Is your business organisation but getting started or are yous trying to trim expenses? Whether information technology'due south a temporary or permanent solution, a workable product photography studio is doable — even on a tight budget.

Nosotros'll get over picking the best space, what you lot'll need, how to set up upwards your studio, and more.

In this commodity:

  • Choose a location for your photo studio
  • Know what equipment y'all need to set up your photo studio
  • How to ready your product photography studio
  • Consider post-processing
  • FAQs nearly setting up your production photo studio

Choose a location for your product photograph studio

The commencement thing to decide is where to fix upwards your photo studio. A spare or guest room, office space, or even a closet works perfectly for a DIY studio location. If it's a shared or dual-purpose space, pay special attending to how the room is gear up — a picayune rearranging might be necessary before you tin can get to piece of work, and you want that to exist every bit quick and easy as possible. And while the area doesn't accept to be huge, yous want to accept enough space to easily movement around and work.

Here are the main things yous want to pay attention to:

  • Cleanliness: When information technology comes to tidiness, everyone has their ain comfort level, but messes cause stress for well-nigh people. Clutter can also be distracting, inefficient, and a trip hazard.
  • Simplicity: Yous're setting upwards a minor, quality studio just for you so there's no need to overcomplicate it. Purchase only the essentials correct now. If yous have your eye on expensive and loftier-tech equipment, save those ideas for the future when your business grows.
  • Studio lighting: Product photography requires a well-lit expanse. Natural lighting is ideal, but with some noesis, bogus lighting tin work but as well.
  • Size: Depending on your state of affairs, yous might non have a selection when it comes to the size of your studio. A spare room, generous corner or closet, basement, or shed are all doable options. As long as you're able to motility around and accept room for your equipment, you're good to go.
  • Accessibility and availability: The space y'all utilise for your studio should be easy to access. If stairs are difficult for you, for case, wait for a basis-floor infinite. If you know y'all're hands distracted, make sure y'all can cake off some lonely time in your DIY studio space. If you share the space, consider creating a schedule with your roommates. (If you're relying on natural lighting, try to reserve times that provide the best opportunity for calorie-free.)

If you lot're concerned near being able to produce a workable studio in a small space or concerned virtually getting the right tools on a tight upkeep, have a look at this video for some inspiration.

Professional person photographer Jeff Rojas discusses how he was able to build a professional photo studio in 60 foursquare feet of infinite.

Primal takeaways from the video:

  • Studio space is pocket-size: six feet broad x 10 feet deep ten 9 feet tall.
  • The setup summary: background, background stands, c-stand with a smash pole, and a light meter.
  • Backdrop sits adjacent to a window and runs from floor to ceiling.
  • Lighting is a combination of northwest-facing window and studio lighting.

Even if foursquare footage is limited, all it takes is some thoughtfulness and a realistic end goal.

Know what equipment yous need to set your photo studio

Now that you've selected a location for your photography studio, permit'south get it prepare.

For our purposes, we'll focus on product photography, but you lot want to make certain that you're considering your needs earlier making any purchases. Have into account the different styles of product photos you're hoping to capture (lifestyle shots, apartment lays, etc.)

For nearly of your product photography needs, you'll only need a few tools. Let'south have a expect at what you can DIY, where you lot can save money, and what it would make sense to splurge on (if you have whatsoever wiggle room financially).

Camera: splurge

Estimated cost: free (if you lot have a smartphone) to thousands

Your photographic camera is one of the most important pieces of equipment y'all'll buy. So if you lot accept room to splurge, a high-quality camera (or lens) is worth the investment. If you're looking to buy a new (or new to you) photographic camera, try to discover one that has several lens options. As yous take on new work, you lot might desire to upgrade or add additional lenses to your kit.

If an expensive camera isn't in the cards right at present, don't fret. In that location's a good chance that you can shoot loftier-quality product photos using your smartphone. In that location are plenty of photographers that do this — and many fifty-fifty that specialize in smartphone photography.

Tripod: save or splurge

Estimated cost: $50 or more than

Whether you're working with a photographic camera or a smartphone, y'all'll want to order a tripod. A tripod helps you become consistent, steady images. They minimize camera milk shake, so you end up with more professional-looking shots. And you tin can easily find them for effectually $50 at photography stores or online. (If you have room to splurge here, you could consider a higher-end tripod—retrieve $800–$i,500.)

White backdrop: save

Estimated cost: $10 or more

Backdrops volition be super important for your product photography studio, but that doesn't mean y'all accept to spend a fortune on one. You can DIY a white properties with plain paper or a sheet. Only if product photography is something you lot're planning on doing full-time (or keeping in-house), you might want to purchase a white sweep. You can find affordable sweeps on Amazon and other photography stores.

Note: Although a backdrop and a sweep serve basically the aforementioned purpose, a backdrop by and large will become floor to ceiling and a sweep is a smaller, commonly curved groundwork. The size of your space volition probably dictate which works best for you lot.

