Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 65 of the Photography Q&A podcast.
I hope you had a good week. The highlight of my week was finding a tea bag that isn’t made of plastic. A few months ago I took a macro shot of a Red Rose tea bag, and it was made of microscopic polypropylene. It looked like fishing line melted together.
Anna, my other half is the tea drinker and she freaked out. She said, “Wow! Andy your photos are amazing”. Well, actually she said, “why would you show me that, you idiot?” but I could tell she loved the photo, it was pretty obvious.
Now, I don’t drink tea, I can’t stand the stuff. That’s why I was thrown out of England, the Queen insists everyone drinks tea. I refused and ended up in Canada, which wasn’t a bad deal really.
Anyway PG Tips is a Plant-based biodegradable tea bag. Check out my Instagram account if you want proof.
Let’s get on with the podcast.
This week's question is…
How do I set up a home studio?
If you are thinking of setting up a home studio you need a space that can be used as a permanent studio. You don’t need the hassle of moving furniture out of a room every time you have a session booked.
It could be a bedroom, but taking a customer through your house to the bedroom isn’t ideal. The best option is a garage or room that has outside access.
You can probably get away with a space that is 11x12 feet. The bigger it is the better it’s going to work. An 11x12 room will only allow you to shoot one subject at a time. So think about the type of sessions you are going to offer. If you want to shoot family portraits you will need a much bigger studio. Headshots on the other hand can be taken in a very small space.
Ceiling height is also very important. If you want to shoot people standing you will need 10 to 12 feet of ceiling height, it depends on how tall the subjects are. This is because your lights need to be above the subject pointing down at approximately 45 degrees.
Garages can be turned into studios easily, especially ones with high ceilings. I listened to a podcast interview with a family portrait photographer from Australia. Her home studio was the carport, with no in-door studio available she used the carport on the side of her house. Australia does offer a year-round warmer climate, but you could do this during your warmer months if you live in the northern hemisphere.
If you have a pergola in your backyard, all you need to do is hang a backdrop at one end and a white sheet over the top and you have a studio.
I think any type of photography that doesn’t need huge space is suitable. Like Newborn Baby Photography, Headshots, and Products. It’s no use advertising studio family portraits if your home studio can only accommodate one person at a time. If you want to offer studio family portraits try and find a local hall to rent.
Lenses
I think you already have a camera, so I’ll move on to lenses. The first two lenses I think of are the 50mm and 85mm lenses, f/1.4 and f/1.8 versions will both work well. Another option is the 70-200 f/2.8 or f/4 zoom. It all depends on how big your studio is.
Flash & Trigger
For a small home studio, you don’t need big studio lights. You can use Speedlight flashes which are cheaper, lighter, and give you more than enough power.
If you already have a flash you just need to buy a trigger which you can buy for as little as $20. I have used triggers that cost $5 from eBay and they worked ok. But there were times they let me down so I invested in a pair of Pocket Wizards which cost me $250 15 years ago. They have never let me down.
Last year I bought a Godox flash with a built-in receiver and a trigger that sits on the camera hot shoe. This setup allows me to set the flash settings from the on-camera trigger, which is really user-friendly.
A two-light setup will give you plenty of light. You could use just one light but a second light will give a little better control.
Light Stand
You need as many stands as you have lights. You need them to extend to 6’7” or more. You can pick these up for around $30 each.
Umbrella Flash Bracket
This bracket sits on top of the light stand and holds the flash. It also has a hole for the umbrella stem to pass through and be secured. Neewer is selling one for $16 on Amazon.
Shoot-through Umbrella
This is the simplest and cheapest way to go. You could get softboxes which cost more money, but a shoot-through umbrella does an excellent job for a lot less money. Starting around $20 each and you’ll need one for each light you use.
Reflector
Reflectors are a great way to bounce light around. If you only have one light a reflector can be used on the opposite side from the light to remove shadows. If you use two lights you don’t need a reflector, but they are good to have. A 5-in-1 reflector will cost you around $30.
Stool
Your subject needs something to sit on and that something is a posing stool. The cheapest I’ve found is $69 at B&H. If you have a wooden stool already, use it, or if you have an interesting chair that can be part of the image go for it. There are no set rules.
Backdrops & Stand
If you are shooting in a studio you need some backdrops. They come in different materials and sizes. I’ve used muslin, canvas, and paper, ranging from a 5 feet wide 50 feet long roll of backdrop paper to a 12 feet wide and 24 feet long muslin backdrop. If you are just shooting headshots you can get away with a small backdrop of say 5’x7’. Colors and patterns are up to you but make sure you have white, black, and some classic grays, and browns.
You can mount your backdrops directly to the wall or buy a backdrop stand. One of these will cost you $50 and up. I’ve had one for years and used it as part of my mobile event studio.
You can of course paint your walls different colors and use them as the backdrop. Don’t use gloss paint it will look awful.
The added benefit to this setup is that you can take it on location. You can take all of it and set up a studio or just one of the lights, it’s very flexible. Being able to turn up at a customer's home and shoot their family portraits in the living room or out in the garden using your studio setup is a game changer.
So, not including your camera or lens, this setup will cost you a little under $250 before taxes. That is based on July 2022 prices.
Ok, that’s it for this episode. I’ll be back next week with more waffle, have a good one, bye.