For a serious
photographer, there is nothing quite like having your own studio
to work in. The ability to set up light and actually make
the image, rather than just take it, brings your photographic
reportoire into new heights. You will have a whole new craft
to learn as well. Let's do it!
Space is usually the biggest
concern and the most common question for those setting up their
first studio. How much do I need is simply answered: as much
space as you can get! There are things you can do in a small
studio, but a small studio will limit your capability, Ideally
for a full length you need 3-4meters wide (to allow for positioning
of lights) and at least 5 meters long to allow use of a normal
focal length lens and a bit of space between subject and background....
Color of the walls should
be neutral. Light walls in a small studio will affect the amount
of contrast you can acheive, as the walls will act as a natural
fill reflector. You will need to be able to cover windows to
stop stray sunlight on your subject or background.
Video coming
soon
Good quality
equipment for your semipro or home photography studio setup
Of course the heart of your home
studio setup is your studio lights. For a portrait studio you
need reasonable power because you are using light diffusion and
reflecting devices (umbrellas, softboxes etc) which greatly reduce
output. However you will normally be lighting quite close in,
so when it comes to AC powered strobes, you will find that strobes
with 125-500 Ws will be totally adequate, in fact you will usually
be under 1/4 power. Modeling lamps, fast recycle and good power
control are the biggest step up from using camera type flashes,
but just as importantly is the ability to just keep on using
them at high output levels. I suggest getting lights with a universal
type reflector fitting such as the Bowens S mount like on the
Travelites in the Pro studio
section, or the Elinchrom type fitting as on the Genesis lights
on this page and the location
light page. This will save you money later as you will have
a bigger and more competitive range of softboxes and reflectors
to choose from as your kit expands. I really like these Calumet
Genesis lights for home studio use. (actually they are good enough
for pro use, but we photographers like quality dont we?) Very
inexpensive for what they are,
cheaper than some very inferior units actually. The thing with
these though, is that they are of pro quality, get these good
ones now and you will still be using them when you turn pro.
What you get over the cheaper units is better quality and reliability
along with the Calumet waranty and backup which is the best there
is. Just as important though they are much better to use. The
pro features you get with these over the ebay screamers are more
power, faster recycle times, reliability, bigger better flash
tubes, better output control, better range of accessories, all
of which are necessary to avoid frustration. Click through the
image/link to get the full description and to download the manuals.
From under $200
If you can stretch the budget a little further, their is an
AC/DC version of these on the location
lighting page which will give you the ability to use them
wher there is no AC power source available
