Welcome to the (Your) Studio!
Sounds good, doesn’t it? You have a company. You sell products. The thought of having your own studio in which to create the imagery you desire on your own schedule is extremely appealing. But how do you get there?
Glad you asked that!
Let’s design a studio. First you need a space. How large a space? Let’s think about that. Do you need to photograph cars or even larger items? Or, do you need small products – say the size of a breadbox or smaller? How small? Jewelry? Electronic components? Furniture?
What type of photograph? E-commerce white backgrounds for products? More complex setups? Where do you want to take your photographic concepts?
Some examples:
A) “What does my company need in terms of space for our imagery?”
My largest studio – in New Castle, PA – was 22,000 Sq ft. More than I needed at the start, but believe me, we grew into it! We had a display area, a reception area, multiple conference rooms, private and public offices, two dressing rooms, a kitchenette, two darkrooms – one for developing film, the other for prints of all sizes. There was also a carpentry shop and a paint shop where we created backgrounds and other props. We created temporary streams with running water. As you can see, there is lots that can be done with that kind of space.
A huge benefit was the opportunity to have several photographic sets simultaneously with that amount of space. Multiple sets allowed certain lighting arrangements to be permanently in place, reducing prep time and saving both the studio and the clients time. Since time is money, it paid off for everyone. It did require an extra investment in lighting equipment, but the time saved for predictable and repeatable results made for a handsome return on investment.
Another advantage of multiple sets in operation at the same time is in organizing large numbers of products. While we’re photographing a product on one location, our stylist and the client could be setting up two or three other items ahead, shortening the time required to photograph everything.
That studio was entirely used for still photography with studio strobes. It had what’s known as a cyc (cyclorama), a space – usually white – with all rounded corners and no shadows. With proper lighting, it looks like an enormous, endless space. It was big enough to put smaller vehicles in, and also had a balcony for overhead angles. Because the studio was so large, we created a smaller black cyc, too. That allowed a similarly endless space for what’s known as low key photography. The economic downturn of the late 1990s impacted the manufacturing economy of western PA in ways from which the area has yet to recover. I needed to downsize; the 22,000 Sq ft space was no longer sustainable.
B) But, am I overreaching?
That downsize led to my next studio, which took up most of the first floor of an average sized home, and was designed to accommodate marketing and public relations photography, portraits of families, individuals and smaller products. The region had moved toward more of a service based economy instead of heavy industry. There was, as yet, no video requirement, so again it was all studio strobes for still photography. However, it had some tremendous floor to ceiling windows of which I happily took advantage for natural light.
C) What are the compromises?
Conversely, my very first studio was, like a lot of photographers, in our family home. We purchased that house because it had a private door to an office under the main house in which to run my business. Through the office we walked to a very large room/studio, originally the previous owner’s family room. My first 6 years in business were centered there, until that 22,000 Sq ft space became necessary.
D) Small can be effective.
Another design was for a small home studio in the converted master bedroom. It’s suitable for individuals, small groups and small products
E) What can I design for you?
Here’s a studio I designed recently for a corporation in Frederick, MD. At 4200 Sq ft it’s fairly large, and just right for a studio designed to drive cars and trucks inside for both video and stills photography. Video takes up a little more than half the space. The rest of the space is set up for offices and for photography of products, with several large tables built to withstand weighty objects. The video side uses LED lighting, while the still photography utilizes studio strobes.
Thinking about that recent 4200 Sq ft corporate studio, there was a waiting period for completion of construction by the landlord, so in the interim, a lot of photography was performed in the company’s converted conference room. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and we found multiple ways.
With my extensive knowledge of studios and equipment, and by learning your needs and goals, together we will find ways to create a space that allows you to maximize what’s available and set you on the path to a custom designed, in-house studio!
Now that you have the space, what about qualified staff? Ask us! We’ll be happy to help with that, too!
And I haven’t yet gotten into the equipment needed to utilize such a space. Stay tuned for more discussion on that topic!
All photos in this post are courtesy of Robin C Farrell.
