Tips for Turning Your Room Into A Photo Studio

Have you ever wished for a studio where you could welcome clients and photograph different portraits and ideas? And with the covid-19 pandemic, a controlled environment is the best way to go. Your living room or any other room in your house can be easily transformed into a studio where you can photograph your studio ideas! 

Here are a few considerations to get you started with setting up your photo studio.

Finding The Most Appropriate Space

Find the room in your house, or corner of your studio apartment, that has the biggest space and the best angles for shooting images. Having at least 10 feet of blank wall space is ideal for the studio. The wall should make it easier to mount wallpaper; you could also have the wall painted for your needs. With this, there is no need of coming up with anything special, just use the existing wall as the main background for the images.

What’s the significance of 10 feet? The more wall space you have, the more space you’ll have on the sides of your pictures. You would be able to photograph both horizontally and vertically as a result of this. You’ll also be able to accommodate more than one client. However, if your photography style is specific to headshots and individual clients, a wall with at least 5 feet of space will be sufficient.

You don’t have to limit yourself to using the living room. If you don’t have studio lights but still want to make beautiful portraits with artistic backgrounds but don’t want to go on location, your home could still work!. A covered patio with lots of wall space, your garage, the bedroom, or any of the balconies could still work. The goal is to find sufficient wall space for your photography needs.

Creating The Best Setup

Studio Light

Studio lights are not necessary for your home studio, however, if they contribute to your best work, having them will be beneficial. The wall space should be in a darker or not so brightly-lit room. To achieve this you could use shades or curtains to block out extra light. 

The living room has the most space, but make sure it’s dark enough so you can put the lights exactly where you want them. To set up your at-home studio, you may also use external flashes. Use lamps or light dimmers to achieve the best outcome. Consider buying plain color neon flexible tube lights to ensure you do not interfere with the white balance, exposure, or look and feel of your photos.

Natural Light

You should set up your studio in your living room or some other room in your house if it has plenty of natural light. The same rules apply when it comes to wall space, so you can pose your subject while still having enough room in the frame in case cropping is needed. It also helps you to photograph vertically or horizontally.

You can find this by determining which room has the best window light, or any light coming into space. Garage space with the garage door open, for example, is a good choice. Another good choice is a living room with large sliding doors that let plenty of light in. Make sure the sun isn’t shining directly into the room or coming in through the window, throwing odd shadows on your subject.

Hang translucent curtains to diffuse the natural light coming in; this helps with harsh lighting, shadows, and room temperature. Only open the window if it adds more natural light to your setup. Consider reflector lights and bounce cards to bounce light in the direction you want. Implementing blackboards can help with darkening the scene.  

The Floor

Your floor is already built in your house, which can be a concern if you’re shooting full-length portraits. Examine the floor to see if it’s suitable for your snaps. If it isn’t, you should cover it with paper and tape it from the wall to the floor. This will give your pictures the appearance of being shot in a real studio.

Also, consider buying affordable wood floor-looking laminate flooring to create your portable floor.

Possible Backgrounds For Your In-home Studio

There is a variety of options for studio backgrounds that you can choose from. Provided the space is yours, get creative with your backgrounds. If not, consider using the existing wall color and texture to create seamless portraits. 

You can also use the following as the background;

  • A sheet covering the background from the wall to the floor
  • Different colored paper or any seamless fabric with a print on it

You can make a background out of just about anything you can think of! Including balloons, tissue paper, hanging cords, lamps, paper flowers, artificial flowers, string or hanging garlands created by you or already made newspaper, or even plants, you can get very creative. No matter what your style is, the possibilities and ideas are endless and will give your images a unique look.

Conclusion

Your living room might just be the ideal location for you to produce spectacular studio work. You shouldn’t need sophisticated equipment; all you need is some nice wall space and the light you enjoy taking pictures with. Add some music and you’ve got yourself a cozy studio right in your own house! 

Try out new wallpaper ideas, play around with different colors and lighting till you find the ones that work best for you. Keep practicing and ensure your work ethic remains dynamic. All the best, and stay safe.

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