[Dave]

Not sure if this has been covered before, but I'm struggling to release all the space in my double garage for a studio. Looks like I need to keep a bit sectioned off.

Therefore what is the smallest shooting space using 3 lights, to take upper half body shots of family of four ? This gives me a minimum, which I can hopefully work around for something bigger

[snap2photo]

I thought I would do the same thing, set up a studio in the spare space in my garage. I came up with this...
Maplin > Portable Soft Lighting Studio

[Les Meehan]

Dave

You can do some calculations to help with your planning. Firstly, the area as a rectangular shape of the space likely to be needed for your family of four. As a group this might come out as e.g. 1.5m x 1m (remember the members of a group usually overlap when posed). Then using this decide the focal length you are likely to use e.g. 100mm. Now if you fill the viewfinder at 100mm with the area of 1.5 x 1m this will tell you how far the camera needs to be from the group (you are using the angle of view of the lens here).

So, you now have the minimum space needed for your camera and group. Then you need to allow for space behind group to background so you can light group and BG separately. Allow minimum of 1.5m.

Now the lights. Flash with brollies need space but this can be reduced by having brollies pointing at subject i.e. light pushed through translucent brollies rather than reflected from them (nice soft light this). Alternatively, and this would be my recommendation, is to make a couple of large trace screens (2mx1m should do it) and bang the flash through these for a large light source that will be better for groups as well as single subjects.

This could probably all be done in a min space of 4m x 2.5m. Graph paper and scale drawings would get the sizes nailed down.

One idea to consider is for hair light of a group. If you have space behind the BG you can place a light there so it points over the top of the BG down onto the subjects. Used with subtlety, this would give a hair/rim light that would separate them from the BG.

Last word, more space is better than less where possible!

[Dave]

Top advice as ever Les .. Tx

[Dave]

Originally Posted by snap2photo

I thought I would do the same thing, set up a studio in the spare space in my garage. I came up with this...
Maplin > Portable Soft Lighting Studio

Alright for midgets

[muscle750]

Simple stick the Audi out in the rain stick anything else that moves including females out i the rain as well and then do some "interior design" with a sledge on the walls and then u got as much room as u want. Bringing a whole new meaning to the sales term "Studio apartment". plus u will have more room to swing a cat than normal!.

[Dave]

I've never put a car in a garage

[Les Meehan]

AD reads, House for sale with photo studio, unlimited parking space 'en la calle'!

[Dave]

[Dave Canon]

Reminds me 20 years ago I was selling my house and a potential buyer arrived early. The 4th Bedroom was my darkroom with window boarded up, orange light & orange walls etc. I had meant to clear this away and feared that I might have damage my chances of a sale. But no, on looking into the darkroom, he went quiet for a moment and then blurted out that he had always wanted a darkroom and immediately offered me the asking price for the house.

Dave

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Dave Canon

Reminds me 20 years ago I was selling my house and a potential buyer arrived early. The 4th Bedroom was my darkroom with window boarded up, orange light & orange walls etc. I had meant to clear this away and feared that I might have damage my chances of a sale. But no, on looking into the darkroom, he went quiet for a moment and then blurted out that he had always wanted a darkroom and immediately offered me the asking price for the house.

Dave

I can see it now when I move ..... "includes Photography Studio"