5 Essential Items For Your Professional Photography Studio

5 Essential Items For Your Professional Photography Studio:

Are you thinking about starting a professional photography studio? There may come a time in your photography career in which you decide that a studio could bring value to your work. If you’re on a budget, you can consider making a home studio, or renting out a small space near you. It’s important to scout out the perfect place in your home, or to look at more than one potential studio location so you can plan for potential costs, as well as potential revenue. Making a successful studio means taking the time to understand the advantages and disadvantages of your space. It’s also important to fill that space with some essential items.

1 – Cameras and Lenses:

Of course it’s assumed that if you’re building a studio space, you already have these items. That said, they are essential to build your space, because they may affect the brands, makes and models of the other equipment. We recommend a full frame camera body, as well as lenses that range from 24mm to 85mm, whether zoom or prime. You don’t want to go wider than that, as it can distort your subjects. A good beginner lens for all photographers is a 50mm prime lens, because it’s perfect for low light, and creates a beautiful bokeh.

2 – A Basic Lighting Setup:

This includes lights and light modifiers. You need a simple and versatile setup with at least three strobes, light stands or c-stands, wireless synchronization, speedlights, and modifiers, such as umbrellas, which help to diffuse the light, control the mood, and add creativity as well. This is for beginners, but as you get more advanced, you can experiment with softboxes, octaboxes, gels, grids, reflectors, and more. Remember that you need a light stand for every light, and the stands need to be sturdier, the heavier your lights are.

3 – Reflectors and Tripods:

Reflectors are great tools to give you immediate control in varied light conditions. They can fill in shadows, add light from windows, and create rim lights. As you know from above, light stands are important. You should also have tripods in your studio to get extra sharp images and to work with low lighting. Both reflectors and tripods can help you work with your lighting setup and your camera, to gain control of light and elements.

4 – Props and Furniture:

There are some items we’ve found to be useful. For one, having a stepladder is important because you can use it to change your point of view, and it’s also important for changing the settings on your equipment. A fan is important for air flow, and to show windblown photos. On the other hand, it’s important to have heaters or space heaters for newborn baby shoots. We also keep chairs, stools, and a small couch on hand for photos and comfort. As for props, consider having fabrics, accessories, hats, and other things you can collect from your home, from thrift stores, from flea markets, and more.

5 – Backdrops:

Backdrops are very important! For one, they remove distracting or boring backgrounds, but they also allow you control over your photos. Plus, they’re always interesting and colorful and can be used seasonally. You can offer an array of backdrops to entice clients for holiday, back to school, or mini photo sessions. They are an affordable way to constantly keep your photography changing and interesting. We love the high quality backdrops at Kate Backdrop. They help you set the mood of your images, and set your photography apart from other photographers. Here are a few we love:

To choose the right photography backdrops for your studio, please read: How to Choose The Right Photography Backdrops.

In conclusion:

There are certain types of photography that are best suited to a studio environment. Adding a professional photography studio to your business will make you more marketable and versatile. And, it’s easy to get started with these essential items!

To know more tips & tutorials for studio photography, please read：101 Essential Tips for Studio Photography.