Do you have a photo shoot project but don’t know which studio to go to? Read this blog post to help you know the six most important tips when choosing one.
6 Tips For Choosing A Photography Studio For Your Photo Shoot Project
You may be an aspiring photographer or a person who has a photo shoot project you want done. The project may be for a wedding or corporate marketing—or you may just want to have good pictures taken by professionals in a professional setting.
Whatever your goal is, you need to choose the proper studio. After all, shoots in studios can be done any season and under any weather. All you really have to do is to book to get your preferred schedule.
To help you out, here are some tips on choosing a photography studio for your photo shoot project.
1. Consider location
Choosing the right photography studio for your photoshoot project requires considering the location. It’s a twofold decision.
First, choose somewhere near you. Selecting a nearby studio lets you save a lot of time and money. Also, if you forget something important like costumes and props, you can quickly get to it.
Second, choose a studio where it’s convenient for most, if not all, of the other participants. Because you certainly have a schedule to follow, you can’t afford to wait hours for the rest of the party to arrive.
You can find a photo studio in London by looking up directories to see which is near you and your party.
2. Prioritize comfort and amenities
Long photoshoots can be taxing for models, assistants and photographers. The studio must, at least, have some space where you can rest, brainstorm and eat. Also, having decent makeup tables, changing rooms and lavatories is a must. A proper cooling and heating system is also helpful as sweat can easily ruin makeup.
Also, they should have some of the essential tools and accessories that a photographer may need during shoots. Some of these are the following:
- Scissors
- Clips and clothing pins
- White and black cards
- Clamps
- Hex keys or Allen wrenches
3. Look for equipment
While most studios will provide you with a space where you can take photos, most of them will give you bare necessities as they expect you to have your equipment. However, aspiring photographers and regular people who just want to do the project themselves don’t have anything but a camera or might even plan to use a smartphone as a camera.
Because of that, make sure that the studio you’ll rent will have some equipment you can rent. Some of the most crucial pieces of equipment you don’t have but you must rent are the following:
- Backdrop: It can be made from canvas, seamless paper, muslin, and even old bed sheets will do.
- Support system for your backdrop: Paper and cloth can’t stand on their own. Thankfully, it’s often provided by studios by default without additional charge.
- Lighting: This comes as no surprise. However, do note that renting it can be expensive. You may want to have a few of your own. Or better yet, you can even settle for studios that let in natural light in their location.
- Softbox: It can help a lot when controlling lighting in your setup. It can help you redirect light and soften it, as its name implies.
4. Check out size and ceiling height
With photo studios, bigger is always better. A bigger space allows you to have more options with the studio. You can bring more props, build two separate sets, and even do multiple, simultaneous shoots.
Now, consider the ceiling height. Bigger in the vertical sense is also good. Knowing how high the ceiling is makes you better equipped to decide whether or not to use bounce flash photography. Also, it will give you more legroom when it comes to overhead lighting.
Of course, bigger studios are often more expensive. If you only plan to take portraits and headshots, you can always opt to rent a less costly, smaller studio.
5. Mind the rates
Even if a studio says it offers the cheapest or best price in town, no one can deny that renting a photo studio is expensive.
Some studios may base their rates depending on the project. Even if the project takes the same amount of time as other projects, you may be charged less. That’s very common if the project is for a wedding. For a simple wedding photo shoot, you need to spend GBP£1,200 on a photographer, which often excludes the studio fee if you’re going to use one. Unfortunately, many studios charge more if they know the project is for a wedding.
So, because of that, do some background checks first. Some studios might overprice, and you can quickly know which do so through simple research on the web.
6. Listen to photographers’ feedback
Who knows if a studio is good or not? Photographers. They’re the ones who’ll frequently go in and out of these places, so they’ll know a thing or two about which studios to choose for your current photo shoot project. You should ask around, whether you want award-winning photos for your project or simply wish to have a good experience.
Conclusion
There you have it. These are the six tips you should remember when choosing a photo studio for a photo shoot project. Now, you can choose your spot and click away!
Images via Unsplash
