Most of us tend to think of a studio in the commercial sense, as a well-equipped facility that professional photographers alone can afford. Yet, setting up a home studio is not that big a deal. You can start with the absolute basics, and build up from them over time, adding an improvement here and a new piece of equipment there, as your budget permits. We give you hints and tips in this section for just how to do that. Sure, you probably won't ever have the huge assortment of equipment and lights that top pro studios have, but you can still make professional-looking portraits and pictures without breaking the bank.
Think of all of the electronic equipment you will be using. Not only are there lights to plug in but you may even want to plug the camera into an outlet. Along with all of these things you are going to need a place to charge batteries at what may become a constant rate. This means you are going to have to install a lot of extra power outlets. Don’t install them only where need either. Put them at frequent and regular intervals throughout the room because you never know when your needs will change. At the same time consult the electrician to determine how much lighting you can actually run without overloading the circuit.
When you’re putting the studio together doesn’t forget what your overall objectives are. You will be photographing models of some sort and these models will need a room to change. This doesn’t mean your very own green room, but a private area with a door or a curtain is necessary. On a similar note, think about the props that you have or plan to collect. Make sure that you construct a place to put these. A simple out of the way closet should do the trick.
To complete the studio you are going to need backdrops. After all the other investments already made you might as well get a professional backdrop or two. If you’d rather hold off and use something more economical there are alternatives. You can purchase simple colored fabrics from a fabric store or some people suggest buying cheap white sheets and dying them however you want.
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