Do You Need a Photo Studio?
For many years, I would book studios in LA to do my model shoots; places with all kinds of fantastical props, unique backgrounds, and gear available for use. These studios were so convenient for shooting because they had space, privacy, and amenities like makeup stations ideal for art and fashion shoots. I told myself “if only I had a space in Phoenix that was my own, I could make so much more art and so much more money from freelance and rentals…”
Model: Cheyanne June; Photographer: Primordial Creative
After driving around, touring places and speaking with agents, a golden opportunity fell into my lap; a former tv station donated its studio space to a fashion house start-up, and they were interviewing in-house photographer and videographer positions. Use of the studio was to be on a trade basis- meaning I had no monthly rent due, but were I to book work they would get a percentage of the payment, and I was supposed to be available to their needs. It turned out to be a confusing deal that benefitted no one so for the last 2 years I’ve found myself without a studio to call home. This is where the great lesson came from- I didn’t need a studio to be creative. I didn’t need the burden of overhead and if I really needed a space, I just rented it! Let the ongoing upkeep and pressure be someone else’s problem!
Now, this relates to my circumstance. I consider myself a creative portrait artist which means I shoot a lot of different scenarios that benefit from being on location or perhaps don’t involve large spaces that I need to keep a consistent look in. Maybe that’s not you? Maybe you are a commercial photographer who meets with clients and needs a meeting space. You need an area where people hiring you an come in, have everything set up way in advance, they get their photos done in record time and they leave with the confidence that you will supply consistent results every time because nothing changes in your studio.
Model: Alina; Photographer: Primordial Creative
Maybe you’re the kind of artist who creates large sets and needs time and space to make these things. A studio would be right for you.
Perhaps you’re the photographer who shoots a lot of nudes and needs a private, safe space to do this. A studio is certainly helpful for that!
Maybe you’re the photographer who is also a videographer, has a ton of big expensive gear, and needs to accommodate larger groups like a band for music video shoots, or just is able to translate their vision to higher paying gigs.
What it really comes down to is what tools you feel like you need to be creative. “If I don’t have __________, I can’t make what’s in my head” is a thing I hear a lot from other people and I honestly feel that’s a challenge we need to overcome. If you think you NEED something, you probably don’t. Needs are attachments and curses. The studio spaces I know of in Phoenix are constantly hustling to be rented, constantly putting up with people bringing in glitter and screwing up their floors. Equipment is stolen or broken and people try to shoot pornos there. Is that your dream or is it what you are willing to put up with to achieve your dream?
David Miller
David Miller of Primordial Creative studio was born in 1977 in Omaha, NE. He graduated with his BFA in Photography from Arizona State University in 2006, creating portrait series that reflected both the hyperkinetic films, games and comics of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as more humanist documentary work with Indigenous communities in America and Australia. After ASU he became a teaching artist as well as exhibing around the Southwest/ West Coast and been published in numerous magazines such as Orion, View Camera, B+W/ Color, and others. In 2014 he was named as one of the top 100 Creatives of Arizona by New Times Magazine. He currently lives in Chandler with wife Vesna and 2 children, Patrick and Magdalena.
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January 26, 2020 at 11:05 am, Tom said:
Great points, David!
“Now, this relates to my circumstance.” Completely agree.
I ended getting my own studio because I’m shooting more and more photos that include custom scenic design. We need space to build, dress, and light our sets over a 3 to 4 day period prior to the actual shoot. It was getting expensive to rent space and the scheduling for a space was challenging.
October 02, 2019 at 3:16 am, Bizkain said:
Great article!!!
I rented a studio space for 10 years until I could save for my home and have a space for my own personal studio. As you see I do a lot of nude work so having MY OWN studio was a HUGE plus. I had the extra 750 sq foot space added to my attached garage and it has it’s own private entrance and bathroom. I now do not have to worry about certain things but I do have people coming to my home (just not into my home). I also do not have the worry about making commercial space rent or leaving all of my gear far away from me. I DO have to worry about a mortgage (which I would have anyway or rent) and neighbors (which I had at my commercial space and now is solved by an 8ft brick wall…lol).
> The plus factors are many… I can work or practice late without driving home / and start early as well if needed
> I have storage space and quick access to my gear etc…
> The tax write off is pretty nice as well (home office)
There is a plus and minus to everything I guess.
– BizKain-
August 26, 2019 at 4:04 pm, Paul Aldersom said:
Great article, and I couldn’t agree more.
I bought loads of expensive gear, and thought it would be a great idea to get premises, but soon realised I would have to pay between £400 and £700 GBP per month to make it happen.
This would increase my prices to customers, or vastly reduce my ability to make a suitable living, just yet at least – so I opted for using a suitable room in a Village Hall, which only costs me £50 GBP for a whole afternoon.
Alternatively, I can set up my gear at a customer’s own place, avoiding rental costs altogether, which works out really well for everyone.
I realised I don’t really need my own studio just now – it would really be one of those “nice to have” things, once I’m more established.
June 24, 2019 at 5:08 pm, Russell said:
Good article. I belonged to a studio coop for a couple of years. For $200/mo, I had access to a studio that had 4 rooms of various sizes, and other areas to shoot. In addition there was a lot of lighting equimpment availabe for use. After pricing private studio space and studio rental, I found the coop to be a great deal.
Eventually, I dropped out of it, though. I was doing most of my photography on location, at my home, or a client’s home. To rent the studio for a shoot was $100, and I found that I was rarely using it more than twice a month. So it was cheaper to drop out and rent the space when I needed it.
I think you should try to do as much as you possibly can using free or rentable resources before committing to paying for a full-time studio. By the time you find you can’t get by without it, the cost will not be an issue.
June 22, 2019 at 12:51 pm, dee said:
this was enlightening, thank you