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Studio or No Studio
Hi Folks. Just joined MM. Looking forward to feedback and new photo opportunities. Here's my situation. My home does not make for a studio (too small and cramped). The nearest good studio available for rental is about 45 mins away (one way). I actually prefer on-site photo shoots (outdoors when weather permits). I've photographed models in nightclubs, the desert, mountains, luxury hotel suites and even the models own home. My problem is many models want to do their first shoot with me in a studio, so I miss a lot of good opportunities. I'm looking for comments, suggestions, etc. Thanks Michael Aug 15 05 03:04 pm Link I don't know how large your town is, but are there any rental spaces for band rehearsals, aluminum buildings with slivers of commercial rental space, people with garage space for rent, etc? Also, if there are nice empty homes for sale, some private sellers may negotiate for a day or weekend's use of the place. No furniture, but hey... Aug 15 05 04:13 pm Link I'd say just go on to the next one. I shoot only indoors and those models who want outdoor shots will just have to go to another photographer. Paul Aug 15 05 05:00 pm Link Try locating photographers in your area who'd rent you their studio for a nominal fee. If not, try warehousing complexes and see if they'll rent to you by the hour/day or see if you can sneak into some abandoned buildings. Ingenuity is half the battle in this business, so remember: We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender." *Churchill Aug 15 05 05:16 pm Link Hi Michael, Greetings from a fellow New Englander. Mass has tons of old mill buildings around that are in various stages of being fixed up. I'd say poke around and see what is available. I found one close to home in Nashua, NH and the building is slowing becoming an artists community; 90% of the tenants are artists of some kind. Even if you had a smaller space (mine is about 20x20), they make great places to have dedicated workspaces. Cheers, Sid Aug 15 05 05:16 pm Link I feel your pain. I have learned to take many indoor situations and turn them into MY ideal situation for shooting. I kinda carry a portable studio...all I need is square footage. Aug 15 05 07:38 pm Link Here's MY 2 cents.... You already have the best equipped studio there is.... Wide open space, Amazing light (the sun), countless array of "props".... You should really "market" it as "your" studio. Not that you shoot "outdoors", but that you shoot in a "studio so large, you can fit a building in it"! Take what you have and make the BEST of it for now. (Well, at least until you can 'break' into a place) Dan Aug 15 05 09:39 pm Link i do my test shoots at the beach. if they pass that, we move indoors. i'm tired of shooting in the studio. same shit all the time. Aug 16 05 12:54 am Link Network w/ other photographers. Once you get to know them, you'll be surprised...well, I was pleasantly surprised...how many will offer you the use of their studios. If not an outright borrow, even on like a team-shooting basis so at least they get something out of it. Aug 16 05 01:10 am Link PixByDan wrote: OH yea Agree with this for sure. I have rented space, use hotel rooms, done abandoned houses, old buildings and lots of open sky and rocks that we call landscapes. Works for me. bs Aug 16 05 11:11 am Link I appreciate the feedback. If any photogs in metro Boston want to network, please drop me a line. Aug 16 05 02:39 pm Link Well I would recommend CFNAP but I'm assuming that it's the studio that is 45 minutes away from you. If you can setup 2 shoots for each date you want to go, it might make it worthwhile. Most models will get tired of studio shots but if you take the time to shoot with them at the studio, they may just want to shoot on location as well. Hope this helps a little.  Aug 16 05 02:50 pm Link If a model has contacted you, it has be to almost obvious that she's seen your work. Why would she want you to deviate from what has been successful for you or from what attracted her to you. I tell people all the time, "I'm not that type of photographer, but I can refer you to someone who is" Aug 16 05 03:20 pm Link Right now I do not use a studio since I cannot afford one, so I do on-location, the pics come out beautiful though, so neither one of us complain. It is a good thing to have one though! Aug 18 05 10:07 am Link * Visual Mindscapes * wrote: Yep, I hear ya. Studio shoots bore me, I was over it after a couple shoots. Thats not to say I won't shoot in studio again, being able to control the light better is a nice advantage. However, no studio backdrop will ever better a beautiful natural one. Aug 18 05 01:42 pm Link I'm in Upstate, NY. I feel you're pain as I don't have space to do studio work either. I did a LOT of studio work in college, I was good at it, and I definitely miss it to some degree. Especially the year-round capability. I have since learned to live without it. I do prefer shooting outdoors when the weather permits, as I live in the country and the scenery is AMAZING in my area! I have the Adirondack Mountains to my North and the Catskills to my South, why would I want to shoot inside? The only downside is that I mainly shoot seasonally, unless the model WANTS to shoot in the snow that is. Aug 18 05 03:46 pm Link MichaelBell wrote: yeah but try and keep the fountains from sprouting out the top of people's heads.... Aug 18 05 04:23 pm Link I have a great appreciation for locations, but where I'm located it's difficult finding places to do nudes outside of the studio. Depending on the available space in your residence, you may be able to get creative and improvise. Many of the "studio" shots in my portfolio, including my new avatar, were taken in my kitchen. The space is too small for full length standing photos, but I can pull off other kinds of shots. During a shoot, the model is in the kitchen and I'm in the living room, shooting over the arm of the futon. The model in the avatar shot is kneeling. I've developed a style of shooting that works within the space for the kind of work that I do. Good luck. Aug 18 05 04:39 pm Link |
