Stupid User Question

So I have decided I want to really start playing with turning a spare bedroom intoa studio so I can begin playing with studio shooting, so my question is not about which flash set up to get brand wise but on whether I can realistically make a functioning studio out of the room I have to work with.

The spare room is 10x12 and much to my wife's chagrin the whole room will be emptied for this adventure, so can do I really have room for back drop 3/4 lights, tripod and my fat a55?

Much too small of a space...you need 20 (tight) to 25' (better!)
2' for backdrop and stands
4-6' between backdrop and subject, to permit independent lighting and to blur the b/g
2' for subject
8-10' subject-to-camera distance
3' for the fat-a55 photographer behind the tripod

I think most of the posts you will get here will be an all or nothing, best case scenario type response. You can certainly make some things work with that space, the biggest problem I think you will run into is the subject to lens distance.

css7493 wrote in post #11366256
I think most of the posts you will get here will be an all or nothing, best case scenario type response. You can certainly make some things work with that space, the biggest problem I think you will run into is the subject to lens distance.

Yes, note the typical subject-to-camera distance used with classic FL to permit the FOV needed for true studio portraiture... 8-10'

Closer runs risk of inducing perspective distortion. Note the facial perspective with using wider FL lenses to make these head and shoulder portraits! http://www.stepheneast​wood.com …/lensdistortion​/index.htm

Even 50mm on FF enlarges the nose, when shooting from 4-5' away!

thanks, as I feared, looks like the living room it is

You don't mention what you want to shoot. 10 x 12 might work for small product or still life photography, for portrait work you would be limited to head & shoulder. Large group and full vehicle shots would be challenging even with a fish eye lens. God bless your wife for being so understanding if she lets you turn the living room into a studio.

I agree that it's a small space. It would probably work with head and shoulder portraits, and tabletop stuff. I would add that you'll need to select your modifiers carefully. It would be easy to get uncontrollable light bouncing all over the place. Better see if SWMBO will let you paint the walls matte black...