We have all thought about it once before. “How can I set up a small studio at home, and how much room do I really need?” The answer may be simpler than you think. It all comes down to considering what it is you shoot. Are you a newborn photographer and only need a bean bag, stand and outfit rack? Or a family photographer, and need a full 107″ wall mounted seamless backdrop? The solution to your problem starts with your niche, as each studio type will need a certain amount of room.
How Big Of A Room Do I Need?
This is often the hardest part, simply because it isn’t up to us most of the time. Generally whatever spare room we have, we use. Ideally, you will want at least a 20×20 room, but we know this isn’t always possible. I have worked in spaces as small as 12×12 and as large as a warehouse. Each of them has their perks, but ultimately it is determined by what is available to you.
Are My Ceilings Tall Enough?
Probably! Even with 8 foot ceilings you can make your setup work. However, if you are working in a basement with 6.5 to 7 foot clearance, you may have to get creative! Choose your lighting systems and modifiers carefully, and you should be able to make just about anything work! Using some black seamless or bedsheets to stop light from spilling everywhere will be a common trick in a smaller space, and something you should definitely keep in your toolkit.
Wall Mounted or Backdrop Stands?
Personally, I prefer wall-mounted systems as a major space saver. However, if you are constantly packing up and hitting the road with your gear, you will obviously need to opt for the stands. There are plenty of options out there that will allow you to save some space and still be packable so you can head to your client’s locations with ease, so don’t jump into the first product you see on Amazon, do your research!
Should I Get A Commercial Space?
This is always tough. The way I went about this originally was with a few photog friends. We all chipped in $300 bucks a month to rent an office space that we opened up to a studio space. We didn’t have many clients right away, but it did give us the room, (and the quiet time) to learn and advance our skill sets. Plus if you are tight on cash that month you can always rent to another photographer! In my personal and professional opinion, if you are not full time, do not commit to a commercial space. Do some research to find rentable studio space, and save yourself some cash in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Creating a workable studio space can be tough, especially if you only have so much room in your home. There are options out there to rent per session or even daily, so take advantage of this! You can even reach out to some studios nearby and see if they have any ideas they would be willing to share with you on how they did it. I promise you, we all started the same way! Don’t give up!
If you are local to our studio, you can always stop by and talk to one of us to get some ideas or ask about space rentals, we are always up to help!
As always, we look forward to hearing from you all.
Stay happy, stay healthy, and keep on creating!