White bounce boards: save

Estimated toll: $10 or more

Bounce boards make full in whatever shadows that your principal light source doesn't hitting. White bounce boards reflect light back into the shadows to brighten information technology up. Y'all tin purchase bounciness boards online or get (more upkeep-friendly) foam boards from a local office supply or craft shop.

Table and props: salvage

Estimated cost: free or more

Most of your product shoots will probably crave a table (to place the products on). If you have an former coffee table or nightstand, slap-up. You can also bank check out thrift shops, Craigslist, etc. to notice a used table.

To produce interesting and unique images, you'll as well need at least a few photography props. Consider foam, wood, or cement blocks — fifty-fifty household items tin can function as a photography prop.

Modest toolbox: save

Estimated cost: around $xxx

You never know what picayune tools or trinkets you lot'll need while working. If you take the room, go on a toolbox or minor basket handy with items such as tape, clips, fishing line, scissors, mucilage dots and clothespins. That way, when an idea strikes, you'll have everything you lot need to execute.

Lighting or natural light: salvage or splurge

Estimated price: $fifty or more

If your room has plenty of natural light, you should exist able to work with a backdrop, bounce boards, and reflectors. Note: Silver reflectors cool natural low-cal and gold reflectors warm natural light.

For darker rooms, y'all'll have to purchase lighting. A studio speedlight will be smaller and more upkeep-friendly. If yous take a lilliputian more space or money, a studio strobe light might be a better option.

Call back: At that place'south no need to spend a lot of money on high-tech equipment, especially when there's a much more than affordable pick.

How to prepare your product photography studio

One of the pros of having a smaller studio infinite is a simple fix upwardly. Your tabular array will probably stay in the aforementioned identify and you'll quickly figure out the best mode to light your studio.

Arrange tabletop and props

Before you start setting up, clean your space (if information technology's not already). Wipe down your table and props then you don't meet dust in the images.

Next, get your background set up, and make sure it'southward secure. The last thing you need is for your groundwork to fall down mid shoot.

Now the fun part: props. Photographer Brooke Lark suggests picking a loose theme. Select props that are roughly the same size, shape, and hue. Every bit you get more comfortable with using props for production photography, your eye volition develop enough to know when you can get abroad with odd shapes, ambivalent colors, or unlike sizes.

Afterward yous arrange your product and props, you want to set and check the lighting.

Ready your lightsource: natural vs. artificial

If your studio has natural light, you have it a petty easier. Simply you lot yet desire to make certain it's a soft low-cal.

Whether you're working with natural or artificial lite, you may need a diffuser. They soften the light source, thus reducing harsh shadows.

The video beneath shows a super simple and affordable lighting setup for product photography. All yous really need is a lamp with a fluorescent bulb.

At minimum, you should take a main light source, a bounciness board (to lift shadows), and a light diffuser. Eventually, yous may determine to invest in reflectors, a light meter, and a white balance card.

Stabilize camera and test photographic camera settings

Are your product and props arranged? Is your lighting set up? If you answered yes to both, it's time for a exam shoot.

One time your camera or smartphone is secured on a tripod, commencement taking photos.

  • How do the props look?
  • What about the lighting arrangement?
  • Are your camera settings right?

Test shots are a crucial stride, but this phase shouldn't take a ton of fourth dimension — especially once you get more accustomed to working in your infinite.

Ideally yous'll exam, make a few adjustments, then move on to the bulk of the photography work for the 24-hour interval.

Something to annotation: For brand new photographers a test shoot might be used to produce portfolio images or improve skills. And photographers of all skill levels often set examination shoots to try new equipment. Examination shoots are not free customer piece of work.

Consider mail service-processing

For professionals that focus on product photography, the work isn't done after the photoshoot. At that place's the always important edits. But photo-editing software tin be pricey. If y'all're on a budget, outsourcing mail service-production edits to a photo-editing studio like Path makes professional imagery possible — and affordable.

Find out how to get started with your virtual photo-editing studio

FAQs near setting up your product photograph studio

How practice you lot brand a cheap properties?

You tin make a cheap properties with common and affordable items such every bit affiche board, sheets, canvas cloth, paper rolls, forest boards, and even walls. Hang, prop upwards, or drape your material to create a cheap backdrop.

How exercise I create a photography studio for my budget?

Y'all can create a photography studio for your budget by following the steps in this post:

  1. Choose a location
  2. Become your equipment
  3. Suit your infinite
  4. Fix your lighting
  5. Stabilize and test your camera

How do you photo products on a budget?

You lot tin photograph products on a upkeep by doing it yourself in your own studio or space and and then outsourcing time-consuming edits to a photo-editing studio like Path. This post shows you how to fix your ain product photography studio on a budget.

How exercise I ready up my own studio?

You can ready your ain studio by finding a space, setting up your lighting, getting your equipment, organizing a backdrop and props, and conducting exam shots to brand sure everything is set upward right. Yous can follow the advice in this post.

Laura Bauer

Laura Bauer is a Texas-based writer and photographer. She focuses on helping brands make meaningful connections with their customers. When she'due south non at her computer or behind a camera, you tin can find her riding her horses, training dogs or hiking.