lea <lea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > I'm thinking of a space that would be 20 feet deep (I'm pretty locked in > to this dimension) by 16 feet wide (I have some flexibility here) and 8 > feet tall (also some flexibility here). The north end, for certain, > would be the entrance with all/mostly glass surrounding a French door to > take advantage of that beautiful light. The remaining sides could or > could not have windows...most likely the western side would not in order > to avoid the afternoon sun and heat. > > I'm not certain about flooring...I imagine some low-maintenance carpet > but might consider natural wood. Any thoughts on what works best here? > > Currently my studio is in my attic which has 6' ceilings and while this > works fine for children it gets a bit tight with adults and full lenght > shots of adults are virtually out of the question unless they are height > challenged like myself (5'3" and proud of it!). > > I'm anxious to hear thoughts from those of you who have been there, done > that. I've only participated in setting up one dedicated studio, and that wasn't in my own house. But I've done quite a bit of location work both for still and movie photography, and I have a pretty clear idea of how a good studio (I've used some I didn't set up) differs from many of the things I've had to put up with :-). Your horizontal dimensions sound good enough to me for that kind of shooting. Height, though. Height is crucial. 8 feet is really minimal; I'd consider anything under 10 feet a *serious* compromise. No side windows. Unless you need them for ventilation, in which case be sure to have good light-blocking window coverings available. Inside color should be *black*, not white. The one I helped set up we painted white, and that turned out to be a terrible mistake. You can't control your light when every surface reflects it back. A hard rather than carpeted floor has a lot to recommend it I think, for a number of reasons -- cleanliness, moving heavy stuff, rug-rash. If you really dislike vinyl sheet flooring, consider "Pergo" (brand name) and its competitors; thin particle-board slabs with very high-quality laminate on the front with images of various things, mostly wood but some stone and such. Easy to install yourself, too. Used in commercial spaces as well as homes; it's very tough. Plan for plenty of electical capacity, and lots of outlets. -- David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@xxxxxxxx>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/> RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/> Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/> Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>
