Proper Flooring For Photo Studio

[brianwmartin]

Greetings!

I am looking for suggestions for proper flooring for a photo studio. A little background:

We are building a photo studio at work where we need to photograph small to large power equipment from time to time (engines, tillers, log splitters, etc.). The company is expanding into a new space.

The floor in the new space is currently concrete. There are a few different mismatched colors of concrete/stain and the room was once two rooms. Therefore, a wall was removed and it has left parts of the concrete a little uneven.

So my initial thoughts have been to paint the floor white with a masonry sealer. Much of the equipment being wheeled in will be dirty so I would like something that can be cleaned/swabbed easily. The VP thought that a concrete floor painted white would too easily be nicked up and suggested some type of tile or something but I feel that because of the uneven flooring and the heavy equipment that would not really be practical.

Questions:

1.) Is white a proper color for a photo studio floor? Or would something else work better?

2.) Does anyone have other alternatives for durable, easily maintainable, properly colored flooring for something like this?

Image of the space as it looks currently:

snip1

Thanks in advance!
Brian

 

[tirediron]

There are a number of high-end epoxy coatings meant specifically for industrially flooring. These can be done in almost any colour you want. Ideally, I would suggest having a professional company come in and do this. They will level the floor and leave a finish that is virtually bullet-proof. When it comes to colour, my choice would be a medium grey.

 

[brianwmartin]

Hello!

I guess I should have also mentioned that the VP doesn't want to spend a ton of money. I did look into some epoxy options as well. They are not interested in hiring the job out. They want something that the warehouse staff can do. If it were up to me I would spend the money to get the job done right. Unfortunately, I have been overruled.

You said your choice for color would be a medium grey rather than white. What is your reasoning behind this?

Thank you!
Brian

 

[Original katomi]

I too would have said a grey. Reason being we use a grey card to get correct WB . Without testing it’s poss that a white floor would bias your WB. Nothing to prove my theory other than we use grey cards to get WB correct.
You could go down the route of having the company logo painted on the floor so that every shot has....your logo.... in the pic. Have you thought about theamed backgrounds, eg woodland shot for the log spliters

 

[smoke665]

Another possibility Husky 7.5 ft. x 17 ft. Coin Grey Universal Flooring-HK70CN717SGRHD - The Home Depot. Waterproof, oil resistant, wash it with high pressure if you need to, and provides some cushioning if you drop a camera or lens.

 

[Original katomi]

Just looked at what Smoke suggested. Looks good you could even have extra piece to put under items that are going to cause the most damage

 

[tirediron]

I too would have said a grey. Reason being we use a grey card to get correct WB . Without testing it’s poss that a white floor would bias your WB. Nothing to prove my theory other than we use grey cards to get WB correct.

Kind of... sort of. Just as not all whites are white, not all grey is grey. While I'm sure you could get a custom tint that would be 18% middle grey, it's likely not the default. The reasons I suggest grey are (1) It's a neutral colour that will reflect, but not such that it's an exposure issue; (2) if it appears in the image, it will be darker than the subject, meaning it will not pull the eye away from subject as a white floor would; (3) minor scuffs and stains will not be noticed; and (4) if you need to, you can easily change the colour of it with lights & gels.

 

[Strodav]

Highly recommend a smooth floor, i.e. no grout or deep texture, to slide or roll equipment around with a neutral color like grey. Your pic looks like concrete, which can be coated with a darker color. Paint the walls grey like with ~18% Neutral Gray Interior Wall Paint - Image Quality Testing Accessories . Big box store paint may look grey, but it's probably not. Avoid glossy surfaces. The doors look like they have glass, which your are going to want to cover. Make sure you've got plenty of wall outlets and they are where you want them. Ceiling lights are a big controversy. I hate florescent lights, which cast a green color on everything, like the ones in your pic. You would probably always turn them off during a shoot. If it's possible go with dimmable LEDs at D5000 and a white ceiling. Your pic shows a tile ceiling, so you should be able to change the lighting fixtures.

 

[dennyr]

Clean it real well and apply a Light Gray or Dark Off-White, water borne floor paint
To properly prep the floor, and then lay any kind of "real" flooring is going to be EXPENSIVE.
It is super easy to (as time goes by) to repaint a section of floor....especially if you do it at the end of the day and let it dry for several hours before using again.
Good Luck