photography, you have to be creative with your poses.

If you’ve always been doing the one hand on the hip pose, it’s time to spice things up and try other poses. Need inspiration? You can copy the model in this photo or make a quick search on the Internet for creative poses.

They were all yellow, too

Don’t have an expensive backdrop to use for your photoshoot? Do you have to buy those expensive and different colored boards, cloth and what-not? The answer is no. You just have to be creative and innovative.

You can find plenty of inspiration in mundane things, such as curtains. Look at how the yellow curtains used as a backdrop make this photo stand out. Take this as your cue to raid your mother’s closet and see what you can find.

It’s the Pikachu skirt that caught our eyes

We have to admit that what caught our eye with this photo first was the cute Pikachu skirt. You don’t see those frequently nowadays. But, the point of this photo is the lady’s creativity. We reckon she needed to take a professional-looking photo.

No need to go to a professional photographer’s studio. All you need is a tripod, a mobile phone with a nice camera, a white button-down shirt, and of course, an office jacket. But, if you don’t have the latter, you can always wear your pants.

Another use for your mirror

If you think that your mirror strictly belongs on the wall, think again. it turns out that mirrors have many purposes, and one of them is for photography. Bored of all the usual photos and poses and want to try something new on your Instagram?

This is something you can do, but you’ll need the help of someone. After all, you can’t hold the mirror, pose, and take your own photo simultaneously. You’d need three arms for that. So, unless you’re an octopus, ask a friend to help you out.

Perhaps we should use a fish tank next time

If there’s one thing we’d like to try our hand on, it’s underwater photography. It looks interesting, surreal, and challenging. The first thing you’ll need is an underwater camera. However, it’s not necessary for all underwater settings. There are creative ways to get around things.

There are many ways to create effects, but we didn’t know you can use a fish tank for this purpose. That’s what the photographer did with this photo. Fish tanks and photography? An unlikely but genius combination.  

Lie if you must

Roll, sit, lie down. No, we’re not talking to dogs. We are simply enumerating all the different positions photographers have to do to get the perfect picture. You shouldn’t be afraid of getting grime and dirt all over you if that means an amazing result.

You’ll see that all the scrapes and sacrifices will be worth it when you see the photo you have captured, such as this one. Although we disagree with the sartorial choice of the model, we love the angle of the photo. It makes her look larger than life.

The great ball of fire

How would you like the experience of holding a great ball of fire in your hands? Or perhaps a tiny sun? We’re sure that Photoshop played a major role in this photo, and we have to say they did a pretty good job.

When we saw this, the first thing we said was, “She better not drop that prop in the water!” It’s scary what can happen if she ever does that because we’re sure it’s either powered by electricity or batteries.

Over the moon

Photos don’t have to be over-the-top to get people’s attention. Sometimes, the simpler it is, the more it stands out. Just look at this creative example. They don’t have vibrant props or an extravagant setup. It looks like they used flour.

It’s simple, yet it’s surreal and magical at the same time. It gives you the feeling of being on the moon or over the moon. It makes the model feel weightless, as if she’s floating in space. It’s perfectly executed!

We love the golden hour

Taking photos indoors is more challenging than doing it indoors because many things are out of your control, and one of them is the weather. One excellent tip that we can all keep in mind is to take photos during the golden hour.

The golden hour is defined as the hours at the beginning and end of each day. Those hours will produce exceptional photos. Other hours in between pales in comparison to the golden hour. This photo looks like the photographer took it early in the day.

We’ve got to try 2D

If you’re tired of your run-of-the-mill photos, why not try something different such as 2D images? 2D or flat images aren’t so common, and it’s a concept that will make your pictures stand out from the rest, giving you a unique effect.

It’s also a good way to show people just how artistic you are. Look at what the girl came up with using whiteboards and a pen! There are plenty of tips and tricks online for 2D images, so don’t be afraid to try it out.

Big hair, don’t care

There’s a lot to learn in the before and after sessions of photography. Many hours are spent making sure the setup is just right to produce the best photos. There may also be a few disagreements behind the scenes, but that’s what you get when you work with imaginative minds.

Looking at the photo on the right, you’d love the girls’ big and curly natural hair. But in reality, their hair isn’t even from their head. It’s not real at all! And how did they create the effect of making the girls looked as if they were spliced together?

Portrait photography

Some people struggle with taking portrait photos. If you’re one of them, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of tips and tricks online to improve your game. The first thing you need to do is pick the perfect background.

Your background is just as important as your subject, and it has the power to make or break the photo. You’ll want something uncluttered and neutral that won’t distract your viewer. This photo is a good example of that.

Try using lace in your photos next time

While we are on the topic of portrait photography, let’s discuss the use of props. You don’t always have to shoot the bare face of your subject. There are plenty of textures and elements that will give your photo more depth and character.

In the photo above, you will see the photographer used lace nicely, and it made the photo look more mysterious and a little macabre, maybe? Does it remind you of the photos they took of dead family members during Victorian times?

Another excellent portrait photo

This is another example of an excellent portrait photo. Another tip to keep in mind when taking portrait photos is to ensure that your subject is well-lit. Generally speaking, photographers prefer natural daylight. However, it isn’t always available when you need it.

In this photo, it’s all about the eyes. We have often heard that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and in this photo, it’s all about the eyes. Nothing comes closer to that than when you take portrait photos. Emphasizing the eyes is a must because it could affect the photo if the eyes aren’t sharp enough.