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professional needs their own studio?
As the topic: professional needs their own studio? I know this is depends on what kind of photography field you in. As a pro. Do you want/ need a studio? Aug 14 14 08:27 am Link Yes... god yes I would love to have my own studio. I live in NYC and studio space is outrageously expensive. Secondly it would be so nice not to have to constantly depend on others to rent or use their space and it would free up tons of storage space in my house. Aug 14 14 08:30 am Link Need? No. There are plenty of places to rent and non-studio locations to use. Want? Often. Aug 14 14 08:31 am Link Need? No If I need a studio for a gig I rent and bill to the client. Aug 14 14 08:41 am Link sunn fotography wrote: Well, as a Pro you may not really need one, but I have to say once I got one, I would not have it any other way. Man it is GREAT! I had to be patient for awhile, but in a short time it start to pay for itself. Aug 14 14 08:45 am Link It's certainly an advantage to have one. Aug 14 14 08:52 am Link I have a small one in my home. It's served me very well for about 10 years now. I often wish I had more space, but I'm also finding that I prefer to shoot in outside spaces and other furnished homes lately. Perhaps shooting in the studio for so long and so many shoots, I've just grown bored with it. But it is nice that I don't have to rent a space to do commercial/catalog stuff. Aug 14 14 08:54 am Link I'd rather rent than own/operate one. I'm all about minimizing overhead. Monthly rent, bills, insurance, etc for the studio adds up. We're not even talking about the possible credit card payments for...well everything you put in it but mostly the lights and grip equipment. Aug 14 14 09:09 am Link You can make do without one. Rental spaces are a plenty. It's not a requirement to have your own space to be considered pro. That said, it is a great luxury to have. Aug 14 14 09:18 am Link I'm an associate partner in a studio so I kind of have one I suppose. But I don't need it at all and =have frequently thought of giving it up. Aug 14 14 09:37 am Link Open my studio in 1990. I had a small 800 square foot space for three years then moved into a large, 3,000sf class "A" studio for twenty years. For most of the 90s I was a product, still life and food shooter so I used the space all the time. In 2000 I started switching to Lifestyle work, mainly on location, so I was not using my studio all that much and with the Great Recession of 2009, I moved my operation home. It was hard on my ego to give up the space but within a month I was much happier. I love working out of my home office and I love the lower overhead. When we need a studio for a project, which happens a couple of times a year, we just rent for the days we need it. Like most things in photography, it depends on what type of work you do and what market you play in. By the way, my annual billings did not decline by my move. I might have missed one or two small projects because my adding of studio rent push my budget higher then my competitors, but that is about it. The only negative is that I no longer have interns. I am a bit to far out of the way for that plus my work habits have become a bit strange. I might start editing at 7am, take a gym break at 10, edit some more, head to the store at 2 for groceries, and then edit some more after dinner. Overall, letting go of my palace was one of the best decisions I have made. Oh yes, I think you would consider me a pro photographer. Sincerely, Zave Smith www.zavesmith.com Aug 14 14 09:50 am Link Do I want one? Heck yes. Need? Not completely. I shoot out of a small room in my apartment currently and I've still managed to get work published and have successful shoots. However I can't do any full body shots or certain lighting set ups because the room is so small. Other than that I don't have any problems. Plus my two adorable kitties are in my home studio and models seem to love them  Aug 14 14 09:51 am Link Yep...i have been apart of two studios. It truly comes in handy for my models, when doing implied and nudes! Needed? No...not really..still can get models to do nudes out doors. Studios..are safe and can be too predictable. Outside can be 100% unpredictable. Much more of a great challenge. Aug 14 14 10:00 am Link I would prefer to have a studio office. Around here I think it would be cheaper to have your own studio vs renting one on demand especially depending on the work you do. Aug 14 14 11:53 am Link I have a studio and I couldn't live without it, but that is because of my business model. There are many professionals that rent as they need it and do just fine. Aug 14 14 12:34 pm Link seems its good to own a studio, but not a must!!! once you have your own studio, you can't go bk!!! thx for sharing! Aug 14 14 06:25 pm Link I own and operate a rental studio (D. M. Gremlin Studios in Long Beach, CA), and my clientele is a mixture of professional and amateur photographers, who, instead of leasing, insuring, equipping, and furnishing their own studio space, simply book time at my studio as needed. So clearly, no, not every professional photographer needs to have his/her own studio. Aug 14 14 06:51 pm Link Shoot not in HK or NYC, that is just crazy unless you could fill it for 10+ hours a day 5-6 days a week. Now in Atlanta where I was in a very cool historic building; 2,500 square feet for $750 a month plus utilities and CAM it was a no brainier. Aug 14 14 06:54 pm Link I have a