5 Budget Essentials for a Home Photography Studio
For a lot of aspiring photographers during these worrying times, they may be thinking about how to continue doing what they love from home.
There may even be a good portion of people out there who have considered setting up a home studio, and I truly believe there is no better time than now.
This week I’ve complied a few of my favourite essential budget accessories for a home studio. I won’t be going into detail regarding any cheap lighting recommendations as I believe that it’s important to have a safe and efficient lighting setup. It’s generally something that I feel is worth the investment with a trusted brand, even for a beginner.
However, I have listed quite a few other essentials for a home studio that you can purchase on a budget below!
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1. Reflector
This is single-handedly one of the most important elements of a home studio. Reflectors are so incredibly versatile as you can use them as a fill light or to absorb light, to soften light and to add an extra catch light. You also have the option of using cheaper materials like white cardboard or paper to use as a reflective material.
However I’ve personally purchased 5-in-1 reflectors from eBay in the past. (Pictured below.)
They’re cheap, versatile and easily portable. 5-in1 reflectors generally have a gold option for warmth, a silver side for cool tones and to enhance highlights, a white side for a soft fill, a black side to absorb light and a translucent side to soften.
2. Fabric Backdrops
I personally have had a history of using fabric cuttings for backdrops. They’re inexpensive, easily portable and available in an endless range of colours. I prefer to opt for a canvas style and feel as it tends to be a bit thicker and stronger.
The only downside to fabric is that it does tend to crease, to fix this I either use a spray bottle to wet and then pat down the creases, a steamer or an iron. I usually purchase my fabric backdrops from Spotlight in Australia, however there are plenty of places online such as eBay or Amazon as well.
3. Backdrop Stand
While we’re on the subject of backdrops, I definitely recommend purchasing a backdrop stand. There are many different cheap styles on eBay and Amazon which I have also previously purchased.
Keep in mind with these though, you get what you pay for. Some of them do have the tendency to feel quite flimsy. If you’re using it for small scale work or basic portrait photography though it’s a perfectly fine option.
4. Bar Stool
Having a bar stool for models to sit on in a home studio is something that is often forgotten! It’s actually a common studio accessory in particular for portrait photography. You also really need to ensure that there is no visible backing to the chair for studio photographs. I purchased mine from Kmart for around $20, although there are various options once again on eBay and Amazon.
5. Storage Trolley
Keeping my home studio organised is something that I can be quite terrible at unfortunately! However having a storage trolley for this definitely can help. Storing things like lens caps, tethering cords, memory cards, batteries and lens filters can makes things so much easier and efficient. Ensuring that the trolley is also on wheels can make it easier to move around your home studio.
I hope you all enjoyed this article on 5 budget essentials to purchase for a home studio. I really do believe that you don’t need expensive items to have your own home studio setup.
If you’re going to make an investment in any studio items, I really feel it should be the lighting. In my opinion the lighting you own should always be safe first and foremost, but should also be quality enough to help properly light your images. If you’re after a decent lighting brand that is great value for money, I highly recommend Godox. You can check them out here: http://www.godox.com/EN/
Until next time! x
