There's no need to spend tens of thousands on lighting equipment to create professional-quality portraits. In this guide, we'll show you how to shoot truly original portraits worthy of any photographer's portfolio, with a standard home studio kit.

You don't need fancy light sources or expensive equipment to create powerful lighting effects for portrait photos. A simple set of two monoblock pulse sources is a great start.

Fortunately, such a kit is available and relatively inexpensive. Even if you don't have one, or don't plan to buy one, for practical application For this guide, an external flash and a few basic accessories will work.

Once you have the right accessories, you'll discover ways to control the light. You can dramatically improve the technical level of a portrait using a few simple tools, accessories, tips and techniques. However, it's worth taking the time to experiment with different lighting schemes.

Prepare your equipment for creativity

There are a bunch of attachments that you can use to control the intensity ( approx. translator - and quality) lighting: softboxes, umbrellas, tubes, curtains, beauty dishes, etc. Most beginner kits come with a softbox and an umbrella.

They are perfect for creating diffuse, diffused, soft lighting, while tubes, curtains and honeycombs are designed to create a directed light flux.

A good way to learn how to control light is to think through a lighting design. At first glance, this seems like a difficult task. But it only seems so. Most monoblocks are equipped with a source of modeling, pilot, light - a constant radiation lamp, which can illuminate the scene throughout the entire shooting without affecting the exposure.

Modeling light is great for assessing how light from a flash source will fall on your subject. First, make sure the modeling light is on.

Move the monoblock relative to the model. The closer the light source is to the subject being photographed, the softer the lighting - the transitions from highlights to penumbra and penumbra to shadows are longer and smoother. And vice versa, the further you go, the harder it is, the shadows are thicker and their edges are clearer.

The height at which the source is placed relative to the model is also important. In most cases, you may want to mount the monoblock higher than your subject. But it's worth experimenting and seeing how the light falls on the model when the source is above or below her head. Also think about the angle of inclination of the monoblock in relation to the model: the direction of light “opposite” or “top-down” is usually the most acceptable options.

  • Find out more: Setting up a home studio: equipment, setup, filming.

Practice

The classic, “Rembrandt” light scheme to start with is named after Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn, a 17th century Dutch artist. The fact that this particular scheme is involved is evidenced by a light spot in the shape of a triangle on the model’s cheek. ( approx. translator - one side of the triangle is formed by the shadow from the brow ridge, the other - by the shadow from the nose, the third - by the shadow located along the unlit half of the face from the cheekbone to the chin.) Rembrandt often used this type of lighting in his portraits.

Ideally, you should position the light source relative to the model's head so that the shadow from the tip tends to the corner of the mouth.

Despite the fact that Rembrandt's scheme - a good start, do not stop there, do not use it constantly. In a different shooting situation and with a different model, a different distribution of highlights and shadows would be more appropriate.

  • Find out more:

Huge advantage digital technology is that you can experiment and, at the same time, monitor the test results on the camera screen. Gone are the days when you had to calculate every frame with utmost care and take care of expensive film. Then wait until she returned from the darkroom to finally see what the experiments led to.

In addition to installing a suitable lighting scheme, it is necessary to psychologically win over the model. The pose in which the model looks best, the emotion and atmosphere of communication... and, of course, the composition that makes the photo expressive.

Prepare the studio

Install lighting

Set the main (picture) light source at a 45-degree angle formed between the model-photographer and model-source lines, and above the model's head. Try moving the source to achieve a triangle of light on the model’s face, on the half of it that is distant from the source. The shadow from the tip of the nose touches the corner of the mouth.

  • Find out more: The best external camera flashes for portrait photography. Comparative test of 6 models.

Highlight your hair

Place the second light source with a tube behind the model - in a position opposite to the main light source relative to the model. The second source gives directed hard light to the model’s hair. Finally, use a reflector to highlight the shadows on the face, on the side where the light from the key source creates a triangle of light.

