Hello All,
I'm looking to set up a photography studio in my home and I was hoping for some advice on what equipment to purchase. I'm looking to get a:
1) Heavy Duty Backdrop stand ($300 limit). It would be nice to not have to add weights to the base to keep the stand sturdy.
2) Heavy Duty light stand ($200/ea. limit)
3) Strobe ($900/ea. limit)
4) Softbox ($100/ea. limit)
Your advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks...
1. What type of photography? A good studio for boudoir will be different from a good studio for pet photography which will be different from a good studio for youth sports teams which will be different from HS Graduation shots which will be different from food photography. The needs, props, and backdrops will be different for each of these.
2. Look at tax and business registration issues. Most localities will require you to get a business license and there may be restrictions on home businesses in some areas. How is your parking situation?
3. Depending upon the type of photography you're doing you may need: a makeup station, a changing room, or a waiting room (where a parent or escort or friend might wait and not make the person you're shooting feel self-conscious. You say "but I've got a house--it's got a bathroom, a living room, etc." Right, do you want to have a total stranger with access to your house while you're in the basement shooting someone?
4. See if you can mount brackets in the ceiling instead of using a backdrop stand. That way you can mount 2-4 rolls of backdrop paper--switching backdrops is so easy that way. And you could even throw a cloth/fabric backdrop over one of the rolls of seamless paper.
5. Depending upon what you're shooting and your experience level, you may want to consider continuous lighting (LEDs) rather than strobes.
6. The type of photography you're going to do will influence the pricing of the products you're looking at. For instance, if you're shooting models of any kind, I recommend a giant 7 foot by 7 foot soft box as a background--very soft light that wraps around the person and makes everyone look thinner.
7. The space matters a lot. I like to shoot portraits with an 85mm prime lens. That requires some space in order to shoot a full-figure shot. Additionally, I often bounce light off of surfaces--so a flat white ceiling and walls with no possible hot spots is important.