Question about studio

[Jycb]

I'm considering getting into studio work, especially since winter is around the corner and outdoor stuff is limiting at times.

My space at home is very limiting so I was considering renting a loft or an apartment of some sort, but not sure how to go about this in terms of what I should be looking for to begin with.

Then, what I would need for backdrops etc, or at least a starting point.
I've done searches, but I thought I'd ask for help here first since it's a helpful bunch.

Thanks in advance.

[brian.austin]

Define "studio work". What are you intending to shoot? What's the startup budget? Who are your customers? Is this supposed to make money or are you subsidizing it with "regular" income?

[Mike_PEAT]

Another alternative is finding a studio that rents out their space, and the advantage there is they already have the backdrops and lights/strobes. All you need is the camera and your model.

It's a little more money for the time you're using it, but then again it's not going to sit around unused if you rent an apartment or loft.

Also the model may be more comfortable going to an established studio rather than a loft on the bad side of town.

[gsxrchad]

Let me bump this for Jycb and personalize it a little for me....

I have 2 Alien Bee 800s, a white umbrella with a black cover and a silver umbrella. I also have a background stand and white, black, and chromakey green backgrounds. I tether my hotshoe to a AB800 unit with a cable (*gasp*) and let the other fire when it sees the first. I also do not have a flash meter, I take a few shots and adjust the lights/camera until I like waht I see.

I am looking to take basically head shots and head/shoulder pics. Maybe a few full length but that isn't what I like to do. (yet). Currently I use a main flash at a 45 degree offcenter and above the subject and fill with the second flash either straight on with the subject or 45 degrees to the other side. Check my Albums for results.

I am not looking to start a business, maybe fund the hobby a little, but not quitting my day job. If I were to spend another say $500, where would it be spent best?

Thanks
Chad

[Ed Shapiro]

Backgrounds are a major concern because of all the equipment you have or are about to invest in, your background materials and props are the only parts of you equipment inventory that actually show up in your photographs and therefore should be carefully thought out.

My advice as a long time studio guy, however, is to firstly insure that you have enough space your hang your background material properly, insure that you have enough space between the subject and the background (3 to 5 feet) and most importantly to provide enough width for kicker and side light placement and enough length to enable you to work at a comfortable camera/subject distance working with a long enough lens or zoom setting to accommodate undistorted portraits.

Many photographers who post on this forum because they are having problems in their studio work are in trouble because they do not have adequate space for all the aforementioned issues. Why is this space so important in terms of background usage? There are elements such as control of depth of field, lighting placement that have to do with the final effects you can obtain from you backgrounds. A savvy photographer can make do with one or two backgrounds and be able to improvise and create multiple effects by controlling the lighting, and sharpness or softness of the background. Other methods such as the use of colored gels and post production work can alter the background's effectiveness even further.

If the space is inadequate there are certain problems that may occur such as shadows on the background, too much depth of field and other issues that are costly and overly time consuming to do it in post production and never really look just right unless theses problems were addressed at the shooting stage.

A good studio shooting area ideally should be no less than 15 feet wide and about 17 feet long with a ten foot ceiling. Of course, not everyone can afford or come up with that kind of space and some improvisation will be in order.

The final choice of backgrounds will depend on you style and preferences. The is all kinds of seamless paper on the market in a multitude of tones and colors. The are also many scenic and painterly backgrounds out there but many of theses background require a set up with less depth of field to become realistic and ascetically pleasing.

In my own portrait studio, I keep white and gray seamless paper in stock and I have 4 pained backgrounds and a few old oriental rugs that I throw out of focus- they make very regal backgrounds for bridal portraiture.

For theatrical portraiture, I have used Christmas tree tinsel and even beads thrown well out of focus.

At the end of the day the final results will depend on your photographic technique and you lighting abilities. Just like the subject, there are methods of lighting the background for a multitude of effects.

If you tell us about what effects and styles you are looking for, we can be more specific as to the selection of background materials.

I hope this helps- Ed

[Park]

As for a studio "space", look for a high ceiling. 8' is ok, but higher is better. If your subject will always be sitting then a 53" roll of paper will work. Any other type of shoot you'll want a 107" background. You can hang these rolls from the ceiling rather than buying back ground stands. I went to Home Depot and bought two 4'X8' foam board insulation with the silver side for reflectors. Also two shiny white, 1/4 thick 4'X8', sheeting that I lay on the floor, over the white paper. The four pieces cost $38. Plus if you have a good wide uncluttered wall, paint it or wall paper it for another background.

Surprisingly, one monolight on a light stand and the silver reflectors do a great job. Add more monolights later.