Tune in

Turn on the manual shooting mode on the camera, focusing on the picture on the camera screen and the histogram, achieve normal exposure. Make sure the shutter speed you shoot at is not faster than the sync speed, which is usually 1/250th of a second. ( approx. translator - the synchronization shutter speed for your camera is indicated in the instructions, it can also be equal to 1/200, 1/180 seconds and other values). Now everything is ready for shooting. Create a comfortable environment for the model so that she remains relaxed, even though you may be excited about the upcoming creative activity.

How to create a beautiful highlight in a model's eyes?

Glare in the eyes is the result of reflection of a light source from the mirror surface of the eyeball, usually it white. Most serious photographers ensure that the highlight is in its place and looks attractive. And there are reasons for this.

Without highlights, your subject's eyes may look slightly lifeless and flat. The shape of the highlight depends entirely on the shape of the source and how far and high it is located relative to the model's face.

Exists general rule: The highlight in the model’s eyes should be positioned like the hand of a dial at 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock.

Explore

In this article, we mainly focused your attention on the technical side of creating a home studio. But don't forget about its artistic component. Look through magazines, go to exhibitions of those artists and photographers whose work you like, make written notes about everything that may be useful for shooting: manners and styles of shooting, poses, color combinations, tones, textures.

Make notes, something like wish cards ( approx. translator - moodboard, like English. "mood board» ). Do them in order to develop your own style, create principles, reference points, of your own style.

Melt the ice

Communicate with the model in advance, or better yet, try to arrange a meeting. Regardless of whether you are planning a fashion shoot, a family or business portrait, this approach will help establish a trusting relationship between you and the model, so that both you and the model feel more comfortable during the shoot. Offer to prepare for the shoot together - create a moodboard together, which will help you take into account the model’s expectations.

About a smile

Try not to get caught up in stereotypes about what a good portrait should be. A “Hollywood” smile is not always the basis best photo. More subdued, deeper emotions will help create the more expressive, captivating photographs we suggest you strive for.

In order to open a competitive photo studio as a business under current conditions, an entrepreneur needs to invest at least 1.5 million rubles in the project. This amount will be needed if you want your studio to have a lot of orders from the first weeks of operation and make a good profit. However, if you don’t have the required amount for start-up investments, this does not mean that the path to the photo industry is closed for you, it’s just that commercial success will not come immediately, but after several months of intense work. creative work on the studio's image, not on your own pocket.

Photo studio as a commercial project

An enterprising photographer who is just planning to start a business and does not yet have large customers can work without registration for the first time entrepreneurial activity. Photographing family celebrations, portrait shooting outdoors or at clients’ homes, as well as other small jobs - all this is a paid individual creative activity of the photographer. Such transactions can be carried out on a private basis, and the income from them is not subject to special taxation.

It’s a completely different matter if for your work you plan to buy or rent a studio, hire people, carry out large orders for companies and organizations, etc. With such active work, you cannot do without registering an enterprise.

For a photo studio, the most convenient organizational and legal forms are individual entrepreneurs ( individual entrepreneur) and LLC (limited liability company). The first option is suitable for those who open a business on their own, the second - for a business with several partners. Read what else.

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Opening with start-up capital

If you have enough money to open a photography business, then the only task is to properly plan your expenses. Experts do not advise buying a large number of expensive equipment. Even very good cameras cannot correct the lack of professionalism of the photographer, the lack of good lighting equipment and poor-quality backgrounds. Therefore, when allocating the budget, it is best to use the following ratio:

  • 30% on equipment;
  • 30% for premises (repairs and equipment);
  • 10% on furniture;
  • 20% on salaries and training for staff;
  • 10% on advertising.

By distributing the available 1.5 million rubles in this way, you will not lose sight of important details, and a situation will not arise when a photographer with luxurious equipment works in a pavilion with poor lighting, or other incidents indicating illiterate financial planning.

How to organize a photo studio

Special rules There is no information on organizing a photo studio as a business. It must meet the requirements that the photographer places on the premises, and also be convenient for visitors and employees. It is believed that there is no need to equip a room of more than 60 square meters for a photo studio. m. (40 sq. m. for a pavilion and 20 sq. m. for a reception area). This is quite enough.

Such a large filming pavilion is needed so that the photographer can organize several interior rooms on its territory. An interior photo studio as a business today is the most profitable solution of all possible options. As practice shows, most clients of photo studios order interior photography.

