Having a photography home studio is pretty awesome. I used to think I needed a fancy “separate” space for my photography work, but financially it didn’t make sense for me. And, as I grew as a professional food photographer, I discovered that you can shoot food from anywhere, especially with the right tools. This post shares the benefits of working with the space you have and a variety of photography equipment ideas to help make your home shoots more efficient. I am also sharing my own home photography studio transformation where I moved my studio from the entryway of our house to our basement. 😉
This post contains affiliate links. Read the affiliate disclosure.
Benefits Of Having A Home Photography Studio
Lower Overhead Costs
Working with the space you have to create a home photography studio is a really smart financial move. Your overhead business costs will be much lower since you’re not renting a separate space. This alone can ease the stress that comes with the inconsistent income as a freelancer.
Working From Home Has Become The Norm
Working from home has become the norm after the pandemic. Being able shoot at home is a huge benefit for clients who need work done remotely. This also allows you a lot of flexibility to create images whenever you want and stay on top of your portfolio of images.
Builds Problem Solving Skills
Shooting from home can pose some challenges. In general, you don’t have a lot of space to work with, rarely have a team there to help you and have to think on your feet all the time. However, knowing how to navigate those challenges, without the bells and whistles of a fancy studio and a team of people to help you, is a huge value that you bring to the table. A photographer’s role involves more than just taking pictures. You have to be a problem solver and working with the space you have teaches you how to do that.
Considerations For A Home Photography Studio
Space
When it comes to building a home photography studio, you really need to consider how much space you have to work with. Do you want to have one designated area to shoot or are you going to set up in multiple areas around your house? Figuring out your space is important, because it will help you determine what equipment will be the best fit for your space.
My Space: I started off shooting in the entryway of our house. It’s roughly 8ft x 21.5ft, so it’s long and narrow. I couldn’t have a big table in there, but a folding card table definitely did the trick. Plus, if I wanted to shoot in another area of the house, the card table was easy to fold up and move to another spot. Now, I shoot in our basement, which I’ll talk more about later in the post.
Lighting
We all know that light is incredibly important in photography. Wherever you decide to shoot, you need to have a light to work with.
If you are a natural light shooter, you’ll want to make sure that you can set up next to a window so you can use the natural window light coming in to light your subject.
If you shoot with artificial lights, you can set up anywhere you want as long as you have the space for the extra equipment.
Storage
Storage is definitely the tricky part about having a home studio. You need storage for your everyday “home things,” but you may also want to put your equipment away too. I recommend cleaning out a closet that you can dedicate for your photography equipment and props. If closet space is limited, this is when you need to be very selective in what types of equipment you get so it doesn’t end up taking over your home. Remember, you can do a lot of creative work with natural light, a camera, a good lens, surface and prop variety and editing software.
Budget
Budget is very important to take into consideration after you evaluate your space, lighting and storage. There’s no need to break the bank when it comes to creating a functional home photography studio. Photography equipment isn’t cheap, but luckily you really don’t need a lot to create beautiful images. If you have a camera and light, that’s a great start.
Redfin Article
Redfin recently published an article called 18 Expert Tips To Create The Perfect Home Photography Studio. It was fun to contribute to their article with seventeen other photographers who shared their own home photography studio tips. Be sure to check out what they had to say… You just might get inspired!
Photography Studio Equipment
Let’s talk about different equipment for your home studio. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need much to get started, but there are some other things to consider that may make shooting at home a little easier for you.
I’m going to talk about the following photography equipment ideas that work well with a variety of different spaces:
- TABLE
- SURFACES & BACKDROPS
- LIGHTS
- LIGHT MODIFIERS
- TRIPODS
- TETHERING & COMPUTER SETUP
Tables
When thinking about your home photography studio, you are going to need a spot to set up. Whether that’s your dining room table or a separate table that you can move around throughout your house is up to you. Remember to consider your space and where you can access the best light.
