Want to set up a Basic home Studio Need advice..

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RichardH78

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After recent purchase of D5000 and a few basics I am thinking about setting up a home studio, Location work is ok but not great with the summer ending and weather getting less reliable...

I have a 'spare' room that measures 2.8m x 2.9m one large East facing window.

Question 1.. Is this space going to be big enough for full length work?
Question 2.. Is a £600 budget goint to be about right for a Cheap but functional setup? ( I have seen some starter kits and looked at a few extras to add on like larger soft box's background light and hair light... seems to come in at around £500 ish leaving some spare for Backdrops and materials..

Or am I dreaming... Any comments welcome before I spend cash and upset the wife again...
 
RichardH78 said:
After recent purchase of D5000 and a few basics I am thinking about setting up a home studio, Location work is ok but not great with the summer ending and weather getting less reliable...

I have a 'spare' room that measures 2.8m x 2.9m one large East facing window.

Question 1.. Is this space going to be big enough for full length work?
Question 2.. Is a £600 budget goint to be about right for a Cheap but functional setup? ( I have seen some starter kits and looked at a few extras to add on like larger soft box's background light and hair light... seems to come in at around £500 ish leaving some spare for Backdrops and materials..

Or am I dreaming... Any comments welcome before I spend cash and upset the wife again...
Click to expand...

I set mine up very cheaply, got some cheap strobes to go with the flash units I already have (SB600, SB900), 3 lightstands and brolly holders, softboxes and umbrellas, black background, white background.

I then made a background support - if your room is remaining "constant" then I would suggest using a curtain pole - they are cheap as chips in places like Wilkinsons. If you need to make it mobile, you can make something usable and adjustable with drainage pipework. Bought a cheap 75cmx75cm table from Ikea, painted it matt black as a shooting table.

Anyway, my point is - it's not cost anywhere near your budget (although I have not actually worked out the cost)

Flash in the Pan has thread with loads of studio stuff on it.

Also check out www.strobist.com and www.diyphotography.net
 
Your budget is plenty for a small home studio, but you won't be doing full length portraits in a room that small (unless you use a wide angle lens which will be very unflattering to your subject).
 
A major consideration regarding turning a room in your house into a studio is not just the cost of equipment, but if members of the public are stepping through your door, whether you are in breach of your mortgage t&c (if you have one) and whether your existing household (building & contents) insurance will still be valid.

This is aside from PL & PI insurance, which goes without saying. But the normal homeowners cover etc. becomes a bit of a minefield!
 
Chip, Thanks for the heads up its a rented place and consent by landlord has been given. Insurance is something I know I will need but as yet have not really looked into. My main concerns where regarding space to begin.. If 2.8x2.9 is to small its all a moot point..

Been looking at studio hire, but that does get expensive and location and subject home shoots sound both unreliable and logistically a Nightmare to do constantly...
 
PatrickO said:
Your budget is plenty for a small home studio, but you won't be doing full length portraits in a room that small (unless you use a wide angle lens which will be very unflattering to your subject).
Click to expand...

I feared as much, but with the cunning use of the Landing with a straight shoot through I can get back to 4m if I position backdrops etc correctly to allow for full length... could go back to 6m but by that point i suspect the door frame will be "in frame" ...
 
The cheapest usable home studio kits are the 3 x 180w kits like Stable Imaging at £200. Next step up is something like the Lencarta SmartFlash which will realistically cost you about twice that.

You do not need to spend silly money and technique is as important. Your space is a bit tight though so you will need to be quite creative.
 
As others have said, that space isn't enough for full length shots (partly because you need to have distance between the subject and the background most of the time and partly because you'll be forced to use a wideangle lens, and the close shooting distance will create perspective distortion) but it will be OK for a lot of other stuff, assuming that you don't want a blown out white background.

As for kit, the Lencarta 2 head kit with 1 softbox + 1 umbrella is your best bet at £305.
Another head, stand and snoot will add around £190 and that will take care of your hairlight etc, and you won't need more than this
 
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