It is best to choose a location for a studio close to residential areas. Clients most often come to be photographed directly from home, and the closer the studio is located, the more convenient it is for them. Yes, there is an opinion that opening a photo studio near large business centers is a more profitable solution, since visitors to administrative institutions require photos. However, now this is no longer so relevant.

How quickly will your investment pay off?

If you invested 1.5 million rubles in starting a business, then with a monthly profit of 60 thousand rubles, your business will pay off in two years. But you need to earn much more than 60 thousand rubles a month.

The monthly expenses of the photo studio are about 100 thousand rubles (rent, employee salaries, taxes, utility bills). An hour of work by a good photographer costs about 3 thousand rubles. If your photographer is busy on average 3 hours a day, then in a month you will earn 180 thousand rubles. This amount is enough to cover monthly expenses and partially cover start-up costs.

If you want your studio to be guaranteed to pay for itself within one year, then the most profitable solution would be to purchase a photo studio as ready-made business. The cost of such a purchase varies within one million rubles.

Your investment will pay off quickly, because you are acquiring a ready-made enterprise with a team, regular customers and a streamlined production process. However, before purchasing, it is necessary to conduct an examination and assessment of the property put up for sale in order to reliably know what it owns and whether there are large outstanding debts.

Consider other interesting business ideas for creative people. Read. All about how to start a business and attract customers.

We will tell you about and what kind of income this direction will bring.

Read also,. In this area, you can fully realize your creative abilities, and you don’t need a lot of start-up capital to start.

Conclusion

According to reviews from entrepreneurs, a photo studio as a business can have greater profits only if its owner constantly develops his business: participates in exhibitions and competitions, expands the range of services (production, rental, courses for beginners, etc.). Greater success is always achieved by those who not only invested money in opening an enterprise, but also invested in it own experience, knowledge, professionalism and love of creativity. Read also,

It may seem that a photo studio or photo salon is a business idea only for professional photographers. In fact, any enterprising person can open it. Renting out a room ready for photography is very profitable. This business is characterized by quick payback and relatively small investments. We’ll talk in detail about how to open a photo studio in this article.

  • Opening a photo studio from scratch
  • Deciding on the format of the photo studio
  • Choosing a room for a photo studio
  • What equipment do you need to open a photography studio?
  • How much money do you need to open your own photography studio?
  • Step-by-step plan for opening a photo studio
  • How much money do you need to open a photo studio?
  • How to choose equipment for a photo studio

Opening a photo studio from scratch

First of all, you need to figure out how such an establishment differs from a photo salon. There really is a difference. In the photo studio you can take creative, artistic photographs, change images and scenery. Ideas here are born in a creative stop. In addition, the photographer not only takes pictures of people and objects, he can also do computer processing of them. In a photo salon, the choice of services is much more limited. There, clients are rarely offered on-site photo shoots, album or book design, although anyone can do this with their own hands creative person. The photo studio offers clients a full range of services, a creative approach and always high quality.

The art of photography is developing at a rapid pace today. First of all, this is due to the emergence of new technology, and, therefore, new opportunities. The equipment is always selected only professional. In addition to equipment, the studio should have several interior options. Ideas for its arrangement should be fresh and exclusive. Creative people can make it with their own hands. There may be several decoration options. Usually they are made for generally accepted holidays. Often people cannot pay for full rent of a premises. In order to attract customers, promotions and mass thematic photo sessions are held. For example, you can invite several couples for photos on Valentine’s Day, arrange a costume shoot for Ivan Kupala, and so on.

Here are some types of services that should be offered to clients:

In addition, you can organize master classes to teach photography to beginners. Typically, any photographer can rent a professional studio. If the equipment in it is at the proper level, then there will always be people interested. For document photographs, a small room is usually allocated indoors.

Deciding on the format of the photo studio

Now a little about what ideas there might be for a photo studio. One of the most common themes is love. The scenery for wedding photo sessions or love stories can be very different: from Chicago of the 30s of the last century, to cute angels and clouds. Most accessories can be made by hand. If you don’t have the time or ability for this, then handmade masters will always offer not only original things to decorate the room, but also accessories for the shooting itself: three-dimensional letters, pictures, etc.