If you’d like to avoid your dining room table, some portable table recommendations are:
- FOLDABLE CARD TABLE
- SAW HORSES
- APPLE BOXES
FOLDABLE CARD TABLE
Foldable card tables aren’t the prettiest things, but they are stable, fold up flat for easy storage and can get moved around with little effort. I have used a foldable table for years and it does the trick.
SAW HORSES
Saw horses are another great option to consider. They’re easy to move around your space and they fold up easily when you want to put them away. You can also adjust the width of them to fit a variety of surface sizes. But, keep in mind, you’ll definitely need some surfaces in order to actually use these.
APPLE BOXES
The only drawback to using a foldable card table or saw horses is that you can’t really adjust the height of your surface area. Apple boxes are a sturdy option if you need to adjust the height of your surface setup. Simply add or remove boxes to increase or decrease the height.
Surfaces & Backdrops
Surfaces & backdrops are going to help you eliminate a busy background and create more of a mood and a “scene” for your food.
Some different surface & backdrop recommendations are:
- REPLICA SURFACES
- BEST EVER BACKDROPS (USE CODE: REGANBARONI FOR 15% OFF YOUR ORDER)
- ERICKSON SURFACES
BEST EVER BACKDROPS
Best Ever Backdrops is one of my favorite surface vendors.
PROS
There’s a variety of options to choose from and they also allow you to create custom backdrops as needed. The reason I like them so much is because they offer a variety of sizes, beautiful colors and textures and they’re lightweight. They’re also incredibly durable and stain resistant.
CONS
Best Ever Backdrops are a little more expensive than just buying some foam boards, but it is worth it! Foam boards don’t last very long, because food photography is messy. They just aren’t very durable, stain easily and get scuffed up quickly. You’ll end up having to buy new foam boards on a regular basis and that expense will add up fast.
ERICKSON SURFACES
Erickson Surfaces are very popular amongst the food photography community.
PROS
They offer a variety of sizes, including custom sizing and colors and the quality is top-notch. They can really create anything you want and their work is stunning.
CONS
Their surfaces are very heavy. This is a big drawback for me, because I shoot on location a lot and bringing heavy surfaces and backdrops is a real drag. They’re also pretty expensive in comparison to Best Ever Backdrops. They are technically stain resistant, but they’re not quite as easy to clean since they are made from wood, asphalt or plaster.
READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS
Lighting
Natural light is beautiful for food photography. Artificial light is another beautiful option, with a little more of a learning curve involved. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of each for your home studio.
NATURAL LIGHT
Natural light is the sun. If you have a window that lets in enough light, it’s a great place to start learning the importance of light for your food images.
PROS
- LESS GEAR
- LESS COST INVOLVED
CONS
- IT’S CONSTANTLY CHANGING
- HAVE TO ADJUST CAMERA SETTINGS MORE FREQUENTLY
- LIMITED BY DAYLIGHT HOURS
READ MORE ABOUT: NATURAL LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Artificial lights are studio lights (not including the overhead lights in your house). They can include speed lights, continuous lights and strobes. Artificial lighting offers a lot more flexibility when it comes to lighting your food photography in comparison to natural light.
PROS
- SET UP ANYWHERE YOU WANT
- SHOOT AT ANY TIME OF DAY
- EASY TO MOVE THE LIGHT AROUND
- EASY TO ADJUST THE POWER FOR THE BEST LIGHT
- EASY TO MANIPULATE THROUGH LIGHT MODIFIERS
CONS
- MORE GEAR TO WORK WITH
- A LITTLE LEARNING CURVE INVOLVED
- MORE COST INVOLVED
My two favorite artificial lights that currently love using in my home studio and on location are listed below.
- AMARAN 100D (Continuous light)
- PROFOTO B10 (Strobe & Continuous light in one)
Light Modifiers
Whether you’re using natural or artificial light, having light modifiers in your home studio will help you take more control over your lighting. I’m listing some ideas below and noted if they’ll help with your natural light or your artificial light or both.
