Ready to Open a Studio - Need advice!

[Fabforever1]

Hello everyone,

I have been a photographer for 5 years; I do mainly portraits (H.S. Seniors, Families, Babies and etc...) I also design modeling portfolios and work with a local modeling agency searching for prospective models and doing modeling calls. For the past 5 years, I have worked from my basement, however business is good and my husband and I think it is time to open a store front. Not only do I need a bigger place, I also feel that we are ready to make this business a reality and move out from our home.

So here are my questions:

1) We have about 20K to spend on new lights and I need some advice on what brand to purchase. Another photographer recommended I purchase Hensel lights, but I want to be careful about my investment and buy something that will fit my needs. Any suggestions on lights?

2) We are also looking at two locations for the studio. I want to rent in a busy location, close to all of the shops, but obviously, this is very expensive and my husband rather we rent a place in the suburbs and use the extra money we will save on advertisement. He says we can bring costumers anywhere with good advertisement. Any thoughts on location?


Thank you
Fab

[Haru]

I would think location would be one of those things where you could save a little money. Studio photography isn't one of those "walk in" kind of businesses. Usually famlies want the kids dressed up, recent hair cuts, ect. It is the kind of buisness that doesn't need to be in a high traffic area becuase it will be a planned event. At the same time being in a high traffic area my be advertising in it self. If you are in a mall people may plan a day of shopping around portraits, and walking by it every time they are in the area, may make them feel more familiar with the location.

Here in vegas we have a portrait studio in a mall me and my friends hang out at, and they are always busy. At the same time i know someone who works for another portrait studio that is right next to a run down industrial district and says they are always busy. Both are successful, both in totally oppostie areas. The portrait studio near the industrail district though has arangements with MANY local high schools for senior portraits, so a good majority of their buisness comes from that.

[Pyromaniac]

I can't offer any suggestion on the lights, but I can think of a few things about the location.

First would be to make sure that when someone ask where the studio is and you say in "X neighborhood" their next question isn't where's that at.

The second would be how hard is it to get to the studio. For example I live in Cincinnati, which is not laid out in a grid pattern like New York or Chicago so directions around here are seldom ever something like "go 6 blocks make a right then go 3 block and it's on the left", it is usually a complicated set of twists and turns and lots of street if it's not right off the interstate or a major thoroughfare.

Third while your husband is at least partially right, you need to consider what part what part of town the majority of your clients are coming from to get to you or where you are going to them for location shoots. People are only willing to drive so far before they say let's find someone closer or you say thats just to far to drive for a shoot. If you find a really good deal on a place on one side of town but most of your clients are on the other side of town say 30 minutes away, every time you have to go over there for a location shoot you lose an extra hour. If you do that several times a week thats a lot of time lost.

Hope some of that helps out and weclome to POTN.

[jsanz11]

I would purchase inexpensive lights that way you can have as much as you can of that 20k in the bank for the next year of rent. I don't think you will make a profit for at leaste the first year. It's good to have a cushion in the bank. It would be best to have all your equipment befoer you open the shop. The shop itself is going to be expensive to paint and decorate and furnish. Good luck though and show us some pics when you're all setup!
-Joey

[Dennis_Hammer]

I wouldn't buy cheap lights but I would not buy top of the line lights either. There are going to be costs you are not anticipating. Props, back drops etc etc. Here is a great set of mid level lights.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=workaround.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=579873&is=REG

May want to add a few accessories and maybe another light but a great starting kit.

[PhotosGuy]

Have you explored teaming up with someone else who already has a studio? Rent the space & use of the lights? Or convert your garage?

You got a studio set up? Small, big? Show us how it looks like! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=121664)

Opening New Studio (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=527705)

Flip This Studio... After Photos (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=532748)

Post your lighting setup diagrams please... (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=432316)

You're not a pro without a studio (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=179469)

Photography Studio - Question about Choosing a Location? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=425254)

Open for Business (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=57943)

Starting a Commercial Studio and I need some opinions on rentals (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=510157)

[amfoto1]

If I were looking at a new lighting setup today, shooting nearly 100% digitally I think I'd have to very seriously consider some of the newer "cool lights"...

These are essentially fluorescent that are specially stabilized for photography. They seem to finally combine a lot of the best features of both constant lights and strobes, making it easier to see the results you are going to get without the heat associated with older types of hot lights, plus a color temp that's closer to daylight, and should be relatively cost efficient over time.

I know of the Photoflex Starlite system, and there are some others.

Bulbs for these ain't cheap, but neither are flash tubes and I have heard they give about 3X or more the light output for the same wattage (maybe 500W fluoro equal to 1500ws strobe power?). The fluoro bulbs can be expected to last a whole lot longer than either "hot lights" or strobe tubes, too.

What really appeals to me though is that a constant light is so much easier to see exactly what you are getting, and the fact they run cool means subjects and photographer won't be uncomfortable. This latter has always kept me from giving any hot light system serious consideration. I also see some advantage not having strobe's popping noise or recharge whine spooking some of the critters I shoot (perhaps the same with babies and younger kids?).

I have a pretty complete set of Norman strobes I use for location work, for now. So haven't made this plunge yet myself. It's just something I'm considering for the future.

[aslowdodge]

Just curious if you have run the numbers on what it will take to open this studio.
Have you counted rent, utilities, bus license, taxes ( if triple net) seperate insurance since you are no longer in your home, garbage pu, water, start up costs ( like sec deposits, furniture, paint, furniture, decorating) phone, extra equipment like phones computers, printers, etc, maintanence like repairs. This usually sneaks upon people and after the first year they can't believe how much more it cost them to open the business. I'm not saying don't do it, just be carefull.

[jchargu3]

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[Rellik]

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At the top of the thread, hover over thread tools, and you can click on subscribe without posting.

Like others have said, location for a studio is not like other businesses. You are probably not looking for walk-in clients. Commercial space with a retail front is quite expensive and you really don't need that kind of overhead. If you were fine with the basement, you can look at a larger commercial space in an office building.

You are better off saving the money and spending that on some good marketing campaigns.

[Fabforever1]

Thank you for all the responses. Just as a clarification, we have 200K to open the studio. This sounds like a lot, but in reality when you add everything up (rent, furnishings, lights, props, insurance, legal fees, day to day operations and etc), it is not that much. We also have a money buffer to run the studio for two years without making a profit - just in case things don't go as planned. Right now, it is not viable for me to continue to run the studio from my basement, I am losing clients who rather go to a more expensive studio location than to my house - no matter how good my pictures are! In this part of the country, photography has a certain status and unless I open a studio location, I won’t be able to grow and market to the upper clientele. We have worked all of the numbers, we have done our market research, we have looked at everything down to the price of paperclips! LOL! I just want to make sure I invest my money wisely and purchase the correct lights and choose the right location. Thanks for all who answered, I appreciate the tips on lights and your ideas on location. I will update as I move along and things get more concrete. Fab

[chrisvl]

I have to agree with photosguy have you considered renting.
I know quite a few pros, who are published on a regular basis that rent. I rent.
I shoot 4 days/month ($300), my mentor rents and shoots 9 days a month ($500).
I only know one pro that his own studio that shoots 5 days a week every other person I know that owns a studio (non-home) is looking to rent it when not in use.
You could always rent for a year and then decide.
Unless you have large commercial contracts I would advise against it in this economy.

[razyl]

An update on how it's going?

[Alleh]

If you already have clients regularly then getting a studio is the next thing in the process it will allow you to increase your business substantially if you market right.

For what you do I would buy a profoto acute 1200 WS pack and 2 heads. It will be reliable and last for a very long time. It will also cost less than 5k