Any Studio Owners Here?

[Peachy]

Anyone running their own studio? Either in a shopping centre, high street or back garden cabin? Or even from the bedroom which is how I started out!

I have a studio in a lovely small town called Wendover in Bucks. It's just off the High Street and we were lucky enough to have Costa open on the same day as us just opposite our shop. We were in a unit in a shopping centre in Aylesbury. But they gave us notice to quit last July so they could knock them down a build a big glass case for Top Shop. I thought it was a disaster at the time but now count my blessings. I LOVE our new studio!

[Beaux Reflets]

I remember the TV program Andy  I hope business is still going like a belter for you all.

I have a art studio come day room at home which has natural roof light via a velux, along with two french windows, and a handy balcony for overhead work on the North side of the house which is ideal. Still some finishing work to be done, but it is large enough to allow shuffling of furniture for dual purpose as and when required. 

[Reinardina]

It looks wonderful
I have no studio at all. Have to use whatever comes to hand.

[Peachy]

I remember the TV program Andy  I hope business is still going like a belter for you all.

I have a art studio come day room at home which has natural roof light via a velux, along with two french windows, and a handy balcony for overhead work on the North side of the house which is ideal. Still some finishing work to be done, but it is large enough to allow shuffling of furniture for dual purpose as and when required. 

Thanks Andy. We are quieter but clients are bigger spenders. We've changed how we work quite a lot. Mainly because we have so much more room. We no longer shoot in a 'big white box' unless customers request it. We took the decision not to build an infinity wall in our new studio for a number of reasons not least of which was kiddies think its a skate park.

We picked up two commercial shoots and one portrait booking so far which was directly from the program. We've had lots of people come in to look at the weird people off the telly. Lol Some might say it was a good return from an hours program but of course the commitment from us was a day a week for eight months. Still debating whether the investment was worth the return,

The studios at home can work well. It's a pain shuffling furniture though, isn't it? I used a Lastolite Hilite in my home studio. It fitted in the bay window perfectly.

[Peachy]

It looks wonderful
I have no studio at all. Have to use whatever comes to hand.

Well I bet you get to do location shoots a lot! We love doing them but of course with a studio that's mostly what people want. (Studio) Our next door neighbour here has said we can use her lovely garden so we've done a couple there. We don't want to wear out her hospitality though so we're not using it too much.

[Beaux Reflets]

I remember the TV program Andy  I hope business is still going like a belter for you all.

I have a art studio come day room at home which has natural roof light via a velux, along with two french windows, and a handy balcony for overhead work on the North side of the house which is ideal. Still some finishing work to be done, but it is large enough to allow shuffling of furniture for dual purpose as and when required. 

Thanks Andy. We are quieter but clients are bigger spenders. We've changed how we work quite a lot. Mainly because we have so much more room. We no longer shoot in a 'big white box' unless customers request it. We took the decision not to build an infinity wall in our new studio for a number of reasons not least of which was kiddies think its a skate park.

We picked up two commercial shoots and one portrait booking so far which was directly from the program. We've had lots of people come in to look at the weird people off the telly. Lol Some might say it was a good return from an hours program but of course the commitment from us was a day a week for eight months. Still debating whether the investment was worth the return,

The studios at home can work well. It's a pain shuffling furniture though, isn't it? I used a Lastolite Hilite in my home studio. It fitted in the bay window perfectly.

The pain of having to move furniture is possibly out balanced by lower overheads, against the high cost of running a separate studio. At the end of the day it is the skill of the photographer that wins, provided that the clients are there (as so many more businesses and families do their own shots these days) and it is very hard to make a living these days unless you have a unique edge to your work.

I hope the TV production team use your services for Publicity Stills with the other businesses they help. 

[Reinardina]

It looks wonderful
I have no studio at all. Have to use whatever comes to hand.

Well I bet you get to do location shoots a lot! We love doing them but of course with a studio that's mostly what people want. (Studio) Our next door neighbour here has said we can use her lovely garden so we've done a couple there. We don't want to wear out her hospitality though so we're not using it too much.

