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What is the most economical approach to a home-based photography studio? |
I'm interested in trying to find a more economical alternative to starting a small photo studio at home but not having to spend hundreds of dollars on lighting equipment and expensive backdrops. I've been told that there are other economical "substitutes" for lighting and backdrops, but I'm hoping to hear from more seasoned photographers who do indoor photoshoots. Here are some ideas. First, go digital. While the initial investment is expensive, it's way cheaper in the end because you don't need to buy and process film. At around $10 a roll for film and developing, you only need to take a few thousand pictures (not a lot really) to pay for itself. Second, hot lights (lights that are always on) are way cheaper than strobe lights. If you use digital, then you can use pretty much any kind of light and then adjust the white balance to get the color you want. You can get two or three sets of halogen work lights (like they have at construction sites) for about $20 each, giving you 1500+ watts of light. The primary consideration here is that you keep the room cool so your subjects don't get hot. Hot lights also reduce the need for an expensive light meter. Third, backgrounds can be quite cheap. If you use proper lighting, you can take a $20-30 roll of white background paper and make it look white, black or any color and hue. In a pinch, paint a wall white or gray and use lighting to change the color and texture. Fourth, you can use cheap materials for light reflectors, such as white foam boards from Staples or anything that will reflect and shape the light the way you want it to. Fifth, use natural light, such as a window softened by some sheer curtains. Sixth, go outside! Cloudy days make nice photo lights. The final consideration is what will you do once you have the studio? If you really want to make money at it, your clients will assume you're more credible if you appear to have spent a lot of money on your studio, and therefore more likely to hire you. Unless your work is so outstanding that it speaks for itself. Good luck! Oddly enough, I just had this conversation with my sister-in-law. My first suggestion would be to do an online search for photo studios in your area. It could be that they would let you intern in their studio and learn some tricks of the trade. Another idea is to get in touch with a local chamber of commerce. There are usually at least a couple of commercial photographers in the chamber, and they might be willing to share some expertise on starting out. A third option is to see if you can find a network of other individuals like you in your area (do an online search) who want to start a business but are on a shoestring. See if you can go in on equipment together. One last idea is to visit some local colleges. Seek out photography profs and bend their ears. They might be able to offer some ideas, since they'll have college seniors asking the same questions...Good luck-- I am curious what backdrops your most interested in? Consider most backdrops are canvas and many are painted with a textile paint or textile dye. If you can paint or know of someone who can I would just make your own. Buy some industrial canvas and save a lot. Back drops from Asia are a savings but thats shipping and hunting them down. Last option but I am not as familiar with is green screen. I know imovie has software so any file taken with a green screen is than transparent. This method gives you so much more options and 100% cost savings. I would than have a portfolio of every background. My links below cover making your own backdrops and cheap lighting. There are many ways to do this if you invest the time. Last link is very good. http://www.lonestardigital.com/affordabl... http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-b... http://www.studiolighting.net/studio-lig... http://www.photoquack.de/tutorials/diyli... |
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