Light Testing - Home Photography Studio Bridgnorth

 Figuring out a studio set up that I'm happy with has and continues to be an ongoing process for me. My space is very limited which restricts the amount of equipment that I can use and therefor effects the kinds of images that I can take. It's incredibly frustrating and it put me off really spending any time with my studio gear because I couldn't get the results that I wanted. But with a cake smash coming up and after looking over my space with scrutiny, trying to decide if I could rearrange the area to utilise the more baby friendly natural light, I had an epiphany. If I placed the backdrop in a different position to accommodate the natural light, I might lose some space in terms of distance between myself and the subject, but I'd gain a new light source, more width and therefor more space to add modifiers where I couldn't before and with my newer lenses, distance wasn't necessarily an issue I couldn't work around. It was worth a try.

So as always, before the cake smash I tested out the set up with Rory, and I was so pleased with the results! When previously I would shove the backdrop at the furthest end of the room to give myself adequate distance, I brought it forwards, opening up the space for a fill light, reflector and giving the subject far more space to move around. I think the original set up will still be perfect for headshots, and full-body portraits with adults, as I can control the light and my own movement is more important than the model's, but for kids and shooting lower to the ground, this is great and I can't wait to find an excuse to use it again!

My little home studio photography setup

It took me a long time to get to grips with studio photography. When I was studying, my campus had this huge and incredibly intimidating studio with more equipment than I could possibly get my head around and while it would be a real playground for me now, at the time I just didn't know where to begin. So I built my photographic approach around ambient and natural light, which was fine, since I've always had a preference for reportage style work anyway. But sometimes, circumstances (typically the weather) or the clients (the teeny tiny ones) are better in a more controlled environment where the lighting is more predictable, and we can take the time to get a great shot.

I always thought 'studio' photography meant a large, dedicated space with tonnes of expensive gear. But my first 'studio' shoot took place in a tiny, white walled bedroom, with one light and my camera. And those shots are still some of my favourites.

I still don't have a huge dedicated space filled with expensive gear. So far, I haven't found that I need one. My little portable set up works brilliantly in my house and it's great being able to pack it up and take it out on location whenever I need to. For the above shoot I took around 12 headshots, and so being able to pack up my kit and take it along to a rehearsal was much simpler than having everybody come to me. 

When working with babies, having this little setup works perfectly, allowing me to take my time to get the best shot in an environment that is less overwhelming than an outdoor space would be and meaning they can have as many breaks from the camera and the lights as they need.

While I'll probably always prefer shooting in natural light and surroundings, I really love having an alternative space to work in when I need to and it's a lot of fun learning all of the new and interesting ways to light my sitters.