Please enter your email and website or LinkedIn to receive more information about our free and paid accounts.
Please enter your email address below and we’ll send you instructions on how to change your password.
Your apartment gets phenomenal light from huge westward-facing windows during golden hour, but can it accommodate a big shoot? The ceilings are a bit low, and it’s unclear if there’s enough room for everyone behind the scenes. Where are the stylists going to set up? Most houses or apartments lack the amount of room necessary for a full-scale shoot, and that’s where studios come in handy.
Photography studios are invaluable resources for all serious photographers. Aside from adding an air of professionalism and quality to your shoot, they afford the ability to control many of the variables of an on-location shoot. Admittedly, not every shoot requires this level of control, but many do. For most photographers, it’s impractical (if not impossible) to own and maintain a fully capable photography studio — this is where rental studios come in!
Studios are controlled environments that protect the shoot from the impact of the weather, natural light sources, and the time of day. They permit photographers to design the set to the exact specifications of the project. There will usually need to be a lighting set-up involved, but the light-sculpting possibilities are much greater in a studio setting. What’s more, you can shoot all day if you want or need to! So what do you need to consider?
While conceptually similar, photography studios and soundstages have some differences that should be kept in mind when selecting a space. Soundstages are specifically designed to accommodate sound recording, which means that the building has been soundproofed and is not susceptible to outside noise. Soundstages also will often have ceiling rigging for heavy-duty continuous lighting, like the kinds used in television and film productions. Because these spaces need to have room for such things as crane shots and large, gimbal-mounted video cameras, they are frequently quite spacious. All of these features come at a cost, so a good rule of thumb is that if you’re not shooting a video production, you probably don’t need a soundstage. Stick with the photo studio!
How big is the production? Studios, like photoshoots, come in all sizes. Keep in mind what lenses will be used; there’s nothing worse than trying to execute a shot with a long lens and backing up, only to hit a wall behind you. How many subjects will be photographed? What kinds of sets will be built? How many people are expected to be on set? You want enough space to comfortably accommodate the set and lighting setups, your crew, any clients present, and, of course, all of the talent. Are you planning on using very wide or long lenses? The same goes for ceilings.
High ceilings are almost a pre-requisite for any studio worth its salt, due to the nature of light stands and adjustable light modifiers. Product, food, and drink photographer, Will Styer often finds himself in studios due to the precision required for still life photography:
High, clean ceilings without a lot of fixtures are very important to get the light looking the way I want it. I also like to bounce light off the ceiling for fill sometimes, and having a lot of sprinklers, air ducts, overhead lights etc. can really get in the way. Solid floors are important as well, wood floors will transmit a lot of vibrations from people walking around that can create movement between shots, which makes compositing difficult later.
The location of a studio can affect many details, from the team’s ease of access and the talent to the cost of the studio rental itself. The same studio will likely be substantially more expensive in Manhattan than it will be in Philadelphia, but there are other considerations in play as well. Is the studio wheelchair accessible? Are there helpful resources nearby? As Will puts it, “[it’s] always good to be central to things in case we wind up having to run out and get something.”
What kind of equipment are you bringing along to your shoot? If you’re only carrying a camera and a speedlight, this may not be a concern for you. However, if you’re loading in a multi-lighting setup, camera accessories, props, and set pieces, you’ll want to go from street to studio as efficiently as possible. Does the studio have hand trucks and dollies on hand for you to use? Is there a large loading dock where you can on- and off-load equipment? If the studio is not located on the ground floor, is there a reliable freight elevator to use? John Champlin of LUX-sf studios in San Fransisco stressed the importance of knowing all of these things ahead of time, as well as making sure you’re in touch with the staff before showing up.
Definitely visit if possible, or at least take a virtual tour or consult a floor plan. Also talk with the staff, preferably whoever will be staffing the day of your shoot, to get a read for the kind and amount of help that they might be able to provide. Try to eliminate any potential surprises beforehand!
The floorplan for Studios A and B at LUX SF, which is available on their website
The last thing you want to do is walk bulky, heavy Pelican cases full of heavy equipment up and down three flights of stairs after a long shoot day!
Many studios rent gear that you might not own or might be cumbersome to bring with you. Some studios will have just lights and backdrops, while others have a more full-featured kit list, including everything from cameras and lenses to digital tech stations. A studio with rentals is no substitute for a dedicated rental house, but utilizing studio equipment can help to decrease load-in time or act as a plan B if you forget an essential piece of equipment.
At Lux-SF, John mentions,
We have a service where we source all the lighting and rental gear so that everything is in the studio and ready to go at call time. So, in the morning you’re skipping the step of schlepping a bunch of metal in from your vehicles and starting directly with lighting your set. Little things like that can really add up and allow you to use your day’s energy to execute real creative work, and spending less on more mundane tasks.
Check the studio’s WiFi. If you need to upload images to an offsite client or BTS footage to your team, slow, unreliable internet will be a problem. You should test the service pre-shoot to learn what you can expect on the day of your shoot. The same goes for phone service as well. Photo studios often live in old industrial buildings that were designed before the advent of cellphones and can be very unfriendly to wireless signals.
What kind of lighting will you be using? Most studios will be well-equipped for strobe and continuous light setups, but if you want real window light, you’re going to need big windows. You’re also going to need to know what time of day those windows get their best light and adjust your shoot times accordingly. A pre-shoot scout will help nail this down so that there aren’t any surprises on the day of your shoot.
Because electricity is so essential to photographic lighting, it can be easy to assume that the studio you rent can handle your equipment’s draw. In most cases, you might be right — but it’s wise to take a glance at the specifications of the studio. A typical full-fledged shoot can have a significant draw. Confirm that there are ample outlets and the correct voltage for all of the equipment you’ll be plugging in, including your lighting, laptops, fans, phones, etc.
Choosing a studio doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are quite a few considerations that shouldn’t be overlooked. Paying attention to the details can ensure that you have the right space for the right price and that you’ve minimized the risk of many headaches on the day of your shoot.
The importance of price differs dramatically from shoot to shoot. A big-budget production in need of only the highest quality studio may consider other factors first, but this won’t be the case for a low-budget production. Studios typically rent space by the hour, half-day, or full-day. Day rates vary but usually stay within the $500 – $1,500 range, and studios often offer packages that deliver value on the dollar depending on the amount of time that gets booked.
John tells us that studios can be very willing to accommodate.
Checking what gear and also what props the studio has and is willing to include with your rental, or give you a rate on, can really save time and money. Remember, it never hurts to ask!
To learn more about using studios for photography or motion, check out the links below:
Studio Photography Basics (Youtube)
Studio Photography Lighting Tips
Tips for Fast and Effective Studio Product Photography
If you’re looking for a studio now or sometime in the future, check out Wonderful Machine’s Find Crew page. If you’re a location scout interested in being a part of the page, reach out to us via email or call at 1 610 260 0200