Studio colour and flooring?

I have a small studio nearing painting. (9'x18' x 8' ceiling hight)

I'm after suggestions on what colour to paint the walls and ceiling.
I'm also after suggesting for floor covering/finish, the floor is concrete.

Please advise your reasons for your suggestions

Many thanks

Black would be the best for minimizing light reflections off the walls and giving you better control of the light falling on the subject, but black wouldn't be the best choice if you anticipate doing mostly high key lighting work.

Sorry, I have no suggestions to offer you regarding the flooring.

Lots of opinions about the subject. Regarding the walls, I've seen many recommendations for black walls; as mentioned above, this is to assist with light control. Personally, I don't think I could work in a room that had black painted walls. An alternative is to paint the walls a grey color... minimizing the reflected light, while also providing a neutral color that could be used as a grey or black (when not lit) background. Yet, another alternative, is to paint the walls the color of your choosing, and utilize black curtains around the room for the reflection reduction. When you don't want them in place, just slide them out of the way.

Regarding the flooring. I'd likely leave the concrete; painting and staining are options. If you really want to cover it, I'd certainly leave it as a hard surface as opposed to carpet. You can always get pieces of vinyl from your local hardware stores that look like hardwood, for different coloring of woods and such to be used a part of your background.

EDIT: Look here for the flooring option that I referred to above: https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=16301887&p​ostcount=5

I'd just paint the walls white. It'd be less depressing for you and your clients and the light would bounce off for cheap free reflected fill. 99% of the time this is what I'd want anyway.

No client wants to walk into a dungeon, no matter how photographically beneficial it is. Bright, open, airy. That's what clients want to experience.

Walls white.. install black curtains to help with light control.

cdifoto wrote in post #16308754
I'd just paint the walls white. It'd be less depressing for you and your clients and the light would bounce off for cheap free reflected fill. 99% of the time this is what I'd want anyway.

No client wants to walk into a dungeon, no matter how photographically beneficial it is. Bright, open, airy. That's what clients want to experience.

As it turns out most studios are painted white!


I don't see why everyone is talking about painting things black. Maybe if you were using well over 4800 watt seconds (anyone..anyone? Food guy not you) AND happened to be shooting at max power in a small studio, they I could see why some sort of bounce killing material would be temporarily desired.

But speedlites are not going to have the power to bounce more than once really. I still can't believe how much they cost for how little power the offer, but that is a very different topic.

^ yes to both. I use a lot of power and I have white walls. (I even keep the windows uncovered unless I'm shooting something that requires my keeping the shutter open for a burn).

Personally, I like to work in a well lit environment.

pyrojim wrote in post #16312599
As it turns out most studios are painted white!


I don't see why everyone is talking about painting things black. Maybe if you were using well over 4800 watt seconds (anyone..anyone? Food guy not you) AND happened to be shooting at max power in a small studio, they I could see why some sort of bounce killing material would be temporarily desired.

But speedlites are not going to have the power to bounce more than once really. I still can't believe how much they cost for how little power the offer, but that is a very different topic.

Times have changed, I guess. When I used to visit studios, they were always black. But that was ages ago.

The walls issue.

Black for the purest
White for the pragmatist
Gray for those that think they can have both.

I am a pragmatist willing to give up some control for not having to spend time in a very depressing environment of black walls. With all black walls you will need a miners light just to find a dropped paperclip.

But the way, there are scores of very long threads on this exact subject in this sub-forum.

Enjoy! Lon

pyrojim wrote in post #16312599
As it turns out most studios are painted white!

I don't see why everyone is talking about painting things black.

PacAce wrote in post #16312917
Times have changed, I guess. When I used to visit studios, they were always black. But that was ages ago.

most studios i've worked in have been white, they are also huge, working in a confined space such as a basement with an 8' ceiling certainly has it's disadvantages, painting walls or ceilings black helps control spill or reflective light a lot better, grids also help control that even more, personally i found black walls and ceiling with a white floor worked really well for me controlling unwanted reflective light while the bounce off the floor softened my shadows, again a small space and my own experience others may vary

Those that have gray walls also wear belts and suspenders at the same time.

I like FJ Love's scheme.

I'd go with all white. That way you can use gelled strobes or flashes to color the wall any color you want, no need for backdrops. If the studio is big enough, you can use strobes/flashes for low key and the wall will be completely black, done it many times. Or it can be grey, or any color you want with gels. Cheap, easy, fun.

I'd never paint it black, all the studios I work in have white walls and we leave the regular lights on, still get great low key shots, or high key, or anything in between. Just be sure you can have your model at different distances from the wall.

As for the floor, personally I'd also paint it white and use fabrics or linoleum "floor drops" for a wood or what ever effect.

If you can, build a rounded corner in the back (can't remember the technical term, but instead of a right angle you'd have a smooth wooden or similar curve going up the wall. You'll have a great white backdrop you can color via light and if it gets dirty, just paint over the dirt with white. Saves on paper backdrops and is as wide as your studio wall, which would be expensive/impossible with paper.

Get stands for different backdrops (I'd use fabric) but you won't have issues with spill light if you set your lights correctly and use softboxes etc.

One studio I work in is a small warehouse kind of thing, the other is a back room in a store that also has fake linoleum bricks on one wall. Maybe 8ft tall? 10? something like that. Size of a long two car garage. Works great.

Some more info:
The below sketches are inside dimensions, I have raised the ceiling hight 300mm (1 foot) above the back drop wall, from the wall to 1m. This will allow me to install back drop rollers up a little higher, above the normal 8 foot ceiling hight. I may also mount lights up there to colour the back drop wall, for top (hair) lighting etc.

I also built a recess in the left wall, 1100mm wide x 8mm deep, this will allow me options like a strip soft box side light, to back light, etc pending where the subject stands. Doing this allows a little less confined stage area.

I will be installing ceiling spigot mounts on the ceiling near the back trop end, to allow easy instal and placement of strobes in either corner or middle.

I will be installing a ceiling rack with 3 pantographs for lighting facing the subject, this will allow me to keep the floor clear and obstacle free and provide various lighting options

I am looking into covering the concrete floor with a while gloss epoxy finnish, this will give an extremely hard wearing, clean surface. I will most likely also build a collection of lino and carpet that can be rolled out for different scene.

I like the idea of a curved floor/back wall joint, Im not sure how to make this, any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am still unsure of what colour to paint the walls, ceiling, back drop wall.
The space is small, I think white for the back drop wall would suit best, and use lights and/or rolls to provide various colours.

I like the idea of white for the other walls and ceiling also, but still unsure, may be a light grey to add some contrast to the room. A little less clinical.
I'm not apposed to black, if its going to make the difference, give me a lot more lighting control. Unfortunately I haven't experience to know how much difference it can make.

The windows will allow natural lighting also, but they will be fitted with blinds to block out light when needed.

Anyway, I have sheeted it all, I'm starting to set the drywall, then time to decide on paint..

Floor plan

DamianOz wrote in post #16313593
I like the idea of a curved floor/back wall joint, Im not sure how to make this, any suggestions would be appreciated.

this should help you

http://blip.tv …rama-photo-studio-5298049

First, an off-topic question.... Google SketchUp?

So, you guys don't think that in a space that size that white walls would have spill issues from the reflected light?