A lot of amateur and professional photographers aspire to having their own photography studio - it can be an expensive project, therefore Silo Studios have provided cost-effective and affordable photo studio hire. Now you have a location, you must be thinking, what do I need for a professional photo shoot?
How do you setup a photography studio?
Planning is key, and this can be overwhelming, there are many elements to consider, so we’ll break this down for you. The first step is to do your research on photo studios near me, find a trusted studio, look at the gallery of photos available, check out the facilities and the space (size, indoor, outdoor, dressing rooms, waiting areas) - ensure this matches your photo shoot requirements. It can take years to accumulate, source and acquire expensive equipment, leave it to the professionals at Silo.
A fixed location or portable photo studio?
Think about your main objective, and how you intend to use the space - what do you want to achieve from your photoshoots, a fixed location may be the better option for that professional wow factor. Do you need to shoot in different locations? If you are doing portrait photography a clean wall and lighting will suffice, if you are shooting products or fashion, then a dedicated photography studio is a must for consistency and a professional finish.
How big does a photo studio need to be?
Working in smaller spaces can be challenging, equally you may bot need to access a 1000 square metre room. You will need flexibility, the ability to make compromises and a lot of creativity with a small space - our location offers both small and large studios for hire.
You need to factor in the number of people involved with your photo shoot - how many people do you need to fit in 1 room, or studio space? Photography with group of people requires a large space, or infinity curve, with no obstructions. Single-person portraits, headshots and newborn shoots can be done in smaller studios.
The size of the studio will also affect the light in your photos. It’s a lot easier to control artificial lights in large photography studios.
Do I need a small studio space?
Building lighting sets can be complicated and trickier in small studio spaces, due to the lack of space. You need to ensure you have the right equipment on hand, to achieve the desired professional results, this includes the camera and lenses too.
A small photo studio will be good for portrait headshots, at best - with the use of the right lens with a shorter focal length.
A consideration also needs to be power supply, and location/availability of power sockets around your space. You will likely need multiple sockets to plug in all your gear - lights, chargers, laptops, WiFi, fans etc. A small studio may not cater for all this equipment, a larger specialist studio will have this well covered.
The basic equipment for a photography studio
There are 1000s of photo studio gear and equipment options to choose from, it’s difficult which to pick - leave this one to the experts at Silo too. There is no need to obsess over buying all the gear. It can be quite surprising just how much equipment is required to produce a professional photo shoot. Here is our basic setup checklist:
Lights - a light and reflector, to start. Three speed lights will give you more flexibility.
Flash Trigger - to trigger your flash remotely. This needs to be compatible with your other equipment, your strobes and camera.
Lighting Modifiers - A reflector and an umbrella is a must.
Light Stands - One stand is required for each light. The heavier the light, the sturdier your stand needs to be. Investing in cheap stands can cause a problem here, lights becoming unstable and crashing to the floor is not a headache you need on a photo shoot!
Background - A permanent dedicated clean and clear background works best.
Other extra equipment options for a photo shoot
The basics above are not the only pieces of equipment you’ll need for a photo shoot. There are a few everyday accessories required to make you shoot seamless:
Step ladders - Very useful to change to the point of view of a shoot.
Fans - A fan can introduce some motion in to a picture, and also make temperature working conditions a little more comfortable under the heat of the lights.
Extensions - This can give more flexibility to the movement of studio lights, extensions and power strips will be a useful addition.
Furniture - Chairs and stools are a must have for models and crew members, there can be a lot of standing and waiting around on a photo shoot, you’ll need a well earned rest at times.
When it comes to building a photography studio, it can be tempting to attempt this yourself, it is important to ensure your equipment meets your needs, spending money on the right lights, bulbs and equipment can be a costly process. Cheap home studio kits will only achieve so much, and only last so long. Think about the types of photography you plan to take, how you want them to look and how frequently you'll be photographing.
The best lighting equipment for your photo shoot
You literally have 1000s of options when it comes to lighting your studio. Two popular options are Speedlights, and Photography Studio Flashes.
Speedlights are good for small photography studios, DIY and portable setups. They are lightweight, small and cheap to run. However, they are low power, can have issues with modelling light and hard to cope with burst shooting.
Professional photography studio flashes are powerful lights. Then can have a built-in modelling light and plugged in battery-less operation. They are of course pricer, heavier and bulkier, but they will produce more professional results.
Essential light modifiers
Reflectors - These bounce light back into your space.
Umbrellas - The cheapest way you can bounce light back, they do let light spill therefore can reduce your ability to control lighting.
Softboxes - Typically more expensive than umbrellas, but allow you to have more control over light in a small space, producing a softer glow.
Grids - These concentrate light in to beams, allowing you to direct light into certain areas.
Gels - Sheets of semi-transparent material. They come in different shapes, sizes and colour, to adapt your light source, these can change your background colour for example.
Flags - These will help stop any stray light from bouncing around your set.
It is important to consider the larger your light modifier, the weaker your effective light will become.
Choosing the right background
There are a couple of common photography studio backgrounds to choose from - a collapsable backdrop, or a professional photography studio backdrop on a support, rail or fixed to the wall/floor/ceiling, such as our infinity cove.
Collapsable backgrounds are relatively cheap, are compact, portable and are often either black or white. They are often small, most suitable for headshot photography and the tissue can have creases.
Professional portrait backgrounds are usually vinyl, paper or sturdier tissue materials, coming in many different shapes and sizes. These are often heavier, no so compact (if at all) and can be used with gels to change the background colour of your images.
Getting rid of ambient light
It is worth noting that when you work with flash indoors you do not want any natural ambient light - this will affect your lighting setup. Not using ambient light does not mean working in total darkness, but it’s good to have a low level of ambient light that can be controlled within your photo studio - this will improve your overall result.
You can achieve this be shielding windows to stop any unwanted light, or working within a professional studio space, like the facilities at Silo Studios. To ensure your ambient light will is not affecting your photo, do a few test shots. Set up your camera to take a photo without the flash. Make sure that the resulting image is completely black.
If you have any special requests, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. We'll be happy to assist with our extensive experience in professional photo shoots and creating your perfect setup.
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