A fully equipped professional photography studio requires a lot of space. There’s the shooting area filled with fixed rigging and hanging lights, the dressing room, a bathroom with separate vanity area to do hair and make-up, and an equipment room.
For even the most enthusiastic of hobbyists, that’s not a practical set-up considering few homes have that kind if space to spare. But it is possible to set up a good quality portable home studio for taking product shots, still life or portraits of kids, adults or pets.
Back in my struggling writer days, I supplemented my income by shooting actor’s headshots. I didn’t have the money to rent a studio space so I turned my spare bedroom into a part time studio, using portable equipment that was easily stored in the closet when not in use.
The set up was very simple yet very effective: two studio lights with umbrellas, a paper backdrop, and a small AC power pack.
To buy this set-up costs from $900 to $2000, depending on the power pack. Or, you can rent this set-up, with power pack, for under $50 a day.
The advantage of a portable system like this is that you can take it anywhere there’s an electrical outlet.
Here’s a list of accessories you’ll need in addition to the main equipment.
- Camera Flash Unit
- Reflector screen
- Collapsible reflector stands
- Stands for the backdrop
- Slave flashes
- An extension cord
Any moderately powerful flash unit is suitable to be used with portable equipment. If you are planning to shoot two or more people at once, you might want a flash with a little extra juice so that the lighting is consistent and doesn’t fade on the edges of the photo.
If you’re unsure, talk to the salesman at the camera store or pick the brain of the sales person at the equipment rental house.
When setting up your equipment, make sure that the umbrella is pulled out as far as it can go. If you slide the umbrella through its holder so that it’s right on top of the flash, you reduce the diffusion, which in turn will cause the light to be harsher.
There are two basic types of reflector screens. White screens give off soft light and are best suited for filling in shadows. Aluminum coated or silvery reflector screens give off more directional light, and are therefore better used as key lights, or those that supply the majority if fill light.
The easiest background to use is a roll of backdrop paper and portable stands to hold it up. The stands collapse down and fold up for easy storage. Some photographers recommend painted muslin because they are durable and easy to store. But almost background can work, such as a painted wall or solid-colored curtains – drapes with print patterns, not so much – you don’t want the background to detract from your subject.
Even when just renting there is a considerable financial investment, but when compared to the cost of hiring a professional photographer for family portraits, Christmas card photos or holiday keepsakes, the equipment will pay for itself.
And remember, the quality of the finished product isn’t dependent on the amount of money you spend. So-called amateur setups such as the one described above can produce professional quality portraits. The key, as always in photography, is being the master of the light, which we’ll cover next time.
