Have you been thinking about getting into more studio photography, be it portraits, still life, product, etc? As we have done now for a few other photograph niches, in this post we will be taking a look at studio photography and some of the essentials to have at your disposal besides the obvious cameras and lenses.
Let’s get into it!
Studio Strobes
If you are serious about shooting in a studio environment, then you are going to need a good set of studio strobes. You can get away with some speedlights if your budget calls for it, but for the best lighting control and consistency then a set of studio strobes is where you need to be. Depending on your needs they can range from very affordable to really expensive, so find a set that does what you need and go from there.
Studio Strobe Recommendation: [amazon_textlink asin=’B010MOA6C0′ text=’Phottix Indra360 TTL’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’9c2a7d06-0e97-11e7-aab2-b7ddb1962ae0′]
You can also check Amazon for the latest studio strobe deals, here. There are always savings and deals to be had!
Tethering Cable
Shooting tethered to anyone who shoots outside of the studio often feels like more work than it is worth, but in a studio environment it has many advantages and makes a lot of sense if you have a camera that supports it. Having that ability to see your images live on a large screen in real time really helps in still life and product photography situations where you need to work smarter, not harder.
Tethering Recommendation: [amazon_textlink asin=’B008U2HTIQ’ text=’TetherPro 15ft USB Cable’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’660ef371-0eb3-11e7-a381-a5dab9049958′]
You can also check Amazon for the latest tethering deals, here. There are always savings and deals to be had!
C-Stands
We wouldn’t blame you if you were under the impression that c-stands were just fancy light stands. It is true that they are commonly used in that way, but c-stands can be used to hold things in ways light stands can’t, not to mention being heavier duty in general. They can hold lights, backdrops, flags, just about anything you may want or need to suspend.
Tethering Recommendation: [amazon_textlink asin=’B0002I6Z72′ text=’Flashpoint 10′ C-Stand’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’189a3b65-0ec0-11e7-94c5-ed606a9baccb’]
You can also check Amazon for the latest c-stand deals, here. There are always savings and deals to be had!
Dedicated Light Meter
Similarly to our portrait post, studio shooters really should have a light meter on hand. Unlike with natural light where you can really learn to see the sort of exposure and light you need, in a studio setting, all of the light you are dealing with is flashed so quickly its not something you can just eyeball very accurately. A light meter allows you to create exactly reproducible lighting, eliminating any need for guess work.
Light Meter Recommendation: Sekonic L-308S-U Flashmate [amazon_link asins=’B01ARGBU6Y’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’da7eb27b-0d8f-11e7-a188-ff712ba9269d’]
You can also check Amazon for the latest light meter deals, here. There are always savings and deals to be had!
Tripod
If you are shooting more staged product and still life studio images, than you are definitely going to want to get your hands on a solid tripod. It is really important to be able to lock down your camera to set up a shot and move elements in and out of the frame to style your images. If you are constantly moving the camera this process is much more complicated and not effective at all. So get yourself a good tripod if you don’t have one already.
Tripod Recommendation: [amazon_textlink asin=’B003WKOENO’ text=’Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB 100′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f31a15ba-0b33-11e7-a2a7-9d57f6b92d83′]
You can also check Amazon for the latest tripod deals, here. There are always savings and deals to be had!
