I've been mixing things all night and this is the only way I could think of arranging my studio. I know this isn't a standard question I recently rented out a 270 sq foot studio. I'm having trouble arranging it because of the dimensions and the weird spot a pillar is in.
This is the final layout I could figure. The compromise I make is that the larger backdrop will hang partially over the door so I would have to make sure the door doesn't open when i'm using it. I mounting paint poles on closet shelving racks to save space.
My requirements were
1) Have enough room to make the larger 9 ft backdrop make sense... I barely got that
2) Have a small meeting or sitting area for clients
3) Have a "media" are for work and editing.
If anyone can think of any better way or space saving that would be awesome. This is my first studio outside of my own random setup at home so i'm really excited!
The basic orientation as good as any I can think of. I have a wet bar hanging out the in middle the room I use for my home studio so I feel your pain of the post in the middle of the room
My only suggestion would be to re-think the idea of a couch and arm chair in the customer area and instead use a round table which would fit into that corner better and allow room to move your edting station over to the right side (relative to the shooting gallery facing the background).
Lighting full length white background shots evenly or creating dark ones will be a challenge in that space. How high is the ceiling?
The option to set it up angled like nolaguy shows is a great idea. If the ceiling is compatable with autopoles, that gives you the option to adjust from your original plan to the angled one when ever you desire.
I agree with opening up the space where the desk is shown, and combining your edit area with the customer meeting area. One thing that may help is to get an L shaped desk or make two things function like one. If you put an L leg sticking out from the wall at about where you show the table, you can consult with a client across it, and have access to a computer to your right.
Note that by opening up things in front of the window, you might maintain some options for using natural light there if that is something you desire. And put anything like the shelf thing on wheels if you can, which allows it to be moved for the situation you need to create.
Oh, and it looks like you left out the changing room and the bathroom. I hope there is some provision for that in the building.
ippi, the more I think about it the more I think you should use the column to define the corner of your “corner office” as Chuck and Roland suggest. Leave the window corner as open and usable as possible.
Roland also makes the point about ceiling compatibility with Autopoles. If you’re not familiar with them, you need a solid ceiling for them to expand and put pressure against. They essentially wedge between the floor and ceiling. If your space has a suspended ceiling, you can probably use Autopole extensions, cut holes in the ceiling tiles and wedge against the roof or upper floor construction.
Mark W at Adorama did a video profiling the studio of Ken Peterson. I’m not sure I’d be content with Ken’s approach to attaching some lights to fixed bars but he does have a pretty cool, clever and inspirational set up for organizing a smaller shooting space. You might want to check it out.
Congrats on the new studio. Post pics when you have them and let us know how it turns out.
Waki wrote:
@nolaguy - nice video. The link did not work but I just searched on the guy's name in the learning center. Great ideas for a small space.
Clicking on the link doesn't work, but if I copy it and paste it into my browser's address bar it works fine. Adorama must not allow linking-through or something.
I'd consider turnin' your setup.
You will cover the window by the backdrop but you don't want any daylight anyway while using studiolights. That way you don't block the entrance and you might gain some extra space for you shooting in the hall thrue the door !?
Put the furniture along the sides of the walls on both sides, and get ride of what doesn't fit.
That way you have a lot more room to shoot into the "office" area, and get the subject off the background and use longer lenses. You can shoot past the post on either side.
People still have a place to sit and put belongings too. Doing this will give you almost 20 feet of space to shoot compared to 11.
The sides of the studio are wasted space becasue you don't shoot into the sides where you are shooting from, but the center area where the subject is. Might as well use it and gain more shooting space.
This way you don't need to turn anything either becasue everything is out of the center for you to shoot in.
I recently rented out a 270 sq foot studio. I'm having trouble arranging it because of the dimensions and the weird spot a pillar is in.