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Studio ceiling height
Studio Photographers- If you are looking at a fairly ideal studio situation, what is your minimum acceptable ceiling height? Is 10' acceptable to you? 12'? Or do you really feel confined with anything under 18' or so? Or perhaps you don't like 18'+ because of the difficulty in rigging lights to the ceiling? I'd love to get some input on what your ideal ceiling height is. Feb 04 14 10:29 pm Link You can adapt to 10' ceilings, but it is a pain. The taller, the better. You can always have brackets/rails at a lower height for the lights. The extra height allows other lights to not bounce if you don't want them to do so. Having the extra height also allows you to place the model on a platform that is higher, and your camera does not have be as low. Having the model on a table is a nice working height, as long as you have plenty of headroom. Feb 05 14 12:06 am Link 10ft is a little difficult when the top of my light modifier is at 13'. This is why I like shooting in my backyard.  Feb 05 14 12:13 am Link Ten feet would work for most applications... BUT... if you need to shoot from above... a pull-down ladder into a loft will shoot you above that 10 foot barrier. The SM Studios ladder access loft comes in handy at moments like this...  https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/1 … 408580.jpg AND... this... https://photos.modelmayhem.com/photos/1 … fc4fb7.jpg Feb 05 14 12:22 am Link Yeah, I'm going back and forth on this. One of my studios has 20' ceilings and the other has 24' ceilings. Both with lofts and rolling staircases for elevated shooting and light rigging. I like having the height. I have a chance to add a 3rd studio (bigger than studios 1 and 2 combined.) But the ceilings are only 10' in half of it, and 12' in the other. However, it has a 4000' square foot outdoor area (I'd love to have a daylight/outdoor cyclorama) and rooftop access with an amazing city skyline view, so that might make up for the ceiling constraints inside. Decisions, decisions. Feb 05 14 04:22 am Link Select Models wrote: Yeah, both of my existing studios have 20'+ ceilings with lofts and 12' tall rolling ladders, so you can position yourself at least 15'-20' above the model. I do like having that for aerial shooting. But those studios are only 1000 and 1500 sq feet each, and this new one would be 3800 sq ft. The best bet would be to have all 3 studios....but that might not be practical. Feb 05 14 04:26 am Link I'm forced to shoot in my studio with only an 8ft ceiling. Believe me, you need 12ft. You also need a minimum of 14ft depth and at least 12ft width and this doesn't include storage. Feb 05 14 04:45 am Link Lots of rental studios in the UK have ceilings 12' or lower. You probably won't be able to charge as much as for a studio with 20' ceilings, but 10' and 12' are perfectly workable unless you want to hang lights high or light very large scenes. Most of my studio work was shot in my kitchen with has 7'6" ceilings and although it can be awkward with a very tall models with big hair, I rarely have problems. That said, I'm not really into hanging lights over models either so of course YMMV. Just my $0.02 etc. etc. Feb 05 14 05:07 am Link How many Italian guys does it take to measure the ceiling height?..  Feb 05 14 05:29 am Link R.EYE.R wrote:
Feb 05 14 06:42 am Link I'd prefer ceiling height of at least 13'-14' minimum for a dedicated studio. That said, for many things, 10' is workable. That said, I often shoot tests in a home studio confined to 8' ceilings and, while it is certainly not ideal, I manage when I do. What do you need for the work that you do? That's the question you really need to be asking, IMHO. Feb 05 14 06:47 am Link 12' worked pretty well for me, but higher would have been better. No matter how big a studio is, you'll always want it bigger and higher and better-equipped. My first studio had a 10' ceiling and was adequate for all the commercial work I did, with careful lighting and composition. In a perfect world... Don Feb 05 14 07:00 am Link R.EYE.R wrote: Lots - as we're all obviously extremely short. Feb 05 14 07:36 am Link I have a 24 ft ceiling in more than 3600 ft^2 space. Nice, I built a bridge to shoot down. But in the winter, it is like burning the 10 bills to heat the place.  To expensive to build another ceiling, but a 14-16 ft ceiling is good compromise. Feb 05 14 09:31 am Link R.EYE.R wrote: All Asian photographers need not reply. Feb 05 14 09:33 am Link DystopianStudios wrote: I assume you're in the studio rental business. You'll have more success attracting larger productions with higher ceilings, 10-12 is not adequate. However, this 3rd studio sounds pretty interesting...something I would like to check out if you get it. Feb 05 14 10:43 am Link My last studio had ceilings of under 10'. My current one has almost 17 feet. There is no comparison. I got by with the first ... I love the current one. Height does make a difference, but if you must, you can live with less. Feb 05 14 01:28 pm Link DystopianStudios wrote: Shooting fashion, serious issue at 10' Feb 05 14 02:02 pm Link DystopianStudios wrote: It depends on what you are trying to shoot/branch out. I would say 10' is the bare minimum. The taller the better, of course. Except when it's cold in winter time and you scream about the heating cost is killing you. Feb 05 14 02:06 pm Link For fashion, I wouldn't even try with anything under 13'. I'd feel comfortable with 16' or higher. Feb 05 14 02:56 pm Link I frequently have the top of a modifier at 12' tall, so anything less than that and I'd be feeling claustrophobic. But if you shoot mostly seated portraits you could probably do fine with 8-10'. I personally would not make a long term commitment (rental lease) or investment in anything under 12-14'. But that's just me. Feb 05 14 03:09 pm Link GPS Studio Services wrote: Me too... my old studio was 9 feet. My current one is 13-16 depending on the slope of roof. I love the extra height. I would never go back to 9 feet again. Feb 05 14 03:50 pm Link Another Italian Guy wrote: <- Russian, but close enough... Feb 06 14 11:18 pm Link I have almost 8' , in my small home studio where all my models are shot.Feb 07 14 01:00 am Link Thanks for the input so far everyone, I really do appreciate it. I'm thinking maybe I'll keep one of my existing studios (with a 24' ceiling) which should satisfy my own high ceiling needs and be an excellent option for renters that need the height. And then get the new one (with the 12' ceiling) as a compliment, and allow me to build a better green screen space. The huge outdoor space (good for fire, water, rain wall, outdoor cyc, etc) the rooftop access with awesome view, and the great street location should compensate enough for the internal limits. Plus, I imagine I will be able to throw some epic events there, which is an added bonus. Thanks everyone. Feb 07 14 12:49 pm Link |
