Professional Photography

Studio Photography

In studio photography, the photographer is generally in total control of aspects of the photo session — lighting, backdrop, props, arrangement of camera equipment, placement and pose of the model or product.

It's been said that studio photography is easy because you can get exactly what you want, and that studio photography is hard because you can get exactly what you want. When a photographer is working in a well-equipped studio, his clients naturally expect that he'll compose the shot perfectly, frame it perfectly, and expose it perfectly to get the perfect picture. But studio photography can be more difficult than that, because the "perfect picture" has to be imagined, planned and implemented.

Lighting for the Perfect Photo

The photographer may use soft light or hard light or reflected light or filtered light. He may allow natural light in through the windows, or he may cover all the windows with light-blocking shades, or with light-filtering curtains. The quality and quantity of the light set the tone for the photo, and the photographer will arrange every bit of the light exactly as he sees fit.

Lighting Configuration

The lighting equipment for photography studios is usually either floor-based or ceiling-based. In floor-based studios, the lights are mounted on stands that sit on the floor; these stands can be moved around and adjusted in height as needed. In ceiling-based studios, the lights are suspended from the ceiling on tracks or rails that are used to position the lights. Ceiling-based studios often use pantograph light supports, which are perfectly counterbalanced so that the photographer can adjust the light an inch up or down, or to the left or right, and the light stays exactly where he places it — there are no tighteners, fasteners, wing screws, or other hardware to fool with.

Ceiling-based lighting is more expensive than floor-based lighting, but has the advantage of keeping all the lights off the floor and out of the way, providing the photographer and the subject of the photo complete freedom of movement without worry about knocking over expensive lighting.

Amount of Light

In studio photography, the photographer often uses a large-format camera, which requires a smaller aperture to achieve the needed depth of focus. The smaller aperture means that the camera needs more light. So the studio photographer needs more light for the photo, but has to provide the light in such a manner so as not to burn out the details on faces. (See why studio photography is hard?) Filters and umbrellas (light reflectors) are often employed to provide the level and type of light needed without washing out details.

Type of Light

The next lighting choice to made is whether to use hot light or cool light.

"Hot lights" are big tungsten or metal halide iodide lights that stay on continuously. Hot lights have the advantage of letting the photographer see at a glance exactly what the lighting will look like — meaning the photographer doesn't have to do extensive Polaroid tests or sophisticated metering. He can just eyeball the scene and know what the photo will look like.

The disadvantage of hot lights is that these lights get very hot, and can cause both the photographer and the subject to sweat profusely. Hot lights can also be too hot for some of the equipment in the studio.

Cool lights provide strobes or flashes. They work similar to the flashes on a consumer camera, but are much more expensive and powerful. Cool lights are synced to the camera's shutter, so that they only light up at the moment the photo is exposed, which keeps the studio much more comfortable for both the photographer and the subject. Wireless triggers are available, which help keep the studio free of wire clutter and prevent trips.

Studio Photography Backgrounds

For backgrounds, most studios use large rolls of seamless paper, which is available in roll lengths up to 140" (almost 12') wide. White, black, and "studio grey" are the most common colors of seamless background paper, but other colors are also available. The rolls are mounted horizontally on the wall, and the paper is pulled down from the roll like a windowshade to provide the background.

Other options for backgrounds include muslin and crushed velvet in a variety of colors. Most studio photography uses one of the more common seamless paper backgrounds, but muslin and velvet provide a different look for a change of pace.