New rental studio

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Name
Richard
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I'm opening a new studio soon even bigger than the current so I'll use it also as a photography rental studio. Currently about 6.5 x 12.8m with 4.5m ceiling.
Since I might go stupid with equipment what are some of your must haves for a studios you rent. Also what kind of prices would you be happy to pay.
Location Ashford, Kent with parking and short walk to Ashford International train station.
 
Hey Richard that sounds like a really useful space. I've rented a number of studios in my time and here's what I'd love to see. I do have a small studio on top of my house, but if I need to shoot full length, or need some more space for light control, I'll rent a studio. Now! Look at the back of my car. This is the typical kit *I have to take* to a typical rental studio, because they either don't have it, I can't tell for sure if they have it, it doesn't work properly, or they've never heard of it. I've even turned up to a very well known studio and been told "our grey background has gone missing - sorry". On this trip, I even took my own mains power. In the back of the car is:-

1559178672233.png
C-stand and boom
3 heavyweight stands on wheels
More stands
Sand bags
Floor stand (low level)
Gooseneck clamps
4xSuperclamps
3xLencarta Superfast 600J heads
1xLencarta Safari 600J head
1xAD200
4xNikon SB900
1x Falconeyes 1600TDX LED Fresnel spotlight
2x Paterson daylight E27 LED lamps and holders.
1xKlarus LED torch
Many AA and AAA and 18650 batteries
Various good quality incandescent bulbs (more for location shoots - amazing how many rental locations with vintage sets have lamps with crappy curly florescent bulbs in them)
2x27x120cm strip boxes with grids
1x120cm octa with grid
1x60x90cm softbox with grid
24" beauty dish with grid
More grids
Snoot
Reflectors and holders
Flags
Projection attachment with gobos
Venetian blinds on a telescopic boom arm and supports/counterweights
Cinefoil
6x2m black muslin cloth (mainly to control stray light)
Other fabrics
Gels - lots of gels
A4 black card
2xSilver brollies
2xFog machine
Fog chiller
Air mover
Oil
Water/glycerine spray
Towels
Bottled water
straws
Gaffer tape (matt)
scissors
Hacksaw
Screwdriver
Light meter
Laptop

Now some of this is peculiar to what I shoot and I wouldn't expect a studio to have all of the stuff above, but I would expect at least 4 working heads of around 600J. IGBT controlled heads for preference with a short flash duration, and working trigger sets - avoid flaky battery powered receivers! Heavyweight stands on wheels, a floor stand, and a solid boom arm with sandbags; a large octa with a <4cm grid. At least 2 matching stripboxes with <4cm grids. A beauty dish with a grid, standard reflectors with grids, snoots etc. A working fog machine of at least 1kW with dense fog fluid in it, and a remote. An air mover (not an office fan) - a floor dryer or workshop dust extractor works really well. Backgrounds - 3m+ wide x 6m+ long paper or vinyl. 50% grey as a minimum, and add black and white rolls too if you can. Power sockets (!)

Whatever kit you do have though - list it meticulously on your website - with exact model numbers and sizes etc. Sometimes I turn up at a studio and they do have half the kit I have brought with me - but it was impossible to tell what they had from their website which often says things like "More Bowens heads than you can carry" - which I have to interpret as "3 old Gemini heads" or "6 x studio heads" or "2 x softbox" - which means I have to bring mine as I can't tell whether these are suitable, or whether the modelling lights work (handy for motion blur), or if the triggers are reliable. As soon as something stops working - remove it from the list. Put the last update time and date next to the list so people can tell you maintain it.

Also, resist the urge to paint it all white! I know it looks nice, but it's a pain in the butt for light control. Dark grey with one white and maybe one black wall is good, with a black floor. Make sure you can achieve photo darkness - I see so many studios advertising "natural light" like it's a feature. As this light is somewhat random in nature (will it be harsh and bright, or diffused and soft?) I never plan to use it. If it shows up and is cool, I might make some kind of impromptu use of it but if you're planning a shoot based on the sun showing up through the studio window in the UK - I hope you like disappointment, and throwing money away :p Blackout blinds are essential to any studio if you want to use long exposures for intentional blur. I do this a lot. :)

1559181390981.png

A changing screen or room with makeup station for the model to get ready in is essential. Plastic floor covers and a shower will enable body painting. Controllable heating/ventilation, and a streaming music service are all good things to have too. A full length mirror on a stand lets the model see their pose, and a large monitor and laptop to tether to, allows everyone to see the shots. An attractive chair, stool, and other props can be useful too.