Another business format is a children's photo studio. You need to create the appropriate environment. For example, you can build equipment for a children's photo studio with your own hands. These are various swings, slides, decorations with “ cartoon characters" Here you can also offer parents several costumes to rent.

Some photographers, to reduce costs, equip their own work space right in their home. If the area is limited, then the maximum that can be done is portrait photographs and photographs for documents. Another option on how to set up a photo studio at home is to always work on the road, and at home in your office just finalize your masterpieces.

To do own business and start earning more than at your main job, you can use many ideas. In almost every area this moment there is a high level of competition. At the same time, the level of demand for various types of goods and services is not always the same.

One of the most profitable ideas is the organization of a photo studio.

In order to organize any type of business, you need to register the enterprise. For a photo studio, as for other types of activities, there is a standard choice - registration as a . The advantage of the first option is the simplicity and low cost of registration, and the second - greater consumer confidence.

The choice of legal form should be chosen based on the concept of the establishment.

So, if it is planned to provide services only individuals, enough . If advertising shooting will be carried out in the studio, where the customer will be a legal entity, it is best to prefer. After this, you need to register with the tax office.

To carry out activities no license required, therefore, from a legal point of view, a photo studio is one of the simplest types of business. In addition to registering a company, it is necessary to prepare constituent documents and make copies of them, as well as obtain permission from the fire department.

Types of photo studios

  • The simplest type of studio (which many experts do not perceive as such) is photo salon. It requires virtually no costs for organization and maintenance. There are narrow specialists working here, and the main target audience is people who urgently need to print a photo or have their photo taken for a document.
  • The second, more preferable and profitable view is the opening of an establishment in which there will be a room with several backgrounds for filming. At the same time, it is desirable to have various thematic and interior rooms to attract a wider audience.
  • Finally, the third option is universal. It is the most difficult to organize, since such a studio provides all typical services and can also carry out complex individual orders. In addition, opening costs are significantly higher than in the first two options. However, it is for this type of photo studio that there is the greatest demand, and, as a result, it becomes possible to obtain high level arrived.

List of possible services

Any studio, regardless of its size, can provide a range of services. Most of them are relatively simple from the point of view of organizing work, but at the same time they can seriously increase the level of profit. So, first of all, all establishments provide photography services in various formats:

  • Outdoor photo session;
  • Wedding;
  • Studio of various subjects;
  • Photos for various documents;
  • Advertising photography;
  • Family photo sessions;
  • Children's.

To conduct most photo sessions, people require additional services, including:

  • Makeup;
  • Hairstyle creation;
  • Image selection;
  • Rental of outfits;
  • Interior design for a photo shoot;
  • Search for the required premises;
  • Photo processing;
  • Photo printing, etc.

In addition, a photo studio may specialize in additional services. However, it is advisable to add them only after attracting a sufficient number of clients and achieving payback. So, you can design embroidery, paintings and photos into baguettes and frames, sell standard frames, restore old photographs, do photomontage, and also create collages or entire albums.

An interview with the owner of such an establishment about opening such a business is in the following video:

Selection of premises

In order to attract a large number of customers, you need to carefully choose the location. Thus, the establishment should be located in areas located near the city center. At the same time, it should have convenient parking.

The area of ​​the room should be at least 60-70 square meters with successful implementation of zoning. A separate place should be allocated for a dressing room, wardrobe or locker room, as well as workplace administrative staff. In addition, you need space to place lighting equipment.

The rental cost varies from 30 to 55 thousand rubles per month, depending on the size of the room and the location of the studio.

An important requirement is the ceiling height, which must be at least 3 meters. This is necessary in order to be able to conveniently place equipment for work. Finally, it is important to understand that the studio must create a pleasant impression on the client and make him feel relaxed in front of the camera.

In the case of themed photography with a lot of makeup, it is advisable to organize not only a bathroom, but also a small shower.