studio-- sometimes I feel like I don't need it, then a bunch of stuff happens and I thank heavens I have it! I can also attest that just having a studio has gotten me more than a few gigs. It apparently adds to my validity/makes me look more professional. I joined an artists community in an old mill. Www.indianorchardmills.com . Perhaps you have a similar one nearby? It isn't a store front so I don't have to worry about the cost of renting a storefront, but it's my own space and I have lots of awesome neighbors! Aug 14 14 07:01 pm Link Need? No Certainly helpful if you have one though. Aug 14 14 07:17 pm Link Need ? Maybe, maybe not. Not only depends on what type photography but also what type client. Some don't care, some like to see that you're a "real" photographer with a studio and samples of what you've done on the walls somewhere. But it's like hiring an attorney, do you want one that works out of a Starbucks or one that when you get off the elevator on the 11th floor you are right in his waiting room ? Impression of success is important for success. Aug 15 14 06:54 am Link I use a 400sqft detached garage from my home as my studio space . . . . . . the real advantage comes in the winter, when the non-studio and outdoor guys have no where to shoot . . . I do a lot of work then . . . Aug 15 14 07:07 am Link if your answer is NO NEED!Lets be Honest, You simply don't have the money for one, neither the space ,Of Course you gonna say no need, I personally have to do 3 shoot a day to survive, on the weekends we do some times 7 or 8 a day, so studio for me is a must, For personal projects I also have a 720 square foot at Home, to play around, and I love it so much, But on the other hand I do Photography for living. and is my day job, Aug 15 14 07:40 am Link if you have the space, you can't beat being in your own studio, if you don't have outside space, i.e. garage etc, you can always take photos in your lounge, its the backdrops that make the shot and can be changed to look like any where Aug 16 14 07:14 am Link Years ago, I owned a large commercial studio, including a lunch room, storage space, darkroom and offices. It was an ideal solution for me at that time. Eventually, however, I found I was spending more time on administrative tasks than anything else. In short, what had started as a creative luxury had become a business and I'd become one of its employees. Occasionally I regret my decision to close it, but, really, the thing I did 'wrong' had to do more with the scale of the operation rather than the concept. For many years I've operated without a studio and, other than having to contend with the weather, things have gone reasonably well. (Having a studio, I could schedule shoots 24/7 - working out of doors is an entirely different matter.) Lately, I've been considering building a studio in my backyard, but it will be MUCH smaller and only because it will allow me to schedule sessions based on the calendar rather than on the whims of the weather. At this moment, I'm taking a very close look at the cost vs benefits. If it doesn't make financial sense, I won't do it regardless of the convenience. Aug 16 14 07:41 am Link I shoot mostly event photography so I take my studio with me. When I need something more formal, I rent one. Aug 16 14 07:52 am Link Need: Yes. Holland is a four seasons country, with two of them chilly, cold, stormy snowy, and all four of them include rain at some point in the week. Aug 16 14 08:13 am Link If the type of professional photography you do calls for a studio most of the time, as it did mine earlier in my career, sure. But not all "professional photographers" are studio shooters. Some shoot weddings. Some shoot architecture and interiors. Some shoot corporate events, etc, etc. Heck, I shoot a lot of portraiture. 100% on location. Even though it may have a "studio" type look. I can set up my studio type lighting and backgrounds anywhere there is enough space. Whether you have a studio or not does not define you as a professional. Aug 16 14 10:53 am Link No. Everything I shoot from weddings to models is done on location . Aug 16 14 11:00 am Link I've had a studio since 1998, before that a 3 bedroom home that was used solely for a studio space. Over half of my income comes from what I do in studio, so I've built a business which requires a space. I am expanding that space to another home studio while keeping my commercial space as well. If the space can pay for itself it is worth every cent! Aug 16 14 11:12 am Link I have one...kinda. I rent a time-share with 2 other photographers, month-to-month. I seem to be the most active shooter there, after the property-owner (she shoots as a hobby-photographer there). If I was super-duper established and my name yielded commissioned work whenever it was mentioned, I wouldn't need one. If I was even bringing work in consistently yet, I could get by without having one. However, the only thing I had consistently was low-pay events at retail clients' homes or rented venues, and not nearly enough of it  Now, although I don't see any walk-in's (obviously), I *do experience what others have mentioned in this thread: I must appear more "pro" because I have my own downtown-studio, so I draw more work. Oddly enough, I've had the studio since this June (2014)......and I have yet to book even ONE gig to be shot *in the studio! Just the fact of it has garnered me work conducted elsewhere  (Besides Editorials, but that one arrangement is a different story. I shoot those where I