I mainly do location shoots, but I don't 'get to' do them, as I only shoot as a hobby. No paying clients.

Can't you return your neighbour's favour, by doing some work for her? Garden/grandchildren/pets? It seems a relationship well worth cultivating.

[jinky]

No , no studio for me. I am able to borrow space at times - one place free, one place very cheap but rarely bother. Had a good relationship with the old Corn Exchange manager who used to let me shoot for free in empty upstairs rooms - fantastic light and set up but no more as she has  left. Done a few family shoots on location which worked well but weather is always the issue.

What was the programme? I missed that. Any way of seeing it anywhere as I`d be interested din seeing what you were doing.

[Mick]

What was the programme? I missed that. Any way of seeing it anywhere as I`d be interested din seeing what you were doing.

Paul, Andy was featured on "Alex Polizzi - The Fixer"  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qyqcb

[jinky]

Very brave going on there! Hope it works out for you with the studio - looks nice. Just out of interest did the shots work out OK at Whipsnade. Seemed a funny set up with red canvas over a white backdrop and no lights -  not ideal . Then again it was probably TV needs setting up like that for their purposes rather than a good photography set up..

[donoreo]

No actual studio, but I have seen some photos of great little "log cabin" type sheds people have built to use.  I do have a bunch of lights and umbrellas that I just have not got around to using yet.  The initial two stands, lights, umbrellas were on sale on Amazon for a great price so I got them.  I had two stands already I had picked up on another deal and so I have also added flash head holders and some umbrellas (again on sale) for those.  I have some shoot through umbrellas and some reflective ones.  I just need to use them now    Oh, and maybe let my wife know they exist in the house.... 

[Peachy]

Very brave going on there! Hope it works out for you with the studio - looks nice. Just out of interest did the shots work out OK at Whipsnade. Seemed a funny set up with red canvas over a white backdrop and no lights -  not ideal . Then again it was probably TV needs setting up like that for their purposes rather than a good photography set up..

The shots were complete rubbish. My jaw dropped when I saw what they'd got. It hissed down with rain and hailstones for 99% of the day. I had to lay in mud to get photos. The generator for the lights couldn't be used because it rained so much. They had NO idea on how it should have been set up for a photo event outside (or inside for that matter). I felt so embarrassed about the photos I cried. I'm so glad that we didn't see many people and they didn't take many of the photos away with them. It was either the first or second day of filming. Pretty much set the stage for the rest of it TBH.

[jinky]

Thought so. It`s amazing the way things are staged for TV with no bearing on reality. If anyone remembers Challenge Anneka I was a youth worker in Leeds working with a very difficult group of young people more focused on heroin use than helping others. When Anneka and her crew came to "do up" the derelict building of a charity moving into the area I spend ages persuading the youth group to help and finally took a dozen or so over as requested volunteers. The TV crew were so rude. Didn`t want to know. "No unskilled ne`er do wells required ", in fact no volunteers at all as they had local tradesmen lined up to do the job within 48 hours."Go away". Well our group went away very disgruntled. So annoyed that a few of them came back later and stole Anneka`s buggy left parked in one of the highest crime area parks opposite with the ignition keys inn. When directed my way as a possible source of help I am afraid I was suitably rude back and asked if they`d like my "ne`er do wells" to try and get it back for them. We did manage to dins it in the undercroft of an abandoned local church, sheeted over and awaiting a buyer and got a nice little donation to centre funds. Oh ( I am ashamed to say) how we laughed!Didn`t know for certain until 18 months later it was some of our crew but strongly suspected it.

As for the building - it was finished in two days. Rushed work failed to meet building regs, wet and dry rot had been missed in floors and roof timbers and the place could not open and had to be effectively re- done from scratch. When I said to the manager that they should sue Anneka`s mates I was told their contract forbade contact with press etc about it. Did feature in the Evening Post shortly afterwards though. Evidently some local ne`er do well youth worker peeved at rejection of their youth group leaked details to the press who kept their sources secret  .