Creating a Photography Studio at Home
The art of photography has really evolved over the last few years and imagery has become a huge focus in both our personal and professional lives. Having the best Instagram page has become more than just a hobby, and social media has driven individuals to really up their game. This has resulted in an increased demand for professional photographers that can create eye-catching imagery, with the hope that they will go viral.
Becoming a freelance photographer is a viable idea for a business and becoming a freelancer in a creative field is an attractive career path for many. Creating a photography studio at home and investing in some equipment will help you hone in your skills and build an impressive portfolio to send to potential clients. Depending on your subject matter, you may not require that much space, but lighting and backdrops will be important. When you’ve allocated the area you want to dedicate to this new line of work, you’ll need to start converting it into your perfect studio space.
Camera Equipment
A photographer isn’t going to get very far without their camera, so this is probably the best place to start when it comes to spending money, and don’t forget to think of your chosen subject matter when choosing your tools. Will you be focusing your skills on portrait photography or perhaps lean towards product photography and flat lay imagery. Will you invest in a DSLR camera with multiple lenses or test out your skills with more traditional film. A tripod is great for capturing the sharpest images and can also be useful if you want to branch out into videos as well.
Lighting
If your home studio has bad lighting you’ll find it difficult to take a good picture, so take the time to create a professional set up here. Natural light will certainly get you started but won’t always create a professional look, opt for high-powered lamps that can be fitted with modifiers. You’ll need your key light that will be the most prominent in the room, followed by your fill light, which will reduce shadows and decrease the contrast in your picture. You may also want a backlight if you’re subject matter needs some lighting from behind. Your studio space may not have the necessary electrical points to facilitate all this equipment so you may need to search for “handyman services near me” and employ a professional electrician to rewire the room.
Backdrops
Dedicate a wall or corner of your room to place a backdrop for photographic purposes and invest in a professional backdrop to make your imagery really stand out. The most popular choice amongst professionals is a seamless white backdrop, for both model and product photography, as it helps with the editing process later. If you’re on a tight budget you don’t have to invest a lot of money here, a makeshift one will do while you’re getting started, a white cloth could be hung from the ceiling, and large white or textured paper can be placed on a surface for flat lay photography.
Desk Space and Shelving
Desk space will be essential for editing your photos and shelving will be needed to store all of your equipment. Now that photography is embedded into the digital age, a computer with a high-quality screen can be placed here. Not forgetting any props that you’ll start collecting to add any additional elements to your shots, you’ll end up with more equipment than you realize and desk space and shelving will prevent your studio from becoming cluttered. Opt for a large surface area, so you have room to spread out, Ikea offer plenty of desk combinations with drawer space underneath that can be slotted together to create a large corner space and comfortable office chairs to purchase too. You’ll want to create a space you love to sit at as a lot of your creative work will be done here.
Photographic software
There is a lot of photographic software to choose from on the market currently which is great if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, there are even a lot of free applications available that will perform basic editing tasks for you these days. However, if you’re looking to become a real professional in this line of work, your editing software can be a real game-changer and give you an advantage above your competitors. Adobe is a great company to opt for, and they offer monthly subscriptions on a lot of their packages. Photoshop and Lightroom are a must in the photography world, but you could also invest in After Effects if you want to migrate into video as well.
It may sound like there is a lot needed to get you started, but the process of creating a studio will be much simpler than you think. Purchase the basic equipment required to start off with, and before you know it, you’ll have a fully functioning studio at home.