Hey guys, its Joyce!
Today I’m going to share with you 
how to take self-timer photos
with things you probably have at home.
specifically a bedsheet and a mirror!
In this video, I’m going to teach you how
to set up a little photo studio makeshift,
how to display your props, some posing tips
and a bit of photoshop as well.
First, I’m going to create a makeshift studio
backdrop with some old white bedsheets
I find that bedsheets or quilt covers make
great backdrops and can
completely transform a space.
A plain white bedsheet is also a very effective
light reflector and doesn’t 
cause any harsh shadows
I simply used masking tape to secure 
the bedsheet on the wall
it holds up really well without chipping the
paint on the wall after you shoot
Next, grab a plant and place it on one side.
I used my pot of Calla Lillies here, and wrapped
the bedsheet around the pot to create the
illusion of a wrapped up gift or like it’s
growing out of the set
To keep things light a fresh, I prepped a
delicious melon
and cut it into half to use on the set.
As you can see, I’ve opted for one colour palette
with the plant, fruit and my outfit
against the white bedsheet backdrop.
I love working with natural lighting shining
through my window, since it’s the easiest
and gives the most natural feel to the photos.
I also love the simplicity of this set, 
the white drapey sheets
are very subtle with a soft touch.
Yet the hints of green create a huge impact
with pops of colours which is very eye catching
The app I’m using for this self-timer shot
is a Sony app called “Imaging Edge Mobile”
I find it really easy to use with 
my Sony camera,
and I use the 2 second self timer setting
it’s great because I get to preview every
shot on my phone if I want to.
In this particular shot, I wanted to create
a soft and relaxed look 
since I’m laying on the bed
I find that poses where I’m playing or touching
my hair adds a very natural human touch
it’s one of my favourite poses because it’s
also a natural habit I have.
So it doesn’t seem forced or 
“too posey” if you know what I mean.
Stacking props you have can also add more
dimension to your photos.
You can also try capturing a shot in motion,
so the photo looks more candid
The reason I picked an oversized blazer for
this shot was to add some structure in contrast
with the light feeling you get 
from the draped bedsheet and plant.
The green also adds this fun and 
whimsical feeling to this photo.
I find that switching up a pose like laying
on your side to laying on your back
can also give a completely different feeling.
Again, placing your hands on your body and
face adds more of a human touch and very natural.
Just make sure to keep your fingers relaxed as
if they’re touching a piece of cotton fluff!
The live view you see from my phone,
is just a simple screen recording from my iPhone
while I have the app open.
Next I’m going to work with a mirror
I had laying around because
it was an old bathroom
mirror from Ikea.
I made sure it was clean and dust-free
before using it since the dirt details might
be picked up from the camera.
I laid the mirror flat on a table and set
my camera angle high enough so 
I could see my own reflection
if you don’t have a tripod, you can also
try propping the camera on top of a chair
with lots of books.
As you may have realised, I like shooting
a lot of my photos portrait
since it captures more of the body and also 
ideal when posting on social media.
Remember what I mentioned with soft fingers?
Here, I’m doing the same.
And lightly touching the mirror
so it looks like its floating.
Placing my arms in front of me also 
creations dimension
This adds a lifelike or realistic quality
to the image.
I really like experimenting with 
angles to see what works best
If a front view doesn’t work, try a side angle.
The reflection from the mirror also changes
depending how close you are to it.
As you can see, the light that 
bounces off the mirror also
does wonders to light up your face and eyes.
Later in this video, I will also share how
I extend the mirror in photoshop.
So you can also achieve the same 
look if you want to in your photos.
A nice trick is to try looking at the camera
lens in the mirror reflection
this give the illusion that there are 
2 of you in the image
With this image for instance, you can also
try to flip the image to make it look like
your mirror reflection is looking back at
the camera
a simple trick to add more height in photos
is add a pillow on whatever you’re sitting
this gives more elevation so more of your
torso is reflected in the mirror
Finally, I’m going to transfer all the images
to my laptop
In this next section, I will be sharing how I
photoshopped the mirror
to look bigger and infinite
This the selected image i want to retouch
in Lightroom
As you can see the edited and unedited version
I have side by side in the develop panel
So now I’m going to open this image in Photoshop
by right-clicking the image
and select “Edit in Adobe Photoshop 2020”
this is the latest version of photoshop at the moment
Select “a copy with my Lightroom adjustments”
and click "Edit" , so the edits 
from Lightroom are transferred
once in Photoshop, click on the “Quick select
tool” on the tool bar panel
I use this to "easy select" an area that has
very similar colour shades and a defined shape
Now, just zooming in the get more details...
Now once the area is selected, click on "Edit" at
the top panel and slide to 
“Content Aware Fill”
This section will pop up with the green highlights
indicating which areas
of the photo you want to clone from.
Since I only want the bits from the mirror,
I’m simply clicking and dragging away the
details i don’t want the area 
to be cloned from.
The image on the right shows a 
preview of what the
cloning / content aware fill will look like.
Once I’m happy with the result, 
I’m going to click on “OK”
once you’re back in the edit panel, click
“command + D” on Mac or
“Shift + D” on Window to deselect.
Selecting the clone tool on the left, hold
down “command” and click on the the area
you want to clone stamp from
then glide the brush along the harsh edges
to blend the colours
As I get closer to my arm, I’m shrinking
the brush by scrolling down with my mouse
so I don’t clone over the blazer sleeve.
Next, bring the opacity to around 35%
here, I’m blending in the shadows 
that look a little off
this part can seem a little tedious, but it's
essential to make the blend realistic.
Now, I’m going to do the same procedure
as before with the right side
And on this side, I will use the 
Lasso tool to draw
now carefully carving out the section
I want to content aware
basically I'm implementing 
the same technique I just used
so I will speed up the process here
Once I’m happy with the result, 
I’m going to click "save"
and it should transfer directly back into Lightroom.
And there you have it!
That's how you photoshop a small mirror
to create the illusion of a bigger
and infinite mirror in Photoshop!
I would love to know which ideas you
also plan to try at home
so comment in the section below
and if you like this video,
don't forget to like and subscribe,
and i'll see you guys in my next one.
Bye!
