Friday, April 4, 2014

Structural Anatomy of Professional Photography Studios

A photo studio is a space wherein professional photo shoots take place. Most are equipped with backdrops, professional shooting lights, grips and mounts.

A studio may have more than one shooting space. Based on requirement the photographer can choose a space and the client’s art director can decide the creative approach for the shoot. The photos need to mainly carry his camera and lens kit on the day of shoot, unless he is hiring that as well. Some studios have experienced in-house photographers. A typical photography shooting space consists of an expansive room with white bare walls. Ideally, the floor should be concrete and painted with industrial grade white paint. As most of the equipment is electrical, carpets and rugs are avoided in the floor space. Some studios are just warehouses. In there, fabric or acrylic backdrops are set up. The studio should not have a problem of outside lights slithering inside through windows, doors or crevices. This can affect lighting conditions severely and spoil the output.
Three umbrella lights or soft boxes can easily fit into a professional studio space. This is the average requirement light source, which create the continuous lighting ‘temperature’ for product shoots. You can adjust height of the lamp, tilt and swivel the light stands accordingly to your shot. Flash or strobe lights are activated with the remote. You can synchronize this with the shots with the configuration of the shutter button. This is all due to the IR sensor and the connectivity with wireless strobes. There are ring flashes available too which can put around the lens.
Studios will also be equipped with lots of extra lights, batteries, light tents, light stands, tripods, ladders, fans, extension chords and plug points for your use. There are also sturdy trusses (metal frames) in studios to suspend lights from above as well. Depending on the scale of the studio the number and the size will differ.
A stage area or raised platform may also exist in some shoot floors. Others will have acrylic or fabric backdrop suspended from trusses above and which can roll down and spread out across the floor. Studios may or may not supply reflectors, cutters, gel papers, butter papers, thermocol sheets, white balance card etc. These will also be charged in the total studio package.
It is always necessary for the client to visit the studio for race or do a virtual tour before the actual shoot. If he already works for the studio or owns it, then things are a lot easier. A good working environment is very important to deliver quality output. There can be no compromise with regard to the ambience, the facilities and the equipment at hand. To pull off a successful photo shoot studio conveniences are essential. It is important to have all the best resources to complement one’s talent. A proper studio with a professional set up and assistant / attendants can add a lot of production value.

In addition, apart from studio spaces, there are also photography firms that call themselves photography studios. This is another word for a photography agency as well. Therefore, while booking a studio shoot floor one must be sure of what one is booking.

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