..::STUDIO BUILD UPDATED 30/05/11::..

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lee_barro

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Lee
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So since getting my first set of studio lights i have had them set up in the living room. as you can imagine this is not the most practical of solutions. we have a external double garage which i was hoping to turn into a studio. after many talks and figuring out its only really going to be possible to have just over half (other half full of machines tools junk etc)

the space i have measures about 5m long x 2.8m wide if i remember correctly. cant remember the height exactly. here is a picture of the space.

5491666338_26ee292b2d_z.jpg


the space i have is from the wall on the right (wood to be removed) and build another wall right up to the white bench on the left. the garage door that is currently open will also have a wall placed infront of it as there is a door at the right rear. i think one of the main problems i am going to face is height. my plan for if i have to shoot white background is to remove a couple of the roof sections and create a light mout so the light can sit at roof height therefore loosing the need for stands to be in the way.

so anyway there you go i will keep you updated as soon as i make any progress.

any tips from people that have built i will be very grateful.

Lee
 
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Look forward to seeing it progress Lee
 
Looks like you have a nice space to work with, I'll keep an eye on this :)
 
You might like to consider a couple of wall booms as opposed to stands to keep the floor as clear as possible - with over a 2 meter reach they can give a supprising amount of coverage.

Paul
 
Maybe you could use all that space to store all the gear from my garage, then I can built a studio in my garage ;)
 
It looks like you have a pit ?

I have had mine half filled so that I can can easily get lower in the studio, which makes up for not having all the height I need. It's also handy for getting at eye level when shooting kids/pets. Mounting lights on the wall is a good idea, especially for lighting the background.

No body's in that freezer on the left I hope. :lol:

Steve
 
paul williams said:
You might like to consider a couple of wall booms as opposed to stands to keep the floor as clear as possible - with over a 2 meter reach they can give a supprising amount of coverage.

Paul
Click to expand...

Autopoles also help with this.
 
Kris said:
Autopoles also help with this.
Click to expand...

Yes they do, though they are a real pain to reposition, as you have to take everything off move the pole then re-load it - still wouldn't be without mine though.

Given the space, a wall mounted Expan system for backgrounds, two wall booms, one medium wheeled stand and a pair of floor stands will probably cover all eventualities.

Paul
 
the walls will probably be white but i will have black curtains that can be pulled across so that i can control the light. obviously the white walls would allow it to bounce around all over the place.

i do have a pit and was planning to just cover over it. i have no objection to lying flat on the floor so do you think the pit will give me an advantage? do you have a picture of what you have done.

i think poles and booms are going to be something i have to look into alot more. thanks for all the ideas som far guys.

Lee
 
lee_barro said:
...
i do have a pit and was planning to just cover over it. i have no objection to lying flat on the floor so do you think the pit will give me an advantage? ...Lee
Click to expand...

Underfloor storage? I'm sure a suitable strong/light removable cover could be made - is it dry?

Paul
 
lee_barro said:
the walls will probably be white but i will have black curtains that can be pulled across so that i can control the light. obviously the white walls would allow it to bounce around all over the place.

i do have a pit and was planning to just cover over it. i have no objection to lying flat on the floor so do you think the pit will give me an advantage? do you have a picture of what you have done.

i think poles and booms are going to be something i have to look into alot more. thanks for all the ideas som far guys.

Lee
Click to expand...

I haven't actually got any pictures of it, and as the roof has collapsed I'm not using it at the moment. However, we just half filled it with hardcore and then dropped cement into it. It's now about 3ft deep and I did it originally to get some pictures of my bike at a low angle (but now I've sold the bike :bonk: )

Steve
 
little update i no how the wood for the wall and hopefully will start building the wall later on today. after looking at the pit it is no dry so i think coving it over is going to be the best idea i dont want any mouldy gear.

Lee
 
so things have got off to a slow start but hopefully im back on task now. pretty much finished the frame for the wall but i ran out of nails haha. you can see from the below photo the pit also and i think the best thing to do is cover it over as it is actually a little damp and not as deep as i remembered.

5577352743_e060ff0a3b_b.jpg


next to do is obviously finish the wall then paint or do something with the other walls.

LEE
 
Hi Lee
I've just outgrown my garage studio, which was of a similar size to yours, possibly wider!

The only issue I find is not only the shooting space, but the entourage people bring with them...
Pushchairs etc... think of your actual shooting space, and where grandma will be sitting etc.. :)

Worth doing a grey ceiling rather than white, my 'box' was all white, and the light was bouncing everywhere, until you get used to playing with it :)

Best material i found for the walls was plaster board, not a timber sheet. just masking tape over joints and paint, it will blow out well.

The only other thing worth looking at is an insulated floor covering, I built a raised floor for the model, which is fine for them, but when you are kneeling on carpet covered concrete it does get cold!! :)

Hope it goes well for you mate, if you want an Idea of the sort of space needed to spread your wings, you are more than welcome to pop up the road to Chesterfield where I've just moved into a new studio! :)
Good luck
 
thanks for the offer and i think i will take you up on it and come to chesterfield some time :) ill be in touch ;)

i think for the roof i will paint it either white grey or black but i will have a curtain of some form that can be pulled over to cover it. same goes for the side walls i may paint white but then have black curtains that can be pulled to cover it over.

i agree with people getting in the way, ill hope its sunny and push them outside :p

Lee
 
Ok so the award for worlds slowest build goes to me... finaly had some time to do some more work on it though and the wall is now complete so now i just need fill and paint that and paint the other walls. Then its lay a floor still not sure what im going to use, any suggestions? and then the space is useable. As time goes on i will do more and more like tidying up walls etc. heres a couple of updated pics.

the wall
ljb2701.jpg


view from the back wall to where i am going to have my backgrounds
ljb2699.jpg


view from the wall with the backgrounds to the door and back wall.
ljb2702.jpg


any thoughts/comments/advise welcome.

Lee,
 
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hmmm photo 2 is not showing, any ideas?

edit: sorry just my crappy internet. its showing now
 
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very jealous this is exactly what i want but no space :-(

looking good keep updating us
 
The biggest problem I have found using my garage is the lack of height. It's a longish garage, I can get the car and my Fireblade in length ways, but once I have a 6ft subject I'm struggling to get the top of background in.

Probably doesn't help that I'm shorter, so I end up standing on something to get the subject below the background.

Steve
 
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