Lastly, make sure you have lots of images of the space on your website, from all angles at sensible fields of view (24 to 35mm is good). When I'm looking for a studio, I'm really not interested in seeing hundreds of images people shot there - I want to see well lit shots of the space, and the equipment. If your studio is not on the ground floor, explain how the space is accessed. Explain in detail how the parking works. If I can't get my car near the door, I'm not coming :)

In terms of price for that space, made light-tight with just some backgrounds and power, I'd pay £15 p/h or £100/day. Fully equipped - around £30p/h or £200/day, but if I can't guarantee your kit exists, works and see exactly what it is, I have to treat the studio as just a space with a background, and spend a day packing :-/

I hope that helps - and good luck with your new venture !
 
Amazing thank you for the details, I've already got a fair about of that kit but you've listed a lot on my list and a few I hadn't thought of.

Power shouldn't be an issue as there are sockets in the floor all over the place.

I'll be doing a video I'm sure of the build but I'll get some pictures up as I progress.
 
Scooter - you expect a lot for £15 an hour! I can tick all the boxes you ask for at my studio in St Albans but it’s £50+VAT per hour. Oh and that’s usually a dry hire rate with kit on top! It’s no wonder studios are closing down at a rapid rate if that’s what some are charging. (Maybe that’s for a converted garage )
 
Scooter - you expect a lot for £15 an hour! I can tick all the boxes you ask for at my studio in St Albans but it’s £50+VAT per hour. Oh and that’s usually a dry hire rate with kit on top! It’s no wonder studios are closing down at a rapid rate if that’s what some are charging. (Maybe that’s for a converted garage )
Well, that's interesting . . .

Owen lives in the north and so do I. I'm even worse because I'm an adopted Yorkshireman and we take care of our money.

Obviously prices will be higher in the effluent south, but I'm surprised by the rates you quote - most of us expect to be able to buy a good car for the price of your studio day rate :)
 
Scooter - you expect a lot for £15 an hour! I can tick all the boxes you ask for at my studio in St Albans but it’s £50+VAT per hour. Oh and that’s usually a dry hire rate with kit on top! It’s no wonder studios are closing down at a rapid rate if that’s what some are charging. (Maybe that’s for a converted garage )

Just to be clear - for £15 per hour, I expect a room with power and a backdrop.
 
Hey Richard that sounds like a really useful space. I've rented a number of studios in my time and here's what I'd love to see. I do have a small studio on top of my house, but if I need to shoot full length, or need some more space for light control, I'll rent a studio. Now! Look at the back of my car. This is the typical kit *I have to take* to a typical rental studio, because they either don't have it, I can't tell for sure if they have it, it doesn't work properly, or they've never heard of it. I've even turned up to a very well known studio and been told "our grey background has gone missing - sorry". On this trip, I even took my own mains power. In the back of the car is:-

View attachment 246391
C-stand and boom
3 heavyweight stands on wheels
More stands
Sand bags
Floor stand (low level)
Gooseneck clamps
4xSuperclamps
3xLencarta Superfast 600J heads
1xLencarta Safari 600J head
1xAD200
4xNikon SB900
1x Falconeyes 1600TDX LED Fresnel spotlight
2x Paterson daylight E27 LED lamps and holders.
1xKlarus LED torch
Many AA and AAA and 18650 batteries
Various good quality incandescent bulbs (more for location shoots - amazing how many rental locations with vintage sets have lamps with crappy curly florescent bulbs in them)
2x27x120cm strip boxes with grids
1x120cm octa with grid
1x60x90cm softbox with grid
24" beauty dish with grid
More grids
Snoot
Reflectors and holders
Flags
Projection attachment with gobos
Venetian blinds on a telescopic boom arm and supports/counterweights
Cinefoil
6x2m black muslin cloth (mainly to control stray light)
Other fabrics
Gels - lots of gels
A4 black card
2xSilver brollies
2xFog machine
Fog chiller
Air mover
Oil
Water/glycerine spray
Towels
Bottled water
straws
Gaffer tape (matt)
scissors
Hacksaw
Screwdriver
Light meter
Laptop

