My new studio

[mmcp42]

inspired by LJR and others I've started work on my new studio!

it's early days yet, but here's the first picture:

the bird bath in the corner will be transplanted 5 metres to the left as the studio (or shed as SWMBO prefers to call it) will be in the back right corner

I looked at laying a base and buying a shed to put on it, but that felt like hard work
so I got in touch with my man who does these things
net result is that he's building the studio from scratch

base will be a dozen railway sleepers

He tells me the project will take four weeks
Week one (aka next week) is down to me - grubbing out the turf ready for the sleepers
(er so I get him to do the grunt work, but I dig the footings - must check the small print again :rules

plan is for the studio to be 18ft by 12ft, 2m high at the eaves, 1m higher in the centre, double doors and no windows.
oh and a little peeky hole so I can take pictures of the birds - aka the biggest hide you've ever seen!

watch this space ( )

 

[GFWilliams]

Good luck

I just used my garage (much easier!)

 

[mmcp42]

Good luck

I just used my garage (much easier!)

thanks!

did consider that, but would then need a shed twice the size to house all the junk from the garage! :bonk:

 

[Foggy]

Ok, can I make 2 suggestions:
1) Make sure there is at least a 1m gap between the shed and your boundry - if you are building something over 15m2 and out of a combustible material (e.g. Wood) then it cannot be within a metre of the boundry
2) Make it 2 1/2 meters at the eaves - my light stands are 2m tall without all the stuff on top and you don't want them right by the ceiling if you can help it.

Looking forward to watching this being built!

 

[mmcp42]

Ok, can I make 2 suggestions:
1) Make sure there is at least a 1m gap between the shed and your boundry - if you are building something over 15m2 and out of a combustible material (e.g. Wood) then it cannot be within a metre of the boundry
2) Make it 2 1/2 meters at the eaves - my light stands are 2m tall without all the stuff on top and you don't want them right by the ceiling if you can help it.

Looking forward to watching this being built!

Foggy -
1) check. the corner peg will be 1m by 2m from the corner of the garden!
2) I'll "av a word" with shed-builder peep - thanks for the tip! (my light stands are adjustable though )

more pictures as the works progresss

 

[..MD..]

Look forward to seeing this progress mate

18' long is a nice length to work in imho same as my garage


md

 

[mmcp42]

Look forward to seeing this progress mate

18' long is a nice length to work in imho same as my garage


md

cheers Dave - keep you posted

 

[..MD..]

cheers Dave - keep you posted

When you a bit closer to doing the inside i will tell you what i have done and why


md

 

[mmcp42]

When you a bit closer to doing the inside i will tell you what i have done and why


md

excellent - be most pleased to hear what/why...

 

[Foggy]

2) I'll "av a word" with shed-builder peep - thanks for the tip! (my light stands are adjustable though )

Mine are adjustable, but if you want nice portrait lighting you want the lights pointing downwards to give a bit of shadow under the chin!

 

[russdamano]

gd luck mate , looking forward to see this be built !

 

[CarlukeDave]

Excellent, I look forward to seeing it progress, it's something I'm also considering.

Couple of questions,

Do you require planning permission for the shed/studio?

Is there anything else you need to do, inform council/insurance if you're using it as a business premises?

Good luck!

Dave

 

[khani]

Good luck, I too am in the process of making a home studio. I currently am converting my garage. Its 16ft in length and 10ft in width with about 3.5 high celling. Do we think that would be adequate size for a studio?

 

[..MD..]

Good luck, I too am in the process of making a home studio. I currently am converting my garage. Its 16ft in length and 10ft in width with about 3.5 high celling. Do we think that would be adequate size for a studio?

Depends on what you want to shoot :shrug:

But if you look in my gallery thats more room than i have so i would say yes plenty.


md

 

[khani]

Depends on what you want to shoot :shrug:

But if you look in my gallery thats more room than i have so i would say yes plenty.


md

Thanks for sharing your gallery the work is really lovely. Your animal portraits are wonderful however I really like your child portraits. Did you use a piece of perspex for the reflection or is it a simple duplicate, flip verticle transform, opacity job in P.S?

I will be shooting primarily fashion, beauty, portrait stuff. I know the length of 16ft should be ok as will the roof height its just the width i was slightly concerned with.

 

[..MD..]

Thanks for sharing your gallery the work is really lovely. Your animal portraits are wonderful however I really like your child portraits. Did you use a piece of perspex for the reflection or is it a simple duplicate, flip verticle transform, opacity job in P.S?

I will be shooting primarily fashion, beauty, portrait stuff. I know the length of 16ft should be ok as will the roof height its just the width i was slightly concerned with.

Thanks

The width is the easiest imho. As long as you have a mm of space around the subject . It could be 8' wide or 80' wide pp is your friend


md

 

[mmcp42]

Excellent, I look forward to seeing it progress, it's something I'm also considering.

Couple of questions,

Do you require planning permission for the shed/studio?

Is there anything else you need to do, inform council/insurance if you're using it as a business premises?

Good luck!

Dave

neither planning permission nor building regs, providing it meets certain criteria
the easiest include
a) at least 1m from boundary
b) total of ALL buildings/extensions after initial build less than 50% of what's left
c) NOT used for accommodation

obviously makes sense to follow things like electrical safety - I'm fitting RCBs and a separate consumer unit direct off the main board

 

[THE-BIG-MAN-SAYS]

I look forward to the photos...

