Thinking about a Studio? Here is how to make a home photography studio
Photographers often shoot clients and produce physical prints for those images and other media in a photo studio. They also consider it as their second home, a place where they can take pictures without any distractions or limitations in terms of what they envision the shoot to be. Whether you’re a newbie or a professional, a studio will help you capture great images for your subjects.
Both amateur and pro photographers have different experiences in running their studios. Newbies might think they’ll only get to start one when they’re successful, while pros might have the resources to build or rent their studios. Nevertheless, we’ve put together some helpful things you should do if you’re starting a photography studio.
How to make a Home Photography Studio:
Find a Proper Location for your Studio
Location is one of the most crucial factors that you’ll need to consider if you’re establishing your studio. Look for a decent space, something you and your clients will agree on. If you’re only starting out, you can go for a home studio in a vacant space, your guest room, or your garage. Just make sure the room you’ll use is clean and free of distractions.
For professional photographers, it is best to consider how your studio will look like. You won’t get what you’re looking for in a studio if you solely think about rental fees. But if you’re on a tight budget, a spacious studio far away from the city might be your best option.
Get the Appropriate Space
Aside from looking up possible locations for your studio, you’ll also need to find a proper space for it. There are small and large studios, there are ones that look like ordinary rooms, and there are other studios with unusual appearances. Either way, you should search for a space that will suit your needs.
Photographers who specialize in product photography or other small-scale niches will benefit from a simple setup. This setup may include a window, table space, and sufficient camera space. But for all-around photographers, they’ll need more than the setup mentioned above. Specific factors, such as object or subject height, width, and lighting methods will come into play. Simply put, the right space and setup will help you unleash your creativity during shoots.
Look for Rooms and Essential Facilities that are Easy to Access
Access and facilities are two more factors that you should look into if you want to start your studio. Access involves how easily you can take your equipment inside your chosen space. You should keep this aspect in mind no matter what photography niche you are into.
Your studio should also have a cozy and pleasant feel for families and private clients. Essential spaces include clean bathrooms, changing rooms with good lighting, and a comfortable waiting area for accommodating big families or groups. You’ll need some seats for your waiting area since it may also serve as a meeting space for clients.
Have the Right Equipment
When you are learning how to make a photography studio you might think that you need to spend tends of thousands of dollars. However, creating a photo studio doesn’t require a lot of professional gear. All you need is your camera and good affordable lighting. Once you’ve earned enough money from shoots, you can invest in other essential studio equipment like tripods, lenses, flashes, and different backdrops and lighting equipment.
Getting Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and other digital editing and post-processing software is also a great idea if you edit your own photos. Having a computer in your studio is also a great idea so that you can work on your images as soon as you shoot them.
But if you’re still saving up or looking for professional gear, you might want to check out an equipment rental service in your area. Some tech stores offer this service to customers who need specific equipment for their work without making a purchase. They’ll let you rent cameras and other photography gear at affordable rates to help you save on additional costs. You might eventually decide on buying that specific gear once you’ve tried them through the rental service!
Get Some Props for your Studio
As a photographer, you wouldn’t want to take the same photos over and over again. Using props or accessories will help you create unique and eye-catching images for your clients. Various photography niches use different props, and picking the right one can make or break a photo. Tabletop photographers create particular scenes in their images with whatever props they have, while props in landscape photography make for more fascinating foregrounds.
Photographers on a budget will know how much they might spend on props at party stores. In that case, you can use different items in your house for your home studio as props as an alternative to buying new ones. These objects can range from wallets, vases, to different chairs, tables, and picture frames. Using craft materials are also a good and cheap way of creating props from scratch.
But do keep in mind that your clients might suggest different themes for their photos, so you should have a variety of props for every season and holiday imaginable to cater to various needs and demands.
Things to keep in mind when you are learning how to make a home photography studio is just to start simple. In other words, just start. You can add lighting gear and props as your career grows. Keep in mind that photography is a never-ending journey and you will always be growing as a photographer thus your studio will always be evolving.
