When photography becomes a passion, it is inseparable from real life, and you somehow want to institutionalize it. Owning a studio of your own has been on your mind for a long time, but you are thinking about a studio in a commercial sense: A sophisticated setup that only professionals can afford. It’s time to think differently. Owning your own studio is not such a big deal. You don’t have to own a whole range of equipment and lights in order to display your talent. You can start with basic tools and still take professional looking pictures without going bankrupt. Moreover, you can even make lots of money.
You’ve always had a room at the corner of your house, or a guest house, or an old garage that has been gathering dust for years. You can set up your studio in this space. Paint your walls white with a good mat finish. White walls reflect light and do not add an unnecessary color cast.
Once you have a place, you might want to focus on three major aspects that can set the ball rolling for you:
Lights: Lighting is a key element in photography. Your studio should be well lit in order to produce excellent results. If you have a large window to let natural sunlight in, that would take care of your lighting needs in the day. Sunlight can be diffused through glass sheets or curtains to make it softer. When it comes to artificial lighting, strobes or hot lights can be used. Strobes are fired in sync with your shutter, and hot lights are kept on at all times. Hot lamps placed on stands on the floor can be carried easily and placed at strategic positions to give optimum lighting effects. Movable ceiling lights can be a thought for the future. Once you get going you can equip your studio with umbrellas, softboxes, reflectors and props. At the moment there are many ways to use home-made reflectors and softboxes made from Styrofoam, white paper and cardboard.
Camera: A good camera is the most essential component of a studio. A digital SLR camera as opposed to a film camera is the ideal choice. A digital camera with a wide display screen that covers a substantial area will enable you to see your picture clearly. Having a computer with an internet connection is an added advantage. This will enable you to directly upload your pictures on your website or on various other websites. Since you will be taking pictures with high resolution you can later plan on investing in larger memory cards. There is a booming market for good photographs on the internet. You can earn online to cover your costs and earn profits. If you have a tripod it could be an added advantage. If not, you could plan on one later.
Action: Having a camera without work could be very discouraging. You can begin with still life photography. Many articles around the house could make interesting objects to photograph. You can also try macro photography. You can photograph water droplets falling into a fish tank from a small pore in a plastic bag placed above. You can make your own little illuminated tissue paper box in order to take excellent pictures of electronic items like cell phones and wrist watches that could be uploaded on EBay. Although these ideas may sound silly, many photographers with a creative bent are making lots of money with these simple techniques.
Many photographers who have begun with as little as a background sheet taped against the wall, and some floodlights, are creating masterpieces today. So your dream of waking up and walking straight into your very own photo studio is not far from becoming a reality.
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