What should I get to make a small photography studio?
February 212010
I am a beginning photographer and want to go to an art school to major in photography. I have an extra bedroom and would like to make it into a small studio. I would take pictures of people and animals. I was thinking of getting a few backgrounds and some lighting. What do you suggest?
Keep it simple and work up your gear as you find the need for it (read that as, as your knowledge and experience grows and you work your way through the course). Some backgrounds and constant lighting would be a good start, leave the expensive flash gear for later.
Go with digital (even though your course may have a film content) as its easier to colour balance from any light source, is far cheaper, post processing is a lot easier because you can do it visually. You will learn faster and if you can get good results from digital with its limited dynamic range, film with its latitude is a doddle.
Forget all the darkroom gubbins, the college will have all that.
February 22nd, 2010 at 1:36 am
If you are going to be in college studying photography, you would find more interesting to build your dark room and them build the studio.
The first thing I would do is try the first semester to see how do you like to be a photographer.
If you like to be a photographer, them for a dark room you will need
- A good enlarger (300$ to 1000$ used – 600$ to 5000$ brad new)
- Lens for different sizes (100$ to 2000$ depends on the enlarger and the lens)
- Water in your room
- A fridge (to keep the paper cold and some cool water for developing film)
- A custom made sink or a table where you can fit the trays
- The chemistry (developer, fixer, stop bath, etc, really cheap)
- A safe light (unless you want to work in total darkness)
This is at least for black and white. Color photography is not recommendable to do it on your home, because most of the chemistry may get you cancer. Even thought, if you have some money you can buy a decent color paper processor from 1000$ to 30000$
References :
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:12 am
Keep it simple and work up your gear as you find the need for it (read that as, as your knowledge and experience grows and you work your way through the course). Some backgrounds and constant lighting would be a good start, leave the expensive flash gear for later.
Go with digital (even though your course may have a film content) as its easier to colour balance from any light source, is far cheaper, post processing is a lot easier because you can do it visually. You will learn faster and if you can get good results from digital with its limited dynamic range, film with its latitude is a doddle.
Forget all the darkroom gubbins, the college will have all that.
References :
Professional photographer for nearly 50 years, now retired.