choose, I have 85% creative control because that publisher doesn't pay me enough to have more creative input than they do  )  Please pardon any typographical errors, I've composed this post on my Windows-based Tablet IMHO alone; Aug 16 14 12:46 pm Link I'm not a pro shooter (yet) and am yet to shoot in a studio. I can't imagine doing it, either. I mean ... if I were a food or other product shooter, it wouldn't be a terrible thing. I'm hooked on the adrenaline rush I get from shooting events. I also really like the outdoors along with the varying backgrounds, challenges, etc that one wouldn't be able to easily have in a studio (seemingly, anyway). Since I've never shot in a studio, I can't possibly miss it. I'd like to do it just once but I don't see it happening. Aug 16 14 01:32 pm Link I heard from some professionals in Brazil that openning a studio attracted much mo more customers because they trust more photographers with studio, since it looks like more professional than those without studio. I don't know if it is the same in other countries since I haven't heard others talking about it on this aspect yet. I always had my home studio and I find it very handy not to have leave home for a photoshoot, and not to have move stuff to other places. But often I think I have too many stuff and I wish I had just my cameras and lenses. Aug 16 14 03:38 pm Link Oh wow...another repeat thread... where are the mods?Aug 16 14 03:52 pm Link Lovely Day Media wrote: I shot events for years, but they didn't make enough money for me (easily). Also, no real client took me very seriously, in spite of my being association-affiliated, my having a 2 mil CGL policy, my having solid pro-gear (now a D4 & D800E, in 2012/2013 a D3 & D700 & D90 even), and in spite of my having a certified MUA available for assignments I required it. Shooting in a studio without the crutch of depending on the settings & elements to use to form the majority of your concept/theme.....as I found out, it forces a shooter to either step-up and actually invest in what s/he's aiming to create, or sell their gear on eBay/wtvr. Aug 16 14 03:52 pm Link Marin Photography NYC wrote: Reading civil and informative threads like this one, I suspect. Aug 16 14 08:22 pm Link RINALDI wrote: Sounds nice to me!! 3" average yearly rainfall and it was 105*F here today!:-( Aug 16 14 08:33 pm Link There is no right answer to this question. As someone who owns two studios, and is about to open a third, it really depends on an individuals needs. Basically, you've got to do a little math. If the cost of renting every month exceeds what it would cost to have your own studio, then it is time to open your own. However, you need to be sure to take into account all factors of owning a studio. You've got to find a good spot. You've got to pay for upkeep, you've got to pay for new sets, you've got to pay utility bills. You've got to build your cyclorama and paint your floors and everything else. And it isn't something you can just walk away from quickly without a large penalty. So if you think you might be moving or losing business in the future, weigh that in. On the other hand, if you are renting, you've got to accept the inconvenience of scheduling to fit studio openings. You've got to accept that you might not always be able to accommodate a client. You've got to deal with lugging your equipment to whatever studio you are renting. The other option is to own a studio, and then rent it to others. However, as I have discovered, being a studio owner then becomes your primary job, and being a photographer falls into the background. You need to accommodate photo clients, but also photographer clients. Do you take the low paying photography job you'd really love doing, or the higher paying studio booking that means you sit and twiddle your thumbs while another person uses your studio. So again, no right answer. Do a solid analysis of your own present and future needs. Trust me, studio ownership can be a pain in the ass, but it can also be great to have your own space built to suit your needs. Aug 16 14 08:53 pm Link I fall in the "it depends" arena. For certain types of work, you need a studio as a storefront. In others, you need it to handle specialized shooting. Although I've had studio spaces or spots that can be adapted ... and portable-enough studio lights and accessories ... I've never had a full-on, dedicated studio. A long-time friend who isn't on MM shut down his studio several years ago because his main clients keep him on the road and keeping the studio open was an expense he didn't need. Nowadays, he hooks up his trailer to his truck and heads off to photo jobs all over the midwest. If he's shooting in Dubai or Hong Kong, he rents whatever he needs and puts it on the client's tab. So, yeah. In some ways a studio is a real luxury, and I'd love to have a better location. Since I'm retired and only shooting personal stuff these days, that's not in the cards. Aug 16 14 09:05 pm Link I'd love to have a cool downtown studio as my home studio in the sorta-suburbs I know turns off some possible clientele. But at the same time, I'm doing quite fine as is and don't really need the added cost of renting or leasing a studio. One big reason I'd really make use of a studio is to be able to have more freedom in lighting setups. My basement is a decent size (split level bungalow) but there's plenty of times I'd love to have about 10 more feet above me and a LOT more space on the sides of my backdrop. Aug 17 14 01:00 am Link |
