Creating a photo studio at home

Would you like to create a photo studio at home? We will be happy to help you get started with some tips on key equipment and supplies, so you can get started on your next shoot quickly at home! What will it be, a portrait shoot or a food shoot after all? In your own studio, anything is possible.

Space

First of all, it is important to see if you have enough space in your home. In fact, you should bear in mind that a background and a setup with several lights will soon take up a few square metres. Of course, with that lighting setup, you will want to be in control of the light yourself, so it's best to have the studio in a room that is as dark as possible, or where you can easily block the light from outside. A spare room, attic or shed, for example, is perfect! You can then also leave your equipment there when you are done. Of course, you can build a studio in the living room, but then you have to tidy everything up again so it doesn't drive your partner crazy.

Light

Yes, there you are in that dark shed without any lighting. Perfect! Then we can now fill the space with beautiful studio lights or strobes so you can shoot in the best light at home. With a photo studio, you can choose between continuous light or flash lighting. The advantage of continuous light, such as daylight lamps or LED lamps, is that you can immediately see the effect of the light on your subject. With a flash, you have to take the picture before you see the result. So a lamp can be a bit easier for beginners.

A studio lamp is also useful for subjects that move less such as product photography. Pets and babies will also thank you if you work with continuous light instead of flash lighting. If you want more information about choosing between flash lighting and continuous light, check out this studio selection guide.

Can't make a decision? Fortunately, we also sell convenient lighting sets that allow you to buy a complete studio set-up all at once. Perfect!

Light stands

Unless you have a handy assistant to hold all your lights, lamp stands are a real must. They don't talk back and they don't laugh at your lame jokes either. What they do is hold your lamp off the ground so you can aim the lamp or flash at a fixed spot. Some stands can go very high, but you won't need that in your home studio.

When setting up your stand, make sure the weight distribution is right. A heavy lamp or flash can make even the best stand wobbly. Therefore, always put one of the three legs in the direction the lamp is pointing. This prevents it from falling forward. We also recommend always putting a sandbag on one of the legs.

Background

Many studio photos have one thing in common: they have a plain background. Sure, you can paint the wall in your living room a sleek colour, but then when you want a different colour as a background when you go home to photograph, you have to paint again. Therefore, use a background roll or cloth that you can easily hang with two stands. A roll of paper gives a perfectly even background and you can easily cut it off if there are creases or stains. A background cloth can have creases if you don't pay close attention. If your budget is too tight for a set with stands, you can always get creative with paper and tape on the wall too.

Light shapers

Besides lamps, you can also use light shapers and use them to create soft light, for example. A light shaper can actually be described as a photographer's tool. There are all kinds of light shapers. Examples include soft boxes and octa boxess, reflectors, umbrellas, beauty dishes, grids and snoots. Each type shapes the light coming out of your studio strobes or lights in its own way. Check out the light shapers and exposures page for a more detailed explanation about which light shaper is best for you!

Monitors

If you have shot the photos and are going to post-process them, a good monitor should not be missing! Professional monitors for photography and videography are optimised for post-processing images. The renderings of colours and contrasts are absolutely perfect, allowing you to get the best results from your work. If you also want to relax when the work in your home studio is done, these monitors are also very good for gaming!

Recording tents and tables

Product photographers among us, beware! Building a huge studio if you take occasional photos of small accessories you sell on your web store might be too much of a stretch. With a recording tent or table, things will be faster and cheaper. Some sets come with small lamps, so you can work even more easily. A studio in your home, but in miniature form!

Recording tents and tables

Product photographers among us, beware! Building a huge studio if you take occasional photos of small accessories you sell on your web store might be too much of a stretch. With a recording tent or table, things will be faster and cheaper. Some sets come with small lamps, so you can work even more easily. A studio in your home, but in miniature form!