Studio

casegrl · Nov 19, 2011

What is the ideal ceiling height? I have all the studio lighting stuff to play with and a huge empty basement?

MLeeK · Nov 19, 2011

What's ideal got to do with it? You have what you have and that's what you use. If I could I'd like about a 12-15 foot ceiling. Not going to happen in a home. So... make it work with what you have.

KmH · Nov 19, 2011

casegrl said:
What is the ideal ceiling height?

There is no one ideal height, and it depends a lot on what you are shooting, but in general the higher the better.

Eight feet is marginal. Less than 8 feet would be severely limiting.

BlairWright · Nov 19, 2011

For commercial work.. Over 10 feet, 12 min.. The reason I say this is because you need your backdrop to sag at the 90 where the wall meets the floor.

This is pretty small for optimal but it works:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6365045229_212661d88f_z.jpg

c.cloudwalker · Nov 19, 2011

KmH is right. It all depends what you shoot.

In a regular basement I wouldn't shoot anything but table top product or seated portraits.

Ideal is very subjective.

Alpha · Nov 19, 2011

In addition, make sure that you have plenty of horizontal room to spread out, especially if you have one of these newfangled cameras that wont go below ISO 200.

MLeeK · Nov 19, 2011

BlairWright said:
For commercial work.. Over 10 feet, 12 min.. The reason I say this is because you need your backdrop to sag at the 90 where the wall meets the floor.

This is pretty small for optimal but it works:

You can get around that curve by using a baseboard.

I have 8' ceilings and I work with them. They aren't ideal, but I am not in a world of hurt either. It can be done. I think most basements you are probably looking at 7 to 7.5 feet. It would be tight, but you can work with it. Is it IDEAL? no. But you can do it.
You can do nearly anything you put your mind (and wallet) to.