5 Tips for Setting Up Your Photography Studio at Home
A professional studio is many budding photographers' dream. It might be a daunting idea at first, but at some point, you will have to take the leap if you want to become an established photographer. However, many factors such as cost come into play when planning out the set-up. What if I told you that it can be done easily and cheaply, and the best part, at home? Yes, at first, the photography studio will require the initial investment, but you would ultimately be saving lots of precious time and money and will be able to achieve professional results from the comfort of your home. What‘s not to love?
In the chaos that the world is in right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, having a home photography studio will also be a safe and economical solution if you don‘t want to risk your health during these trying times but still want to experiment with your passion.
Research until you‘re absolutely sure of your goals
The first thing to ask yourself when setting up a brand new home photo studio is what do you want to achieve there? You need to be absolutely certain of what type of photography you want to be doing and what‘s required to create a specific set-up for that. Research other photography studios in your area and other photographers who are doing you‘d love to be doing.
If you want to do photoshoots with large groups of people, you will naturally need more space so your tiny bedroom won‘t cut it in this instance. But it will work perfectly fine for intimate portrait shoots! Maybe, a portable studio set-up would work best if you want the flexibility of moving around between different locations and the ability to do photoshoots at your home too. So, be clear about your goals and figure out how you can make the space that you have work for you.
Develop your personal creative style before heavily investing in the photo studio
Do you prefer natural or artificial lighting? Or maybe black and white all the way? Each will require different set-ups and gear. Also, consider space with lots of reliable electricity outlets, which you can reach with extension cords. How intense does the electricity need to be?
If your style is more gloomy and dark, think about how to block out the unwanted ambient light. Window curtains could help or you could use flags (black panels or tissue), which keep the natural ambient light from ruining your lighting set-up.
Decide on your signature style before you begin investing into gear as that‘s the only thing that will distinguish your art from others‘, and not the fancy set-up or equipment.
Choose your lights and equipment
Now, on to the best part! After deciding on the type of style and signature look you‘re going for, it‘s time to gear up. There are options suitable for every budget, so you can set up a studio at home without breaking the bank.
Good lighting is essential for your home photography studio but it doesn‘t mean you need a million different lights. Your basic set-up can consist of just one light and a reflector. If you‘re a bit more advanced, you will probably need three lights in total for good portrait photography, for example.
So, if you have specific requirements for your studio set-up, you‘re better off buying your lights separately. There are two types of lights you can choose from - either speedlights, which are great for smaller spaces and are not as heavy, so you can tear them down easily between the shoots, or studio flashes, which are much more powerful and will give you sharp and clear images.
You could also just buy a lighting kit instead of individual pieces so you don‘t need to think too much of exactly what kind of lights to get. The Multimedia x Content Creation Kit has everything you need for a basic home photo studio lighting. With 672 LEDs, it offers professional lights for your content creation, makeup application, or photography studio at home. High-quality HD lights are adjustable and can be warm or cool so you will have all the flexibility you need and will be able to achieve different lighting from candlelight to daylight and everything in between. It has a third arm in the middle to attach accessories such as the camera holder. The kit comes with a remote so you can adjust the lighting from a distance. It also comes with a phone clip so it‘s perfect for people who are taking photos with a cellphone or would love to film their working process.
Another high-quality lighting solution to invest in is Elite X. It has cool daylight color with five stages of touch dimming, which is great for someone who needs white lighting only. Paris Light Plus has two LED light bars with five dimming stages. The slim and sleek design makes it ideal for art/fashion content. All GLAMCOR lights are travel-friendly, convenient, easy to set up and dismantle, and come with a travel bag.
Additional tips for your home photography studio
- Make use of the natural light - to keep the cost of your home studio low, use natural sunlight as much as possible. Lots of portrait shoots would look amazing just in a daylight setting and you will save money on fancy professional lights. Using window lights will also save you precious space at home as you won‘t have to get multiple light stands.
- Use light modifiers and reflectors – a few reflectors can make all the difference in your home photography and fill up your portraits with light as if you were using a three-point-lighting set-up.
- Invest in a lighted mirror – buy a wall-mounted mirror for quick make-up and hair touch-ups during photoshoots. Mounting it on the wall won‘t take up much space or you could go all out and buy this beautiful lighted Brilliant Mirror for a fancier set-up. A lighted mirror like this will ensure the model‘s make-up looks flawless on camera as applying make-up under perfect lighting conditions ensures it comes out looking not too heavy or too light.