Who shoots studio for fun?

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Does anyone here shoot studio stuff for fun? If so what do you shoot? How often are you shooting and where are you shooting?

For me, I love photography, I particularly like portraiture. Using a speedlight and modifier I’ve obtained some reasonable results shooting myself and members of the family, when they let me. I really enjoy that feeling of giving someone a nice picture.

I was able for a while to use some really old crappy studio lights and shoot in my loft with a vinyl background, again getting some semi reasonable results. Unfortunately I’m renting that house out now. That however gave me a bit of a taste for the studio way of things.

I also love learning stuff, photography for me isn’t just taking the picture, it’s the learning and application that I enjoy, getting good results and pushing myself to do more. This extends to researching and buying equipment, I love gadgets at the end of the day (who doesn’t?)

I’ve started building up some studio equipment and have found a village hall I can hire out for a very reasonable sum. I have a studio light, a couple of the mega umbrellas (cheap in a deal), a background and support, a reflector and holder.

I’m now in the process of considering adding a second light, a light meter and a grid for the light. Additionally I can use the speedlights around the edges (I have triggers for them).

I’m just getting a bit worried that I get all this set up and I have nothing to do with it all (I do have a couple of people wanting some portrait stuff lined up) but no real plans on what to do afterwards. I just want to take portraits that I feel are good. I did think I could also branch out into a bit of still life as this might be a good way t odevelop lighting skills further.
 
I got a beauty dish, a black velvet back drop and I shoot my wife - all for fun/practice really. Just set it up in the lounge
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62198876@N02/sets/72157640716586945/

Have talked about building a studio in the garden, maybe in the next couple of years..

Recently I've been doing a lot of "candid portraits in the street" which has been giving me my 'hit' :D
 
I shoot studio for fun, mostly... I do a few paying jobs, but a lot of the stuff I do is just for me. It's my hobby, it's something I call my own. And I'm never at a loss for finding willing 'victims' :) I shoot mostly kids, families, animals, flowers/still life, a bit of macro, and anything else that I think looks cool that I'd like to share.
I transform my lounge into my studio place most weekends... it's big enough for a paper background (my background of choice of late) and up to 4 heads, although I normally like to use fewer than that. I just arranged this morning to do a pug puppy on Sunday... and hopefully, I'll get some decent pictures out of it worthy of a competition or two, which I will keep in mind when I'm shooting. But other than that, they'll go up on my website, and added to my collection.
 
used to do it a lot when there was a local studio. Since that shut down i havn't bothered which is annoying since i quite enjoyed it. I only ever did TFP models and got a mixed bag of some very professional types and some which were harder to work with. The studio was pretty well geared up and quite cheap (which is probably why he never made any money and closed down) although i did buy a large beauty dish off ebay which i found really useful.

But a lot of fun and something i want to get back into.
 
I thought about street stuff, but its doesn't interest me in the same way as the studio stuff does. I like having the time to sit back and tweat and test.

I'm not overly fussed about doing it as a business either. I did thin about getting models and being more daring. I'm sure once I get into the swing of things I will figure out what to do. All i know is that it has my interest.
 
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Mine's developing slowly from fun doing shoot after shoot with my ever patient wife to starting to earn me a bit of pocket money and slowly being asked by more and more people to do shoots for them and I'm hoping to develop it further as I learn. If I ever get to the stage where it's paid/paying for itself I'd be over the moon, never expect to make a living from it, I'm no where near good enough for that.

This is how most of my shoots are done (my living room with one of the sofas shunted into the dining room to make more space).

This was the set up I used and was taken the day I did the ones in this thread http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/couple-of-test-shots-with-my-wife.536732/ while she was changing outfits.

6.jpg
 
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Hi.

Much like Bethy it's my hobby and I shoot for fun (have been asked to do a few paid kids portraits but just tend to practice my hobby on my kids and friends kids).

I set up in the lounge/kitchen and even the kids bedroom. You don't need loads of room but obviously for background separation it would be nice.

Thinking of moving and if the new house has an appropriate space, will set up a home studio.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/63852338@N07/with/13737292415/

Shaheed
 
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Thanks for the input,
Unfortunatly this isn't something I can do from home, anytime i really want to get into it I will have to hire the hall out. The plus point is that it makes me focus on what I'm going to do with the time and secondly I have no restriction on space or height. The downside is having enough ideas to justify the spend on kit. I don't have the luxury of wheeling a partner or kids out in front of the camera so will have to think of who I can shoot a bit more carefully.
 
Same as Beth and Shaheed really with paid jobs when requested (which are becoming more and more common)
 
While I spend a lot of time in the studio as part of my business I still make time to do some shoots just for fun. Experimenting with different lighting setups, poses, props, etc., is best done on my time and if it doesn't work out ... well it's only me that's disappointed :)
 
Blasted said:
Thanks for the input,
Unfortunatly this isn't something I can do from home, anytime i really want to get into it I will have to hire the hall out. The plus point is that it makes me focus on what I'm going to do with the time and secondly I have no restriction on space or height. The downside is having enough ideas to justify the spend on kit. I don't have the luxury of wheeling a partner or kids out in front of the camera so will have to think of who I can shoot a bit more carefully.
Click to expand...

Getting willing subjects is tricky. My wife will never do it! The kids will if they're in the mood. I practiced with a load if self portraits, which was rewarding and irritating in equal measure.

I'm definitely trying to factor in a space to convert to a home studio whilst we are looking for a new house. What SWMBO and the bank manager think may well be different!!!
 
A few years ago an owner of a dingy old photo studio shut up shop due to retirement, he placed an advert in his window saying shop clearance for sale. I went in and made what I thought was an insane silly low offer, I think it was something silly like £50 mind you it was going back some years. I was amazed when he said OK, but it needs to be cleared before the day was out, apparently the new people coming in wanted shut of the junk, as I found out when I got home it was mostly junk ! But I was really happy, as it all fitted in the garage nicely. I had backdrops and old rickety lights and all other sorts of photography paraphernalia, all draped around the garage. I was into motorbikes back then, and I would photograph all my bikes against the great backdrops that I got. All lit up with very wobbly standing lights.

Does that qualify for Studio Shooting for fun ? Well it certainly felt like my own private photo studio, and it was great fun. I had it rigged up like that for months, until my missus finally said one day, get rid of all that bloody sh*t ! That was in a former life, that was my ex that was, mind you she was a spoil sport.
 
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