Now some of this is peculiar to what I shoot and I wouldn't expect a studio to have all of the stuff above, but I would expect at least 4 working heads of around 600J. IGBT controlled heads for preference with a short flash duration, and working trigger sets - avoid flaky battery powered receivers! Heavyweight stands on wheels, a floor stand, and a solid boom arm with sandbags; a large octa with a <4cm grid. At least 2 matching stripboxes with <4cm grids. A beauty dish with a grid, standard reflectors with grids, snoots etc. A working fog machine of at least 1kW with dense fog fluid in it, and a remote. An air mover (not an office fan) - a floor dryer or workshop dust extractor works really well. Backgrounds - 3m+ wide x 6m+ long paper or vinyl. 50% grey as a minimum, and add black and white rolls too if you can. Power sockets (!)

Whatever kit you do have though - list it meticulously on your website - with exact model numbers and sizes etc. Sometimes I turn up at a studio and they do have half the kit I have brought with me - but it was impossible to tell what they had from their website which often says things like "More Bowens heads than you can carry" - which I have to interpret as "3 old Gemini heads" or "6 x studio heads" or "2 x softbox" - which means I have to bring mine as I can't tell whether these are suitable, or whether the modelling lights work (handy for motion blur), or if the triggers are reliable. As soon as something stops working - remove it from the list. Put the last update time and date next to the list so people can tell you maintain it.

Also, resist the urge to paint it all white! I know it looks nice, but it's a pain in the butt for light control. Dark grey with one white and maybe one black wall is good, with a black floor. Make sure you can achieve photo darkness - I see so many studios advertising "natural light" like it's a feature. As this light is somewhat random in nature (will it be harsh and bright, or diffused and soft?) I never plan to use it. If it shows up and is cool, I might make some kind of impromptu use of it but if you're planning a shoot based on the sun showing up through the studio window in the UK - I hope you like disappointment, and throwing money away :p Blackout blinds are essential to any studio if you want to use long exposures for intentional blur. I do this a lot. :)

View attachment 246392

A changing screen or room with makeup station for the model to get ready in is essential. Plastic floor covers and a shower will enable body painting. Controllable heating/ventilation, and a streaming music service are all good things to have too. A full length mirror on a stand lets the model see their pose, and a large monitor and laptop to tether to, allows everyone to see the shots. An attractive chair, stool, and other props can be useful too.

Lastly, make sure you have lots of images of the space on your website, from all angles at sensible fields of view (24 to 35mm is good). When I'm looking for a studio, I'm really not interested in seeing hundreds of images people shot there - I want to see well lit shots of the space, and the equipment. If your studio is not on the ground floor, explain how the space is accessed. Explain in detail how the parking works. If I can't get my car near the door, I'm not coming :)

In terms of price for that space, made light-tight with just some backgrounds and power, I'd pay £15 p/h or £100/day. Fully equipped - around £30p/h or £200/day, but if I can't guarantee your kit exists, works and see exactly what it is, I have to treat the studio as just a space with a background, and spend a day packing :-/

I hope that helps - and good luck with your new venture !
Here's my car, as you can see I need even more space for the gear that I use . . .
And as it's big, heavy and uses a lot of diesel it's good to carry a diesel tanker around with me. This is our small Ifor Williams trailer, we have a couple of big ones too :)
small_trailer.jpg

More seriously, in my experience hardly any hire studios have anything more than the absolute basics, they tend to cater largely for people who just want to take nude photos and who aren't into photography - there must be a reasonable market for people who are prepared to provide a wide range of good quality equipment.
 
Those old school incandescent lights sure were big Garry :p I hire this studio quite a lot:-

https://www.atlas-studios.co.uk/gallery

A space the size of a football field - with very long power cables :p £130 per day. The studio does have some old Bowens lights, but I don't use them. They also have a large "studio" room with paper backdrops and I used this for workshops last winter, as the main space is unheated.