Design and decoration

As for the design of the room, it should not be pretentious and stylish. The model occupies the central place in the photograph, so the design should not distract too much from her. It is important to understand that the choice of design depends on what services the studio will specialize in. Particularly for studio shooting various items It is best to paint the walls white.

In any case, the background must be considered as a key detail in the design. There should be at least 4 zones in total, each of which will have its own background color. In this case, it is advisable to use various materials:

  • Smooth fabric;
  • Fabric drapery;
  • Paper disposable;
  • Silkscreen printing;
  • Plastic, etc.

Among the obligatory colors we should highlight White and black. Most preferable as additional beige and pink, as well as gray and green. An interesting solution would be to imitate various natural and non-natural materials (for example, brick). Thus, the approach to design should be non-standard, but have certain boundaries to prevent excessive diversity and bad taste.

Necessary equipment

Equipment and furniture play an important role in achieving success. Their purchase is the main cost item. To get started, the studio will need the following types equipment:

  • Various backgrounds and mountings for them;
  • Set of lenses;
  • Photoboxes;
  • Curtains;
  • Tripods;
  • Reflectors;
  • Professional camera;
  • 5-6 light sources and holders for them;
  • Reflective umbrellas;
  • Beauty plate;
  • Holders;
  • Flashes and synchronizers for them;
  • Reflector attachments, etc.

A separate cost item is the purchase of props and interior items. These can be armchairs, sofas, high chairs. It is desirable that the room has large windows - in this case, you can design the window sill so that you can take pictures on it.

To organize a dressing room you will need screens, a dressing table, a large mirror, an iron and ironing board, chairs and hangers. In addition, you should buy several computers and install them on software for working with photographs, as well as telephone line. Finally, you will need devices for printing photos and Internet access.

You can use pillows, soft stuffed ottomans, flowers, soft toys, etc. as interior items. Props and small decorative items are optional and depend on the chosen areas of work.

Organization of work, personnel

Depending on the size of the studio and the chosen specialization, it is necessary to decide whether to have your own staff. At first, the role of administrator and accountant can be performed directly by the entrepreneur himself. If he is also engaged in photography, then there is no need for staff.

In the absence of a stable flow of orders, it is most profitable to hire photographers for a specific event or photography.

This approach is less expensive than employing people who need to be paid wages even in case of downtime.

If the photo studio is universal, and also in a situation where orders are growing, it is advisable to start forming your own staff in order to be confident in the final result and full satisfaction of the client’s demand. So, the studio will need:

  • Administrator;
  • Photographers;
  • Part-time cleaner;
  • Part-time accountant;
  • Designer (who can deal with photo processing, layout, etc.);
  • Makeup Specialist;
  • Stylist;
  • Hair specialist.

It is important to understand that the last three positions are necessary only for establishments specializing in portrait photography or outdoor photo sessions. In other cases, it is enough to have specialists who are hired for a specific order.

Searching for clients through competent marketing policy development

For a small studio in the first stages of work, there is no point in resorting to expensive advertising. The best remedy service promotion is own website. For all such establishments, it is quite standard and therefore inexpensive from a development point of view. The website should list services, approximate prices, as well as a portfolio of works in various genres of shooting.

You can attract clients through social media and specialized forums. It is a good idea to offer discounts and promotions for new customers.

If you want to work with corporate clients or carry out reportage photography, you should contact advertising agencies: It is in this area that orders of this kind are most often needed, and there are no photographers on staff.

A huge advantage for a photo studio is the fact that after recruiting a certain group of clients, investments in advertising are significantly reduced (and often reduced to zero), since the “word of mouth” effect takes effect. To maintain demand and the emergence of new orders, it is enough to distribute booklets or business cards in various retail outlets, where photography equipment is sold.

Costs, approximate income and payback period

The studio, compared to other types of business, is quite simple to organize and does not require large quantity investments. The entrepreneur will incur the following costs:

  • Payment of rent for premises several months in advance - from 35 thousand rubles per month;
  • The cost of renovating the premises is about 200 thousand rubles;
  • The cost of purchasing equipment and furniture is about 250-350 thousand rubles;
  • Expenses for the purchase of additional interior items – 50-100 thousand rubles;
  • Advertising expenses – from 10 thousand rubles;
  • Website development – ​​about 25 thousand rubles;
  • The cost of preparing documents and registration is about 10 thousand rubles.

