Show us your studio - Please

[malmac]

Hi everyone who has their own studio.

We are looking to build a small studio - 6 metres by 6 metres is all we can realistically fit into the space we have.

I am really interested in what fellow members have learnt from having their own studio -

Things like minimum ceiling heights, air conditioning / ventilation, fixed lighting and more than a dozen other questions.

I thank you in advance for your comments.

What are we going to use the studio for you rightly ask.

Portraits, an alternative location for some wedding photos when we have garden weddings and it is raining cats and dogs and I would like some space when we want to use some creative backdrops - that are not feasibile in the real world on a limited budget.

I love motorcycles, so we will undoubtedly want to do some studio images of our bikes and those of our clients.

Thanks again.


Mal
Toowoomba
Australia

 

[malmac]

Well the building is finished so now I am starting to think how best to set up the wiring so I will have power where I need it.

Any thoughts are welcome on what has be learnt by others.


Mal

 

[fotografz]

Your questions are too general.

What type of lighting do you have? Do you use continuous lighting, or mono-lights, or packs? What power level are they?

Are there windows? How much usable space do you have now that you are done? How high is the ceiling? What is the orientation of the studio? Where is the backdrop?

-Marc

 

[malmac]

Marc

Thank you for fine tuning the questions.

The studio is 6 x 6 meters with a 3 meter ceiling height - so fairly small.
Studio has one small window to the West, a personal door in one corner to the west and a centrally placed roller door on the Southern Side (Southern Hemisphere - so no direct sunlight through this opening).

Currently we have;
2 x 500watt strobes with soft boxes
1 x 400 watt strobe with reflector and a couple of different umbrellas
1 x 600 watt Profoto battery pack.

Four Canon 580 Ex2's

Pocket Wizard Plus 2's and some TT5's.

I was hoping to get a snapshot of what people are using in smaller studios - to broaden my thinking.

My thought were to install seemless floor to wall curve along two of the 6 meter walls, joining at one corner.

I only had one small window installed because I was planning to use all artificial light.

Not sure which way to go with some continous lighting - which I think is a good idea - but have never used it so still trying to learn about that.

Main subjects will be portraits and a wet weather location for smaller bridal party photos - we have limited wet weather locations -

We have a number 0f 6 meter by 3 meter backdrops and some smaller 3 meter wide drops.

Main questions revolves around;

1. matching continous lighting with strobe lighting.
2. lighting needed to evenly over expose the white background without too much background glare created.

Any suggestions are appreciated.



Mal

 

[fotografz]

Hi Mal,

Your studio space is about the same square meters as mine ... mine is a bit longer and a bit narrower, but the actual shooting depth is probably about the same. I'm also restrained by ceiling height. I shoot basically the same thing as you ... with the addition of a fair amount of commercial product work.

Double cove walls is a very good idea .... especially if you can make them long on each wall. I do not have a cove and use 12' backdrops but even then with groups I run out of background if shooting slightly wider and lower, and the subject is away from the background. To overcome the lack of height, you could cove the ceiling also ... at least maybe about 2 meters out ... lit correctly, that would simulate a much taller ceiling if shooting upwards at all ... I suggested that to another fellow with a smaller space and it worked beautifully.

It sounds like you have plenty of lighting power for that sized studio.

Personally, I wouldn't waste any effort or money on continuous lighting, strobes are far more powerful and easier to use, and already have modeling lights to see what the effect is ... but that's your decision.

Instead, I'd look to investing in additional light modifiers (octa boxes, a beauty dish with grid, strip light soft-boxes, etc.) add some moveable reflector walls, plus a few stands with boom arms, and that sort of thing = more creative possibilities with your subjects. Standard location type umbrellas are pretty hard to work with in a small studio because they scatter light all over the place and are harder to control than dedicated modifiers.

I use two 2 meter strip lights on either side of the background with black flags shielding any flare at camera. Others use them pointed back at the wall on either side of the subject, but I don't have enough studio width to do that.

-Marc

 

[malmac]

Marc

Thank you very much - this is just the sort of down to earth practical advice I was hoping for.

Not familiar with the term "cove" but assume you mean make the background wrap around the subject more than a flat wall would allow. I was planning to wrap one side of the background 3 meters and the other side would run the full 6 meters back.

