Converting a garage

[ScottUK]

I am looking into converting my garage into a small studio set up. The walls and ceiling are to be plastered and painted.

My question is: is there anything specific I should know, do I use just a normal mat finish paint etc also, any recommendations on lights which can be used to 'flood' from a fix position (ie ceiling)

[cdmonkey]

I converted my garage, I didnt do a full converstion as that would have cost to much. but I did plasterboard the walls and ceiling and then fininshed them off.
Keeping the room warm in the winter should be a concern as should cooling it in the summer.
as for lights i have a standard light in the room which I turn off for shooting and just use the studio lights.
if you look at some of my recent posts you will see the images that ive shot in the garage.
oh my walls and ceiling are matt white at the moment although I do have black and gray cloth I can hang to reduce light bounce.

You will get a lot of comments telling you the room will be too small, but I managed to squeeze 6 adults and 4 children in, i wouldnt want to do that to often and of course I would really like more space but I dont have it.

hope that helps a bit
Carl

Hope that helps.

[hawk911]

in a way, its like asking what car to buy, right? there are so many options if you have time/money/space as to what you can add to the garage to make it a studio. You neglected to tell us how big the space is, including ceiling height. I have 25'x34'x10', but others may only have 10x22 with 8 or 9' ceilings. These details might make a difference in what we suggest to you.

to your question specifically about flooding the space; if you have the height, can you put a scissor-like bracket in the ceiling and hang a dedicated strobe from it? What kind of lights do you have, and what do you plan to buy?

[ScottUK]

Thanks for the replies, sorry should have mentioned the obvious.

The garage is integral to the house and is heated, it measures 'roughly' 11x25x9 (height). The garage is only big enough to accommodate pet and 1 or 2 people portraits. I am currently starting out and using a interfit kit with softbox and umbrella.

I think I have good results with the kit but whilst I am fitting this out I realise it's time to upgrade.

http://idisk.mac.com/scottsharman/Public/sample2.jpg

http://idisk.mac.com/scottsharman/Public/sample3.jpg

[cdmonkey]

my garage is smaller than yours scott.

[hawk911]

If floor space is an issue, then maybe you can hang some fixtures to get the lights off the ground; those scissor brackets so you can retract the mount up when not in use. You could also get a bracket to hold the BG (seamless or cloth) and tie it up when not in use.

Power can be an issue also, so make sure you add enough outlets in strategic places for any power needs.

[Titus213]

in a way, its like asking what car to buy, right? there are so many options if you have time/money/space as to what you can add to the garage to make it a studio. You neglected to tell us how big the space is, including ceiling height. I have 25'x34'x10', but others may only have 10x22 with 8 or 9' ceilings. These details might make a difference in what we suggest to you.

to your question specifically about flooding the space; if you have the height, can you put a scissor-like bracket in the ceiling and hang a dedicated strobe from it? What kind of lights do you have, and what do you plan to buy?

No, he doesn't have a garage to park it in....:lol:

I shoot in the garage on occasion and find it quite confining. Ours is a small two car garage with some shelving, etc. Too short - I have opened the doors and shot from the driveway too, that works except for the height. Ceilings are quite low.

An RV garage might work...hmmmm.

If floor space is an issue, then maybe you can hang some fixtures to get the lights off the ground; those scissor brackets so you can retract the mount up when not in use. You could also get a bracket to hold the BG (seamless or cloth) and tie it up when not in use.

Power can be an issue also, so make sure you add enough outlets in strategic places for any power needs.

All great ideas, especially for permanent use. Getting the lights hung could be huge. I have hung my big canvas semi-permanently in the garage and that seems to help by getting rid of the background stands.

[hawk911]

I shoot in 24x35 garage, so I can shoot tethered to a laptop, sitting on a card table, with a 9' seamless on stands. I typically shoot with 4 lights; main, fill, BG and a hair light. I can leave the fill just behind/next to me, and still get to the laptop. I guess I should consider myself lucky what I generally have all the room I need for a small group. My constraint is the width of my seamless.

[Titus213]

I had a garage that big once.....24x35 is a real nice size for sure. Especially if the ceiling is high.

[hawk911]

I had a garage that big once.....24x35 is a real nice size for sure. Especially if the ceiling is high.


I've got 10' to work with. Sure helps if I shoot a tall model and have to extend the BG all the way up.

[Titus213]

Wow, they grow them big in Racine....;)

[runninmann]

Could this be the start of a "show us your garage" thread?

[hawk911]

I'm game, next time I set up lights. and Dave, we grow them healthy up here, too, if you know what I mean.

[Titus213]

;) :lol: