My studio space.. in progress

[pepperoni]

I've been racing cars for about the last 9 years and I'm ready to close that chapter and move on. The race car has sold and the shop in my backyard will become my new studio.

Obviously it looks like ass right now and I have a lot of work ahead of me to get it finished, presentable and professional. If you have any ideas at all as far as flooring, wall color and where to put lighting and backdrops, please feel free to comment. My initial thought is to go with some type of pergo laminate flooring, but I'm thinking maybe a really tight loop, high traffic carpet might be okay. I'm also thinking about leaving the checkered floor on that side.

If this was YOUR blank canvas, what would you do (within reason). I do have some money to spend, but it's not like a blank check or anything. :)
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I'll consider any and all opinions on this.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2247237929_32dbe06c7d_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2321/2248033152_c486eb91e6.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/2248032576_5a356c8bea.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2247237503_58cd8c18ee.jpg

[danpass]

very cool setup.

be interesting to see what comes up for studio setups.


Maybe more input on what you want to focus on :) ?

.

[pepperoni]

Sorry... portraits. Full length body and head shots.

[danpass]

Ok, didn't want to assume. What else do you do with a studio right lol :mrgreen:


Also a play on the word 'focus' :)


.

[kennys350d]

for the most part, i like your hatch/coupe. : )..you got any shots of it??

[FlashZebra]

Pepperoni,

You biggest challenge will be your ceilings. They look to be about 8 feet or so.

This will prove to be very confining.

Enjoy! Lon

[Peter G]

Damn showoff lol

Next thing you know you're going to tell me you got a new camera too :p Congrats on the new setup. It's going to rock!!!!!

[pepperoni]

Lon,
The ceilings are 8.5 feet. This will limit some of my options, you're right.

[seanq]

If I had a space like that my family would hardly ever see me... very cool!

[Double Negative]

That's an awesome space. I'd be loathe to give up a nice garage. But the other space? Yeah, studio time!

[pepperoni]

It's a detached building, so I still have lots of garage space on the house. :)

[justisnmnz]

Very neat studio space. I think it is the widely accepted idea to paint the walls as close to 18% grey as you can get. That will give you the option to shoot with the wall directly behind the subject, and you can use a gelled flash to create the color. Doing so will make it much easier to shoot a quick headshot, as you will not have to pull out the backdrops and stands for a couple simple shots.

For the floor, honestly that is up to you, however if I were building a studio, I would probably use a hardwood (or faux-hardwood) floor, as opposed to carpet, because it is much easier to roll a light stand on casters around a hard flat surface than a soft, carpeted floor. Also a nice looking floor gives a very professional feel to the place no matter what dull shade of grey the walls are. :D

[Double Negative]

if you have more garage space, then go crazy... :)

I would have to agree with justisnmnz; go with a wood/faux floor for ease of rolling things around and not also not generating/collecting dust. For the walls, I'd go with something like a grey also, or black.

[danpass]

Something I read in Digital Photo Pro article "On The Set" .......

Have some type of sound system.


This article described the pro as using dual computers, Cinema screen for client to see the shot realtime, Medium format digital back etc

AND

a DJ.

Yep a DJ. Helps considerably to put the model in the mood/frame of mind for the shot being taken.


Here is the article with the excerpt.

http://www.digitalphotopro.com/studio/on-the-set.html


Greenberg is a veteran photographer, and her success has allowed her to organize a core crew who works efficiently and expertly. She relies on this group to make everything go well during the day. Considering that it’s not a huge job, the inclusion of a DJ might seem like an expense that could have been bypassed, but it quickly becomes clear that his role in the shoot is key. He’s providing an energetic atmosphere in addition to helping the models get into the shoot. With a carefully chosen playlist, the DJ isn’t turning the shoot into some sort of rave; instead, he’s setting the stage so that each model who steps in front of the camera can identify with the part. One of the models, “the country boy,” is greeted with a little John Denver (Thank God I’m A Country Boy), and so it follows for successive models. It might seem extravagant when an iPod attached to a couple of good speakers can provide music all day long, but in Greenberg’s experience, a good DJ knows how to work with the dynamics of the shoot, and this day is no exception.