 

[Garry Edwards]

Thanks

The width is the easiest imho. As long as you have a mm of space around the subject . It could be 8' wide or 80' wide pp is your friend


md

pp can extend the width of the background, but it can't allow lights to be placed in rim lighting positions - so whether or not the width is enough depends on
1. The width (number of) the subjects
2. The lighting arrangements (freedom to be creative)

 

[..MD..]

pp can extend the width of the background, but it can't allow lights to be placed in rim lighting positions - so whether or not the width is enough depends on
1. The width (number of) the subjects
2. The lighting arrangements (freedom to be creative)

I stand corrected and the op will i am sure benifit this info



md

 

[fraggle101]

:shake:



Im not looking in here again...



Now, wheres the green eyed monster smiley???

 

[mmcp42]

hee hee
perhaps I'll have to rent it out a la time-share!

 

[PerfectSpeed]

Looking forward to seeing this being built, any photo updates yet

 

[dazzajl]

Sounds like it's going to be a good little space. I would seriously consider having at least one window though if you can. When it's too cold to have the doors open and you're working in there for a while it's pretty horrid to be cut off from the world in a little box.

There are very few times that any ambient light will have any affect on whatever you're shooting, sometimes it can even be very useful. It's also pretty easy to make a blackout board to stick up if you need it.

 

[mmcp42]

Looking forward to seeing this being built, any photo updates yet

lots of working in the drawing office
trying to calculate best way to do the infinity curves
I think 3mm MDF or hardboard is the way to go
the lower one (wall to floor) is straightforward
the upper one (wall to roof) calls for some intersting geometry

idea is to cut to size, wet it then weight it into a curve and leave to dry out

plan is to start earthworks tomorrow
will take pictures to show (painfully slow) progress

 

[mmcp42]

Sounds like it's going to be a good little space. I would seriously consider having at least one window though if you can. When it's too cold to have the doors open and you're working in there for a while it's pretty horrid to be cut off from the world in a little box.

There are very few times that any ambient light will have any affect on whatever you're shooting, sometimes it can even be very useful. It's also pretty easy to make a blackout board to stick up if you need it.

hmm, your'e not wrong!
I'm looking at the possibility of a window either side of the door i.e. furthest end from the infinity wall
or even in the doors

 

[mmcp42]

First step was to measure out the area to receive the base
some spikes and lots of string later - all marked out

also managed to get the garden plug-in for photoshop

used the hand tool (it comes with two of them) to cut and paste the bird bath to it's temporary resting place

then used the shovel tool to highlight the bush that was in the way, soften the edges with the form tool then cut and drop into the new bucket container
then simply drag the container to just outside the base area

simples :nuts:

2nd bush is tomorrows fun and games!

result of day 1:

 

[PsiFox]

Sorry but you appear to have hidden the layer showing temp. location of birdbath

 

[mmcp42]

Sorry but you appear to have hidden the layer showing temp. location of birdbath

hee hee fair cop
if you pan left you will see it!!!

 

[Treesie]

:shake:



Im not looking in here again...



Now, wheres the green eyed monster smiley???

My studio is in the last stages. Space renovated, just kitting it out now (was that you that called me re: postcode this morning Garry E) I may well take a sleeping bag and live in it!!

 

[crashtestmac]

You need to check with insurance companies though.

The rules change if you have dedicated premises (shed) to work from and you nead all of the PL and all that Jazz..!!!

 

[Yella Fella]

see this is where I shoulda bought a house and garden, not a flat

 

[Treesie]

You need to check with insurance companies though.

The rules change if you have dedicated premises (shed) to work from and you nead all of the PL and all that Jazz..!!!

As I intend to use the studio for my own personal work for the following year, I won't have to worry about that. Equipment is covered on my household insurance.

 

[Garry Edwards]

My studio is in the last stages. Space renovated, just kitting it out now (was that you that called me re: postcode this morning Garry E) I may well take a sleeping bag and live in it!!

Guilty as charged
Don't forget to let people know what you think of your new softbox when you get it, personally I think it's a cracker

 

[mmcp42]

You need to check with insurance companies though.

The rules change if you have dedicated premises (shed) to work from and you nead all of the PL and all that Jazz..!!!

yup got all that in place!

 

[Treesie]

Garry, thanks for the advice regarding the grid as well.
Will do

I've searched dozens of places but it was spot on with size and price. Now the proof of the pudding will be in the eating!

 

[mmcp42]

used the clone tool to remove unwanted turf
as you can see not very well blended
but the "chap as does" is happy enough
doesn't need any more removing so that's a good thing

you'll also see where I dragged/dropped the yellow bush (oo'er missus) and bird table

tomorrow is electrics so I'll be spelunking in the garage :nuts:

 

[mmcp42]

the man who's building the shed arrived today

he started by removing some more turf
then setting concrete blocks in a sand/cement mix
then laying beams to form the base...

I'm off on hols for a week, so by the time I get back the pile of wood in the garage should start resembling a studio!

 

[khani]

exciting!! I too am making a home studio, will post the progress log later.

 

[mmcp42]

exciting!! I too am making a home studio, will post the progress log later.

excellent - be good to compare notes especially once we get to the internals!