Definition of a studio??

mikeanywhere

Is there a good or bad size when it comes to a studio?? What makes a good studio, ie location, size (as already asked), facilities?

I ask as this question was put to me a fcouple of days back in the UK when talking some shizzle around a JD & Coke

elven

I think the trickiest thing about a studio is having enough length in the room to get space between you and your subject and then your subject and the backdrop, so you can go further back and use a longer lens for less distortion, and to have room to light the background and subject separately. Obviously, you'd want lots of power outlets, and possibly somewhere to hook up a laptop for tethered shooting, maybe a changing area curtained off, and if you were going for gold, a nice large window too

Paulw

I've only done one studio shoot. I really enjoyed it.

You certainly need a nice window area, for natural light.

Power will always be an issue - for lights, flash, cameras, laptops, fans, heaters etc. Having cables all over the place is dangerous.

You do need a nice space area. Somewhere with plenty of props/stages to photograph, which is high enough for good backdrops.

Of course, a changing area for the models.

440Hz

mikeanywhere wrote:

JD & Coke

hhmmmmmmm :drools:


uhmmm sorry, bit distracted there!

IMO that is a very difficult question to answer as it is very subjective. I don't know enough about photography to comment on this but I can relate the question to what defines an audio studio, and quite honestly the term 'studio' can be applied to anything from the smallest of setups to Abbey Road scale.

–noun, plural -di·os. 1.the workroom or atelier of an artist, as a painter or sculptor. 2.a room or place for instruction or experimentation in one of the performing arts: a dance studio. 3.a room or set of rooms specially equipped for broadcasting radio or television programs, making phonograph records, filming motion pictures, etc. 4.all the buildings and adjacent land required or used by a company engaged in the production of motion pictures.

So, technically, what you have setup in your kitchen is a studio Mike! Personally I would consider a 'professional studio' to be the location where professional/high quality work is produced using whatever combination of tools the artist requires to achieve a suitably professional end product. That begs the question, what is a 'home studio', and where do you draw the line? Do we draw a distinction between a 'professional studio', 'amateur studio' etc etc.

Anyway, relating to your initial question about size, in this case I don't see size as being what matters. (ahem). I would be more concerned with what the quality of the product of the studio is that the size/facilities. Having said that... if you are bringing clients in to a location that you define as a business studio there will always be some preconceived expectations. For example, I wouldn't bring a customer into my house where I might have an 8-track and a mic setup and call it a recording studio, even though by defintion, it would be!

I guess alot of it is how your 'present' your product/service. You wouldnt show up to a high powered business meeting in jeans, even though your input would be the same regardless of your dress. Know what I mean?

They are just my thoughts on it anyway.

Borderfox

If you were doing headshots then anywhere comfortable with a backdrop. Other than that though your into a large room with a high ceiling. This is a shot of the Studio we were in at the weekend shot with a 10-20 @10mm

Morlar

Location and parking are important too but the most important thing is space, floorspace and headroom.

High ceilings and skylights or baywindows are a good bonus. I have worked in a few from teeny tiny to massive and space and lighting are the main factors, also the quality of lighting gear is important - I was surprised to see randalstown have new lighting gear as the last time I was up there it was getting a bit jaded.