Another location I like is Sandon Studio in Staffordshire £130 per day, for a 15 room period location with extensive grounds. I don't use any of their equipment, and the inventory page is a great example of what I wrote about above (ie the rough translation is: "bring your own lighting").

https://www.sandonstudio.co.uk/copy-of-bio


I would pay more for a studio of good size, with a real cove (ie with a corner, and an overhang) and modern lighting. Arden Studios near Stockport was one such studio I used to use before they closed and they charged me about £450 per day if I remember correctly - and it was worth it. They keep threatening to re-open, but they've incremented the year on the "coming soon" notice for at least 3 years.. Pictures are of the old space - which was excellent. http://ardenstudios.co.uk/
 
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The North / South thing is a fair point (after all we can buy a castle up there for the price of a terrace house down here!) Remind me to travel up North to get my next car

If only it worked for cars... now if you can arrange to buy a house up north and transport it down south, you'd have a solid business :) Mind you, I did shoot at a location in Shoreditch earlier in the year and the rate was about £250/day so not too much of a difference tbh. http://www.hacienda.london/ very nice, but terribly impractical as it's impossible to get a car anywhere near it (and park - even getting out of the cab with my suitcase full of lights caused a queue). They had no fog machine either and I couldn't carry one along with the rest of the gear I needed to bring by train/taxi, so I had one shipped there ahead of the shoot. They have equipment such as "ridiculous number of soft boxes.." :p
 
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What @Scooter said!

I end up taking my own kit to studios too. Especially my superfasts and softboxes with decent tight grids.

Some studios lack cheap basics such as:
  • enough standard 7" reflectors & selection of grids, or black/white v flats.
  • very large piece of black stage velvet cloth
  • large piece of white diffusion fabric
  • A range of 5-in-1 reflectors & suitable stands & clamps
  • Gaffer tape, masking tape & lots of clamps
  • At least one really good boom arm
  • Clothes steamer or iron
With flats, cloths, reflectors & 7" dishes you can mostly make up for a lack of variety of modifiers.

I regularly use https://www.aurastudio.uk/ when my own space is insufficient. That's £30/hour and includes a largish cove & regularly changing sets & loads of props.
 
I only want two kinds of studios.

1. Equipped with lots of quality lighting, modifers, stands and all that similar kind of thing. Definitely not using cheap light heads. I'd want 4 or 5 heads, plus a big choice of different softboxes, reflectors, grid, snoots, a boom and all that sort of thing, general pro studio equipment.

or

2. Space only, at a much cheaper rate and I'll supply all the equipment.
 
What @Scooter said!

I end up taking my own kit to studios too. Especially my superfasts and softboxes with decent tight grids.

It was the Superfasts that started me taking my own gear to studios: I had read Joe McNally's books and just wanted to shoot dancers :). Almost all studios had rough old Bowens heads, or maybe some Elinchrom BXR500's but never anything fast enough to freeze motion. I had some success putting 4 SB900's in a silver brolly, but it was hardly convenient and you only got about 60J worth of light at usable durations. I remember the first time I used the SF600's on a dance shoot and realised that not only were they fast enough to freeze motion at 1/4 power or less, they would easily keep up with my camera on continuous shooting - and I could just nail the shutter at 5fps (the D800E I was using was actually Nikon's fastest camera in terms of pixels per second processed at the time - but it had a lot of pixels per frame....) even so it these lights are a marvel to use. I've also had them strobe along in slave mode with an SB900 at 10Hz - sort of like a speed-light amplifier :)
 
It was the Superfasts that started me taking my own gear to studios: I had read Joe McNally's books and just wanted to shoot dancers :). Almost all studios had rough old Bowens heads, or maybe some Elinchrom BXR500's but never anything fast enough to freeze motion. I had some success putting 4 SB900's in a silver brolly, but it was hardly convenient and you only got about 60J worth of light at usable durations. I remember the first time I used the SF600's on a dance shoot and realised that not only were they fast enough to freeze motion at 1/4 power or less, they would easily keep up with my camera on continuous shooting - and I could just nail the shutter at 5fps (the D800E I was using was actually Nikon's fastest camera in terms of pixels per second processed at the time - but it had a lot of pixels per frame....) even so it these lights are a marvel to use. I've also had them strobe along in slave mode with an SB900 at 10Hz - sort of like a speed-light amplifier :)

Been there, got the t-shirt :)

_SRC9417-Edit-Edit.jpg
 
Fantastic! I have a similar t-shirt :)


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