Total investments range between from 700 thousand to 1 million rubles. At the same time, the profit of a small photo studio for 12 months of work is about 600 thousand per year. Accordingly, the payback period for such a company is from one to one and a half years.

Thus, the studio is a profitable and easy to organize type of business. Despite high competition, provided that the quality of work and proper promotion are high, you can quickly attract regular customers (both individuals and legal entities) and seriously increase your earnings.

It's much easier than it seems

The thought of setting up a photography studio with the right lights, backdrops, etc. right in your home is often daunting and seems unattainable. But you can rest assured that the portrait photography lighting equipment you'll need has gotten a lot cheaper and easier to use. Moreover, it does not require much space.

The beauty of a home photography studio, especially for portrait photography, is that you have complete control over the light sources. And also decide what additional accessories you will need and where to place them.

You decide for yourself what equipment to purchase, focusing only on your preferences and budget. Should I make do with a foam panel as a reflector or shell out for a life-size softbox? You decide.

If you want to save money, you should pay attention to sets of studio equipment for beginners, equipped with 2 pulsed light sources. At a cost ranging from 15 to 25 thousand rubles, you can purchase a kit suitable for the first time.

Newcomers to studio photography are often concerned about how to control exposure when the scene is illuminated by flashes. You can use the “shooting” method to estimate the light intensity using a hand-held flash meter. But you don't have to use this rather outdated method.

The histogram is an ideal tool for checking and adjusting exposure. A histogram can be displayed on the camera screen for any shot taken. Using a histogram, it is enough to check that the tones of the image are evenly distributed within its boundaries.

Below we show what the three exposure states can be - normal, overexposure and underexposure - and what histograms correspond to each of the states.

By decreasing or increasing the aperture value, you can adjust the intensity of light passing through the lens. This is the best way to work with exposure. Or try adjusting the power of the light pulse on the light sources to increase or decrease the intensity of the illumination.

Add drama

Most studio kits for beginners include a reflective umbrella. This is a very useful accessory. It is very convenient to place two umbrellas “for reflection” on either side of the model. They create soft, evenly covering and pleasant lighting.

However, the photo above was created using "high energy" lighting, creating deep shadows. This was achieved due to the fact that only one source with an umbrella was installed to the right of the model and above the level of her head.

Due to the proximity of the source to right side face, the largest “portion” of light falls on the model, and the opposite side of the face is less illuminated. The shadows were deepened by a black foam panel installed to the left of the model.

There are no rules that uniquely define your camera settings for studio portraits. But there are parameters, adhering to which, you can get better results. Let's start with ISO. It should be minimal so that digital noise shows up weakly in the pictures.

It's best to shoot in manual mode. In it you control the aperture value and shutter speed. In automatic and semi-automatic modes, the camera takes on these responsibilities.

Shoot in RAW format. Even if you monitor the exposure using the histogram on the camera screen, you may miss slight overexposure in certain areas of the image. Shooting in RAW format will allow you to correct the pictures taken in a photo editor.

If you shoot at a shutter speed shorter than your camera's sync speed, you will see black stripe on one side of the frame. This strip is the shutter “curtain,” which is still moving when the pulsed light source is triggered.

Obviously, the photo from black stripe- marriage. To avoid this, just set the shutter speed longer than the sync speed. Most modern cameras have a sync speed of 1/200 second. Some cameras can sync flash at 1/500th of a second.

One of the most useful studio accessories is a radio synchronization kit. With its help, you can remotely control the moment of operation of pulsed light sources. Connect the receiver to one of the sources, install the transmitter on the hot shoe connector, which is located on the top of the camera. Now you can take photos without worrying about wires or being careless about knocking over your light stand.

You should also purchase a softbox big size. This versatile item can be used to create a variety of lighting effects.

Take a few shots, then move the source. Place it with different sides, at different heights. Also, try lighting your subject's face on one side to create dramatic shadows on the other side.

As you can see, today there is nothing difficult about creating a photo studio at home. So if you have enough space at home, go to the store!