LIGHT MODIFIERS FOR NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
- BLACK & WHITE FOAM BOARD (both)
- DIFFUSERS (both)
- REFLECTORS (both)
- SOFT BOXES (artificial)
- UMBRELLAS (artificial)
- GRIDS (artificial)
- GELS (artificial)
READ MORE ABOUT: ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Tripods
Holding your camera is how most people get started with photography, which is A-OK! But, eventually, having a good tripod is going to come in handy. Certain types of food shots, camera settings and lighting require you to stabilize your camera so you don’t end up with a blurry image.
I’m sharing some tripods that I have owned and loved below.
THE OBEN
The Oben Tripod is super lightweight, packs up nice and small for travel and doesn’t take up much space in a smaller studio. It’s not quite as sturdy, but it definitely does the trick. One of my favorite things about this tripod in the beginning was that the legs can flip completely upside down to let you shoot overhead without an extension arm. The downside to this tripod is that you may have to setup overhead shots on the floor and the legs have the potential to get in the way. Setting up on the floor isn’t ideal unless you’re just shooting overhead. If you need to get an angled shot, you’ll have to move the setup up on a table.
THE MANFROTTO
I love my Manfrotto tripod. This one is a little sturdier than the Oben, but still packs up and travels easily. The legs don’t flip upside down with this tripod, so in order to shoot overhead, you need to buy an extension arm. The original arm on the tripod isn’t very long and won’t reach far enough over your table. I have the Photek Tripod Extension Arm which works really well for overhead shots.
For any overhead set up where you are using an extension arm of some kind, I highly recommend having sand bags on hand to counter balance the weight of your camera.
MY SEPARATE OVERHEAD SETUP
For my overhead photography, I have a special setup in my home studio. Overhead shots are very popular in food photography, so having a separate overhead setup allows me to use my tripods for other popular angles like straight on or 3/4 angle.
READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST OVERHEAD SETUP FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Shooting Tethered
In the beginning, I would shoot images and review them on the small LCD screen on the back of my camera. After I was done shooting, I would upload the images to my computer and start editing. Unfortunately, the small LCD screen caused me to miss important details that I would have fixed before finishing the shoot. Relying on the LCD screen also caused me to take A LOT more pictures than I needed just to be sure I got the shot. When it came time to edit, I not only would notice missed details, but I also had A TON of images to sort through.
What Is Tethered Shooting?
Shooting tethered for certain types of projects is awesome for shooting at home as well as during client shoots. Tethered means that your camera is hooked up to your computer by an extra cable so you can view your images on the bigger screen as you shoot. It’s a huge time saver, because you can review the images on a larger screen, make adjustments on set, edit images as you go and not have to take soooooo many pictures to be sure you got “the one.”
My tethering & computer setup recommendations are:
- TETHER CABLES
- REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE
- UTILITY CART
- EDITING SOFTWARE
TEATHER CABLES
The first thing you need to shoot tethered (assuming you have a camera and a computer) is a tethering cable that will connect from your camera to your computer. It’s important to note that tethering cables vary per camera model, so be sure you get the right cable that is compatible to the ports in your camera and computer.
For example, I have the Nikon D750 and the FujiFilm XT3. These are two completely different cameras, so I have two different tether cables for each camera.
For the Nikon D750, I use the Tether Tools TetherPro USB 2.0 to Mini-B 8-Pin Cable.
For the Fuji XT3, I use the TetherPro USB-3 to USB-C.
I get the bright orange 15′ cables so they’re more visible on set. If you need more than 15′, I recommend getting a compatible extension.
Computer Setup
Remote Shutter Release
A remote shutter release is a tool that you don’t necessarily need, but once you get one, you wonder how you ever lived without it. 😉
The type of shutter release you should get depends on your camera model, so be sure to check that it’s compatible. The one I’ve linked is compatible with a variety of Nikon camera models.
