What is studio set photography?
Studio set photography encompasses a large variety of scenarios, it can be as simple as the studio setup consisting of lights and a background for a portrait, or the construction of a room that is furnished, decorated, and propped in order to maybe shoot a large item of furniture.
How do I set up my own photographic studio?
To set up your own photographic studio, you need to decide what type of photography you are going to be using it for, examples of the different types could be product photography, portrait photography, food photography, fashion photography, and many more, this will dictate how much space, and what equipment you need.
What do you need for studio set photography?
For studio set photography, firstly, you are going to need cameras and lenses, generally, you will need to duplicate items in case of mechanical breakdown.
You will need lighting and backgrounds, plus a computer, equipment capable of processing your images, and all of the ancillary equipment such as reflectors, lighting stands, sandbags to stabilise the stands, background support systems, and a host of other bits and pieces, such as rolls of tape, clips, clamps to name a few.
Why do photographers build room sets in the studio rather than use a location?
In my experience, building a room-set in the studio is seldom a one-off shot, for example, you might be shooting furniture, such as sofas, generally, it will not be a single item, but more often than not a few different models.
Now of course it is possible to hire a location to photograph the sofas, but locations are not cheap, plus you may well have to hire a location finder, which adds extra expense. You have to consider for example that you have three sofas to shoot, and the décor of the location won’t work with all three. So this is where the room-set comes in.
The layout of the set can be designed around all three shots, so it is just a quick change of decoration, a slightly different angle, different props, and other furnishings.
What are the other advantages of building a room set in the studio?
If you are shooting a room-set in the studio, bear in mind that room-set studios tend to be quite large, so firstly it gives you the opportunity to place your lights at a reasonable distance from the subject, and secondly, the chances are that you will end up with an L shaped set, this enables you to get the camera a reasonable distance away, without the constraints of four walls in a location room.
With the benefits, you won’t have to resort to using wide-angle lenses to get the whole of the product in.
How are room sets constructed?
Room sets are generally constructed with 1.220m x 2.440m sheets of plywood on a frame, clamped together, and the joints filled totally smooth, and set-builders usually have access to smaller panels that go under windows. The whole process is usually very quick, as is the change of décor between shots.
How are the room sets furnished?
There is a whole industry set up to cater to the film industry, where you can hire virtually anything, from furniture, soft furnishings, antiques, paintings, in fact virtually anything you can think of. Anyone can visit these vast warehouses which are also an excellent source of inspiration, and you will find beautiful objects that you would never have even thought of.
Many stylists who work on room sets are constantly using these prop houses, so they have an excellent knowledge of what is available, and come up with some excellent ideas.
What is the most important thing in room-set photography?
Without a doubt, the most important thing before embarking on a room-set is planning. Firstly you need to plan the layout of your set, and the different angles you are going to shoot from, this will dictate how large the set is, and how it is positioned in the studio.
If you are using the set for several different shots, and changing the decor between shots, work out the most efficient way of doing it, for example, if you are going to have very dark walls in one shot, and light walls in another do the light ones first, it may take several coat of light paint to cover the dark paint. Prop hire companies usually charge by the week, so if the shoot is going to take longer, it’s probably going to be cheaper to hire them in two batches rather than pay for an extra week on some items.