Re the ceiling - had not considered that but will certainly look at the logistics of such an operation.

Thank you for the advice re continuous lighting, I will certainly hold off in that avenue and explore more light modifiers - and probably the strip lights as well.

I do have one C stand which is handy for spot lights from specific angles.

Over the next few weeks I have a number of short shoots booked in for a hairdresser entering a competition - so will be getting some valuable experience with the outfit before we run the wiring and doing the permanent fit out - still just stud walls and insulation - so plenty still to be done.


Thanks very much for your help.


Regards.



Mal

 

[malmac]

Well the studio is able to be used but still a long way from fitted out.
Here is an image from one of several shoots we have done so far. Unfortunately the other shoots are under wraps for a competition they are entering so I can't share those at present.

Have ordered a couple of extra light boxes, a snoot and an extra background light - so all is going well but I am time poor at present so further improvements with the studio are progressing slowly.



regards.



mal

 

[symbolphoto]

Shooting space is about 30'x22' and has 16' ceilings. Perfect for event he large EL Octa on a boom at it's highest setting.

This was a converted loft and i've yet to deal with any restrictions on the space. I mean, sure, you couldn't fit a car in there. But you could fit a motorcycle no problem.

 

[malmac]

Thank you very much for sharing these images of your studio.

A lovely mix of props and spaces. In the second image does this show two large windows on the far side of studio?

I also note from images on your web site that Boston offers some fantastic locations for wedding photos.

Can I ask what camera system and wireless trigger system you use in your studio?


Thanks



Mal

 

[malmac]

Hi Brendan, by looking further into your website I found images of the large windows in your studio and also a Canon camera on a table.

Cheers


Mal

 

[symbolphoto]

Hey Mal,

I use Elinchrom lighting, with a mix of Elinchrom/Mola light modifiers. I also shoot Canon and Hasselblad, H3D11-31 (Becoming an antique quickly..)

The space has worked out fantastically. When i want natural light, the large curtains diffuse it greatly. And when i want strobe, i crank up the Elinchrom RX600's a bit and if something is falling on the model, i put the California Sunswatter up on a stand to remove light from the subject. Not ideal, but it works with existing stuff i own.

Having the natural light come in is good though. In the future, i'd consider buying black velvet curtains to hide all light coming in, when necessary.

 

[malmac]

Brendan

We are shooting Canon and Phase 1. WE do weddings, portraits and I love art landscape (but don't imagine it will ever turn into $'s - then again that is not why I do it so it doesn't matter - except I don't have enough walls to hang the images on, or enough cash to print, frame and give away)

Do you use any of your Elinchrom lighting on location for your wedding photography?

I have one 600w profoto battery driven strobe which we use on location, plus a bunch of 580's but cant really afford more profoto gear so was thining maybe Elinchrom.

As soon as I clear some of the junk out of our studio (building in progress) I will post a photo.


regards


mal

 

[symbolphoto]

I use 580's but after getting the Quadra i can't imagine using anything else. So handy and easy to set up. A Quadra with the Maxilite or with a Deep Octa 39" is awesome.

 

[colorspace]

Mine looks so small in comparison

 

[malmac]

Colorspace, you might think your studio looks small -

I think my studio looks a real mess and as soon as I have time to get the studio lined electric wiring and storage - but this will come.

Regards


mal

 

[Landshark]

Are the walls covered in a silver insulation material, if so not a good idea. It would help with fill sometimes but make your lighting hard to control, I would get some black duvteen to cover and uncover them as needed

 

[Landshark]

Here are some images of mine
from the front door

Glass hallway between makeup/hair and the cove

across the studio to the kitchen area

the cove

 

[malmac]

Thank You for your suggestions.

The silver insulation will be covered in plasterboard as soon as I can get the plumbing and electrical cables run.

Was going to hold off covering the ceiling until I see how having the walls fully sheeted works out.

The white suspended floor you have, is that translucent with lighting underneath? Looks interesting.


Regards.


Mal

 

[downstairs]

A couple of obsolete cameras here.

 

[MJMoore]

Here are some images of mine
from the front door

Glass hallway between makeup/hair and the cove

across the studio to the kitchen area

the cove

What a wonderful setup - congrats!

Michael