and help to keep the site free for all
Home Studio - minimum size?
- Thread starter AndrewSt
- Start date
Kodiak Qc
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 20,285
- Name
- French Canadian living in Europe since 1989!
- Edit My Images
- Yes
•
That would be perfect if tabletop or copy work is in your plan.
For shooting people at ease, you will need an other garage!
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Garage conversions are very popular. The limitation is not so much the subjects you can tackle, but the lighting. Twofold problems: it's difficult to control the light when any (inevitable) spill gets bounced back off light coloured walls and diliutes the effect. And you need a bit of distance between light and subject, like 1-to-2m-ish. But there are workarounds.
Paint the walls matt black, then use reverse-firing softboxes (eg Westcott Apollo and similar) or ordinary reflective umbrellas that can be positioned right up against the wall to maximise working distance. Problems of spill etc are much worse with low-key lighting and darker, harder shadows. With high-key white background etc, a bit of spill will hardly be noticed and might even be beneficial.
Go for it
You just need to understand how light works, getting the right light where you want it, and not where you don't. With knowledge and a little ingenuity, while working within the limitations, you could do plenty.
- Messages
- 25,332
- Name
- Phil
- Edit My Images
- No
A bit of a mix of the above, it's not ideal. But you could do seated portraits and sat on the floor stuff, just not standing adults.
Like Richard said though, if you're happy to work with the limitations, theres plenty you could do. Just don't try stuff you definitely can't (which is the most common issue with home studios).
Like Richard said though, if you're happy to work with the limitations, theres plenty you could do. Just don't try stuff you definitely can't (which is the most common issue with home studios).
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Understanding light - three fundamentals:
a) Studio lights broadly follow the inverse square law, which states that when light-to-subject distance is doubled, the brightness is reduced to one quarter - two stops drop, ie a lot! That's what makes standing adults difficult when the light is close above them, it falls off rapidly at waist height, and darker again at floor level.
b) The larger the light source, the softer the shadows. Size is relative to distance, also following the inverse square law, so if you move a softbox back, the light becomes harder as well as less bright.
c) Light bounces off a reflective surface at the same angle it strikes, like a snooker ball off the cushion. Use this when positioning reflectors or bouncing light off ceiling and walls.
a) Studio lights broadly follow the inverse square law, which states that when light-to-subject distance is doubled, the brightness is reduced to one quarter - two stops drop, ie a lot! That's what makes standing adults difficult when the light is close above them, it falls off rapidly at waist height, and darker again at floor level.
b) The larger the light source, the softer the shadows. Size is relative to distance, also following the inverse square law, so if you move a softbox back, the light becomes harder as well as less bright.
c) Light bounces off a reflective surface at the same angle it strikes, like a snooker ball off the cushion. Use this when positioning reflectors or bouncing light off ceiling and walls.
sk66
Advertiser
- Messages
- 8,686
- Name
- Steven
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Both you and a subject (person) will require almost 1m of space each... even with both of you against the walls long axis that only leaves about 2m of space between you. That's really not much space and it will definitely limit what you can photograph and what lenses you can use.
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
It's not big enough for a professional studio for sure, but there's still plenty of scope for home portraiture.
Most members here are amateur enthusiasts, working in temporary home studios, ie the front room. Space is always very tight, but they produce some excellent work. Recognising the limitations and working within them, or around them, is the trick
sk66
Advertiser
- Messages
- 8,686
- Name
- Steven
- Edit My Images
- Yes
I didn't say not to do it... I just figured that explaining it in actual distances/requirements would help explain the limitations. And if you figure about 1sq m for a light/stand/modifier, it get's really tight really fast. But it is doable for some things. My "product studio" isn't any larger, and I've done headshots in less space with decent results (IMO).
There are even some "advantages" to a small space like this... it is more suited to smaller/less powerful lights/modifiers which are cheaper, and if you want "soft/flat light" all of the spill/bounce actually helps. There's also a couple of additional options with a garage... you can open the door and gain a lot more space, and you can use the doorway as a large source of natural light.
Yes its restrictive but you can still have a lot of fun. Paint the walls a dark grey and you can put a coloured gel on the background light to save on further backdrop space. Arrange things so that as steven said, you can open the garage doors to give yourself more working room with longer lenses. Roll with it and enjoy yourself.
- Messages
- 4,908
- Name
- Simon
- Edit My Images
- No
What sorts of things are you interested in photographing? It really does depend on whether it's a place to play and be creative or whether you've got some particular projects in mind.
I've done some stuff - headshots and product stuff - in a small space and it can be ok so long as you can keep it completely clear. But it can also be deeply frustrating. Height is often just as much of an issue as length.
fwiw a friend gets the most out of his tiny (but still bigger than your garage & has high ceilings) dining room by using a ceiling mounted track system - no stands to trip over, no need for boom arms.
Look at the problem another way.. how much would it cost you to convert the garage? How much studio (or village hall) time could you hire for that?
- Messages
- 1,564
- Name
- Graham
- Edit My Images
- No
^this
I shoot in my 'dining room' which is slightly bigger and get great results. Even rocking a 150cm octabox in here
Don't let the space restrict your desire to shoot... sure you will have to work around things and you will be loads better off in a bigger space, but what's worse... not shooting because you wish you had a bigger space or getting great shots with what you have...?
- Messages
- 4,605
- Name
- Kris
- Edit My Images
- No
I do keep thinking about doing this myself, just measured up at 5.5m x 2.42m @ 2.6m height, so width isn't great. But I reckon a small stool and a roller system and small track would work for head shots, which would be my main use.
The other option is the local village hall at £22 an hour, I really should utilise this.
The other option is the local village hall at £22 an hour, I really should utilise this.
D
Deleted sulking member 63079
Guest
Hmm, I wonder if my wife would let me get away with that!
cowboy
Guy Fawkes
- Messages
- 3,143
- Name
- Mark
- Edit My Images
- No
A friend of a friend made his own ceiling mounted system from a couple of rivet guns amongst other things.
http://www.barrymountford.com/#!57-...ng-system-hack/c1cs4/570bf7630cf20b4e25a27e1f
http://www.barrymountford.com/#!57-...ng-system-hack/c1cs4/570bf7630cf20b4e25a27e1f
- Messages
- 759
- Name
- Peter
- Edit My Images
- No
Hi i built a home studio link is here https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/home-studio-build.521606/ ..... i do struggle with height and does fill up quickly when using large soft boxes ect but i just work round it take a look at my facebook page it works for me https://www.facebook.com/PeterAliPhotography/
- Messages
- 5,434
- Name
- Terry
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Just ordered a set of lencarta smartflash 2's after a chat with Garry this lunchtime. My shed is 10' x 20' but I'll give it a go.
- Messages
- 5,434
- Name
- Terry
- Edit My Images
- Yes
The space shrinks drastically when you get the lights in doesn't it?
Fantastic quality though.
I need to be a bit creative here I think.
Fantastic quality though.
I need to be a bit creative here I think.
- Messages
- 23,200
- Name
- Richard
- Edit My Images
- No
Reverse-firing softboxes and umbrellas can be positioned directly against the wall to maximise floor space, as mentioned earlier.