Home Photography Studio
Typing #food into Instagram's search bar returns more than 450 million posts, making the search for food photographers on this social platform somewhat akin to "shooting fish in a barrel." Yet, while the number of followers to the most popular feeds surpasses the million mark, when it comes to the topic of food, it's a common occurrence for cookbook authors, recipe creators, food stylists, and celebrity chefs to add the term "photographer" to their skill set, thereby magnifying the popularity of this flavorful subject.
To assemble this current
For most photographers, the home studio is the studio. Many of us don’t have our own separate studio or frequent access or the need to work at a professional commercial studio. And regardless if it’s time, accessibility, availability, resources, or even by choice, the truth is that it’s often a lot easier and more convenient to do our “studio photography” at home. Convenience and preference aside, one of the key differentiators of a commercial studio is its purpose-built design, and its array of available tools. Cameras, lights, stands, maybe
Photo studios come in all shapes and sizes. If you are working with small subjects, there is no reason to rent a massive loft or build an addition onto your house to get the shots you need. In many of these cases, a functioning setup can take up as little space as a table. Like all things related to photography, tabletop studios can be as simple or complex as their creators require. For basic applications, plenty of all-in-one kits exist for “non-
Like many photographers, I prefer being behind my camera to sitting in front of my computer. Any steps that I can take to minimize the amount of work needed in post, I make sure to incorporate into my shoots. One way that I do so is by choosing and lighting my backgrounds carefully. Evenly lit backgrounds have endless applications and are not hard to accomplish with the right tools and techniques. Here are some tips for getting consistent black, white, and color backgrounds straight out of camera.
For inky-black backdrops, choose a material
As professional photographers, it is our duty to create the vision necessary to realize the concept a client is trying to convey. This is generally accomplished with hair, makeup, wardrobe and styling, lighting, products, props, and backdrops. Sometimes photographers are afforded creative control of a photo shoot. There is usually a budget involved, which can often feel like a roadblock to achieving the client’s concept when that budget is limited.
Above photograph: For this image, I already had the microphone. Mic stand, $20; pop filter, $15
In photography, tethered shooting refers to the connection of a camera to a computer to transfer images for instant review while shooting. Tethered shooting is a great practice inside a studio because you can preview your pictures instantly, on a screen much larger than your camera’s LCD.
Tethering during a photo shoot
Model: Jeff Thomas
BTS photo by Robert Olsen
Benefits of Tethered Shooting
Getting Your Creative Team and Client Involved in the Shoot
When you tether your camera to a computer during a shoot, you can see each image within
As a new studio photographer, you may have found your niche in fashion, portraits, or headshots. Perhaps you like macro photography or shooting food and products. Regardless of what you specialize in shooting, you’ll need a studio space. However, many photographers cannot afford the expense of a commercial studio, and will find creating a home studio to be a more cost-effective option.
Above photograph © Robert Olsen