[pepperoni]

Excelent! So, has anyone found a brand or color number for 18% grey paint?
I'll hit up the paint store and hope they understand what I'm after.

[Double Negative]

You can bring in a grey card to Home Depot and say, "match this." I'm sure other paint sources can do color matching as well.

[justisnmnz]

If you have a grey card they will probably be able to match that pretty closely.


I'm curious, does 18% grey mean 18% Black and 82% white? If so that's a pretty easy way for them to mix the paint.

Edit: beat to it. :D

[TMR Design]

It doesn't have to be 18% gray. You're not concerned about the reflectivity value as you would be for white balance or exposure. You simply want something neutral that will not absorb or reflect much light and more importantly, something that does not give a color cast, meaning no blue in the paint. You'll find that many gray paints have some blue in them. If you want to make sure you have something neutral, take a gray card and have them color match it, but you may find that to be too dark and drab. Find a balance so the room can still have some life. You don't want to kill all the reflection, so don't go too dark.

[FlashZebra]

Oh no, 18% gray walls again.

I been to this movie already.

Enjoy! Lon

[TMR Design]

Hey Lon,

How did that all get started? I know we keep seeing that over and over.

I'm going to get a gray suit but I'm going to make sure it is 18% gray... LOLOL

[pepperoni]

Sorry if this has been hashed over before. I haven't paid much attention to this subject until now.
What's so wrong with white walls?

[TMR Design]

Sorry if this has been hashed over before. I haven't paid much attention to this subject until now.
What's so wrong with white walls?

Hi pepperoni,

There's nothing wrong with white walls but most people in a small to medium space avoid white because it will reflect quite a bit of light back into parts of the scene or subject area that may be undesirable. If that's the case you may have to be creative with black foam core, flags and gobo's to control that bounced and reflected light. With something more neutral you don't have to 'tame' the light as much and you have a bit more control.

You'll really notice this if you were shooting on black and didn't want any contamination or extraneous light. This could also be a factor that affects your subject area.

You can use white but you might want to think about something a little darker.

[FlashZebra]

As I have mentioned in other posts on this subject.

Black walls and ceilings are for purists (stop those reflections off the ceilings and walls)

White walls and ceilings are for pragmatists (ever tried to find a coin dropped on the floor of a room painted all black).

Grey walls and ceilings are for those that cannot decide if they are a purist or a pragmatist and think they can have it both ways.

I suggest you just keep your white walls.

If you are engaging in mostly photographs of human beings, few will complain that the light is not harsh enough (bouncing light will tend to soften the lighting effect).

If you absolutely have to stop the wall reflections, use a strategically placed black backdrop. This is my methodology, but I seldom have to use a black backdrop.

Enjoy! Lon

[TMR Design]

As I have mentioned in other posts on this subject.

Black walls and ceilings are for purists.

White walls and ceilings are for pragmatists.

Grey walls and ceilings are for those that cannot decide if they are a purist or a pragmatist.

Enjoy! Lon

LOLOLOL You might just be right about that Lon.

[Dermit]

Do not ignore the possibility of using the garage door as a part of the studio as far as using 'window' light. I know a photographer who has a studio with a large garage door opening like that who made all sorts of temporary 'walls' with different openings to the outside that fits over the garage door opening to emmulate different window openings, etc. I've seen some great window light shots created with this kind of a setup, depending on which way your garage door faces and what time of year you could get some great light in to use.

[fivegallon]

Oh no, 18% gray walls again.

I been to this movie already.

Enjoy! Lon

I would have thought that given the number of requests on this that someone would have come up with the RLL's by now. This way all the fence-sitters (aka cake-eaters) would be verbalising about the same shade..... ;)