Paint color for studio

[DreamPhotos]

Should I paint the walls flat white or gray? If gray I don't really understand the percentages I've been reading in reference to paint colors. I see some people online saying 12% gray. I think if I walk into Lowes and tell them I want 12% gray flat paint they will look at me like I'm nuts. Also, what about the ceiling color?

 

[DSRay]

Bring a gray card for them to match. I'd paint them black, myself.

 

[tirediron]

I'd go with a black ceiling and two white and two medium gray walls.

 

[xj0hnx]

I'd go with a black ceiling and two white and two medium gray walls.

This. No reason to do all the walls one color when you can have the best of all three.

 

[Derrel]

I painted my entire garage a light gray. Ceiling and walls. Worked out well.

 

[KmH]

I use a flat (not semi-gloss or gloss) white ceiling and flat neutral gray walls.

 

[DreamPhotos]

Like so many things with photography it looks like different opinions across the board! Keep them coming!

 

[remylebeau]

The size of the space matters too. A lot of studios paint white walls and ceilings to offer a "clean" look, but many have low ceilings or aren't wide enough, which makes controlling light harder especially if the place was small to begin with. If you have a really large space all white is fine, as distance increases bounce becomes less of an issue. If you have a smaller space I'd paint 1 large wall white and the rest grey to absorb some light.

 

[DreamPhotos]

The two rooms are very small. One is 10x11 and the other 10x12.

There is also a sunroom that I will be using. Two walls are mostly sliding glass doors and then there is one short wall, maybe 6 ft long and another longer wall, around 10ft. This room is trickier because it is open to the rest of the house, so I feel like the paint color is there is going to have to flow with the rest of the house. I'm thinking of using the gray in there because there will be a lot of light with the sliders. Thoughts?

 

[DreamPhotos]

I should also add that the two small bedrooms, mentioned above, have very little natural light. 1 small window in each room, with no direct light. I will be relying on studio light in those rooms.

 

[Braineack]

I vote for gray only because I like gray and painted my entire house with gray paint.

 

[DreamPhotos]

I'm going with the gray. Should I have baseboards, closets, and doors painted with the gray as well?

 

[KmH]

That depends on what color the baseboards and doors are. Will you be shooting in the closet? If no, you don't need to paint the closet.

 

[DreamPhotos]

I meant the closet doors. They almost take up one wall, so I figured best to paint the doors gray. The baseboards and doors are white right now.

 

[Gavjenks]

I agree with 2 walls one color, 2 walls another.
People don't tend to take very many portraits with 180 degree fisheyes, so... you can easily avoid having 3 walls in one shot, and choose whatever is best for the situation.