Tips for Studio Photography

Not long ago, studio photography was considered very expensive. However, things have changed now and you can easily set up a studio in your home. If you are here, then it means you already have your camera and studio set up, but let us guess, you do not know where to start. No worries, it might be confusing to start right now. But once you go through the following tips for studio photography, you will have a clear idea of where to begin.

Choose Your Lens

Since studios have limited space, the lens will affect your photos more than the distance you are capturing the image from. First of all, remember that if you use a wide-angle lens, then it will capture most of the background. However, it will produce a stretching effect called distortion. To remove distortion, you can use a short, telephoto lens such as the 85mm prime lens. In addition to removing distortion, it will limit the background distraction as well providing a clean image.

Get Creative with the Lighting

One of the best tips for studio photography that you can get is to be creative with the lighting. You do not have to stick to the common practices when you can do so much more. For instance, if you want your subject to stand out and be dramatic as well, then use Rim Lighting. If you are familiar with the two-light 45-degree setup, it will be easy for you. After completing that setup, add two lights with strip softboxes, to the sides. You can work with reflectors, diffusers, and also window light to make a soft diffused natural appearance of the subject. Just try to be creative during the whole process.

Photo edited in Lightroom.

Move for Zoom - Tips for Studio Photography

As discussed in the beginning, there is already very limited space in the studio. So, if you want to zoom, you will have to do it by physically moving closer to the subject. This is not only linked to the limited space but the creative aspect as well. When you are forced to move around, you start looking for different angles. This is one of those tips for studio photography that will help your creative juices flow. Move closer to the subject, take the images from sides, up, and even down. Just keep changing the angles and perspective. Yes, you will have a diverse and confusing image gallery but there will surely be some of your best works in there.

Use a Tripod and Remote Trigger

Again, this is one of those tips for studio photography that is dependent on your preference. Although some photographers feel that a tripod comes in the way of their photography, it can be quite useful as well. Take it this way, if you are holding the camera, you not only have to worry about the model or the subject, you also have to keep the camera steady. If you use a tripod with a remote trigger, then you will have the freedom to interact with the subject more naturally.

Single Point Focus

The best thing about Single Point Focus is that it gives you control over the focus. Focus can make or break your image and unfortunately, it cannot be fixed in post-production. The automatic coordinate system decides the focus itself, but as we said, the beauty of Single Point Focus is that you can put the focus anywhere you want.

Photo edited in Photoshop

Get Inspiration - Tips for Studio Photography

All of these tips for studio photography will only work if you pick up the camera and start shooting. If you are still confused about where to start, then the best way is to take inspiration from veteran studio photographers. Just look up their social media accounts and observe their works. Focus on their composition and lighting techniques and the poses of their models. However, remember not to copy their styles. Just get some inspiration and create your style.

Shoot in RAW

You get two options, either to shoot in JPEG or RAW. The JPEG format might look better in theory as it saves space and makes the images look slightly better right out of the camera. But it will drastically reduce your ability to post-process the image. In contrast, RAW holds much more detail and information of the image which makes it easy to adjust individual aspects of the image.

Connect with your Client

This might sound like one of the most obvious tips for studio photography. But it is the most important tip. The idea is simple, you are working in a confined space. If you do not try to connect or engage with your client, then it will be an extremely awkward process for both of you. Also, interacting with them brings out their natural emotions, rather than just working with forced poses.

Conclusion - Tips for Studio Photography

So, there you have our best tips for studio photography. An important thing that you need to remember is that these tips are just the beginning of the learning process. The main thing that counts is that you take these tips, experiment on them, and learn even more on your own. Lastly, make sure that you and your clients have a good time during the shoot.