This little tool allows you to fire your camera without touching your camera. It also allows you to get some really fun shots, especially when you are shooting by yourself. When shooting tethered, you can fire your camera from your computer, but a remote shutter release allows you to be wherever you need to be.
For example, I looooove to shoot drinks and will often shoot swirls, pours or splashes. If I’m on set by myself, a remote shutter allows me to be near the drink to create the splash or swirl and fire the camera at just the right moment. A shutter release opens up the door for some super amazing shots… no team needed.
Utility Cart
Another product I have really enjoyed having in my home studio, especially for shooting tethered, is a utility cart for my computer and other items. I used to use an extra chair, but it was a bit clunky to move around and my computer wasn’t exactly “secure” on a chair.
The utility cart has wheels that lock so I can move it around easily and then secure it to make sure it stays in place. It also has extra shelves for additional equipment you might want to have nearby.
Editing Software
After you have your tethering cable, you will want to get editing software that will recognize your camera. I highly recommend Lightroom or Capture One. A lot of photographers also use Photoshop for editing, but you can’t tether using Photoshop alone. Lightroom may be the best option to start with, because you can bundle it together with Photoshop which is a great combo of software for photographers.
READ MORE ABOUT: HOW TO SHOOT TETHERED FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Old Photography Home Studio
Now that we’ve talked about working with the space you have and some possible equipment recommendations for more efficient photo shoots at home, I want to share my home photography studio transformation with you. This was a very exciting move for me!
As I mentioned earlier, my home studio used to be in the entryway of our house. It’s a long and narrow space that is roughly 8ft x 21.5ft. I started shooting in our entryway, because it was an open space with a large window that let in a lot of gorgeous natural light. I started using natural light photography before I switched to using artificial lights, so that large window was key for me in the beginning.
After switching to artificial lighting, a lot more doors opened up to me as a food photographer. My skillset grew by leaps and bounds… and so did my equipment. And, the more equipment you have, the more space you are going to need.
The narrow entryway started feeling way too cramped and it was difficult to move my equipment around for different types of setups. See an image of my home studio setup in the entryway of our house below.
New Home Photography Studio
One day, as I was cleaning out my prop closest in the basement, it dawned on me that our basement is an unused space that had so much potential to be a great home photography studio for me.
Since I was no longer shooting with natural light, I didn’t need to rely on that large window in the entryway anymore. And, after talking with Mike about it, we decided we would move my studio downstairs.
We decided to work with Anne from Space Evolution to help us rip up the carpet, put in new flooring and paint the walls, trim and doors.
Check out the transformation below!
It’s a pretty cool transformation, right? I am loving the extra space so much. Should I do an updated home studio tour?
When it comes to building your photography home studio, I always say stay true to your space and your budget. You can produce gorgeous food images with just a camera, a good lens, some surfaces, props and editing software. As your skills grow, you will figure out what else you need to make your photo shoots at home more efficient and successful for you. Reach out with questions anytime!
Happy Creating!
EQUIPMENT SUMMARY FOR YOUR HOME PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
TABLES
- 24″ x 48″ FOLDING TABLE
- 3ft x 3ft. ALUMINUM FOLDING TABLE
- SAW HORSE – 2 PACK
- SAW HORSE PAIR – FOLDING METAL STANDS
- APPLE BOXES
SURFACES
TRIPODS
LIGHTS
LIGHT MODIFIERS
- BLACK & WHITE FOAM BOARD (both)
- DIFFUSERS (both)
- REFLECTORS (both)
- SOFT BOXES (artificial)
- UMBRELLAS (artificial)
- GRIDS (artificial)
- GELS (artificial)
TETHERING & COMPUTER SETUP
- TETHER CABLES (varies per camera)
- EDITING SOFTWARE
- TETHER BLOCK
- REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE (varies per camera)
- UTILITY CART
RELATED POST: FOOD STYLING TOOLS EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD HAVE
—
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support.
All images ©Regan Baroni 2021.
Comments +