Mimi photo studio. How to open your own photo studio (photo salon): mini business plan with calculations of the cost of equipment

Publication date: 20.10.2017

Sooner or later, a photographer comes to the conclusion that he needs a studio for practice or commercial shooting. It gets boring running around different studios. In addition, it is quite expensive. Let's look at what equipment is needed for filming at home and how to make it yourself.

For product photography on a white background you will need:

• sources of light;
• white background/cyclorama;
• tripod;
• glass (to create reflections).

Most often in studios there are pulsed light sources (flashes). They vary in power.

For shooting in a small room from 18–30 meters, a power of 150–250 J is sufficient. At least two light sources are required.

If your budget allows, purchase several object lamps. As a rule, the illuminators included in the kit are designed for use with fluorescent lamps with a standard E27 socket. That is, ordinary lamps with cold light (color temperature 5500 K) are also suitable.

You can simplify the scheme as much as possible by purchasing table lamps with the same (model, temperature, power) bulbs.

Even more about current genres and creating “expensive” shots on the course at Fotoshkola.net.

Background for product photography

Studios use lightboxes or object tables. I shoot everything on the stage, but a lightbox is also good, because it filters out unnecessary glare and reflections on the object.

The object table follows the shape of a cyclorama (has a smooth transition angle between the floor and the wall). This is exactly what we will build. We take a sheet of whatman paper and attach it to the table and wall with tape. Ready!

You can make a frame (for example, a frame made of wooden slats) for the cyclorama, so as not to attach the sheet to a table or wall and have space behind the cyclorama for lighting.

Shooting practice

If you're shooting during the day, use window light. Lamps will help you in the evening and at night. Make sure that there are identical light bulbs at the same temperature (3000–4200 K) everywhere.

For long exposure photography, you will need a tripod.

Shooting parameters may vary depending on the amount of light and lamp power. If you experience overexposure, close the aperture.

Shoot at minimum ISO. Set the white balance manually and synchronize the value in Kelvin with the values ​​​​indicated on the lamp. In my case, the auto mode did the job on its own. If manual input is not available, you can cycle through all the preset icons (for example, fluorescent light or daylight on cloudy days).

To achieve a dramatic reflection of your subject, use a piece of clear glass with a smooth texture. This photo looks more expensive.

Below we provide a detailed business plan for a photography studio and consider the following important points of business organization:

• How to open a photo studio for rent and choose the right premises;
• How to open an individual entrepreneur for a photo salon, preparation of documents;
• Equipment for a photo studio, its cost;
• How to open a photo studio in a small town, and make it popular and profitable, methods of promotion.

Register the best thing, it's easier and cheaper. Required codes OKVED: 74.20.– “Activities in the field of photography” and 47 – “Retail trade, except trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles.” The second code is required if the studio plans to sell goods.

The activity is not licensed. It is also necessary to register with the Federal Tax Service. The cost of the registration procedure is no more than $60.

Services

Main services of the company:

1. Photos of the documents;
2. Carrying out studio filming, including interior photography;
3. Filming for business, subject photo sessions, food photography;
4. You can profitably rent out a photo studio for photo shoots;
5. Printing photos from removable media;
6. Development of graduation albums, photo retouching;
7. Sale of related products - flash cards, batteries, disks, albums, etc.

Market analysis

In order to carefully plan how to open a photo studio, where to start and calculate the costs, you need to decide on the target audience. The main clients are photographers who rent a salon for filming, young people, couples with children, future newlyweds (Love Story filming). Average age category of visitors: 16-35 years.

Room

The best location for your studio is as close to the center as possible, an additional plus is the availability of a parking space. Most often, the studio is located in a business center, less often in shopping centers.

Additional clientele for printing will be obtained by locating near universities, migration services, and other government agencies. The area of ​​the room is 60 square meters. Of these, 40 sq. m – studio, 15 sq. m – reception with an administrative desk and a small shop, 5 sq. m - bathroom.

Studio requirements:

• Warm floor, you should use laminate or commercial linoleum as a covering;
• Ceiling height – from three meters;
• Large windows draped with dark fabric. Drapery is needed for shooting with shutter speed and lighting. It should be possible to easily remove the fabric from the windows;
• Monochromatic wall decoration;
• Availability of air conditioning;
• Fire safety system, evacuation diagram, fire extinguisher.

Renting a premises requires monthly costs of $800-900. In how to open a creative photography studio, design is of great importance. You need to make your establishment a popular and fashionable place. Repairs and finishing will cost about $1,500.

Equipment for a photo salon

What do you need to buy to open your own photography studio?

Professional equipment

For a small company you will need:

1. Digital camera and two removable lenses– $2500-2700. Good cameras are offered by Canon and Nikon, lenses - Sigma, Tamron;
2. 4 light sources of various powers (aka flashes or monoblocks) 400-800 J each - $1200-1300. Falcon Eyes, Profoto, Bowens, Godox;
3. 4 flash stands. Of these, three are standard (2-4 meters), one is a crane stand. Total cost: $150. Manfrotto, Falcon, Godox;
4. Three softboxes different sizes – $130. Bowens, Green Bean, Lumifor, Dedolight;
5. 2 photo umbrellas– 80-90 $. Lastolite, Elinchrom;
6. Two stripboxes– 150 $. Falcon Eyes, Godox, Hensel;
7. Two reflectors(1 with curtains) – $200-230. Profoto, Elinchrom, Bowens;
8. Octobox– 130-150 $. Hensel, Fujimi, Godox;
9. beauty plate– 120-130 $. Lumifor, Falcon Eyes, Godox;
10. Two reflectors– 25 $. Lastolite, Westcott;
11. Jelly color filters for flashes (6 pcs.) – $90-100. Maxilite, Falcon Eyes, Bowens;
12. Radio synchronizers for flashes (2 pcs.) – $80-100. Youngnuo, Aputure, Godox;
13. Set of paper backgrounds different colors – $150-200. Polaroid, Savage, Colorama;
14. Backdrop holder automatic – $150-170. Manfrotto, Phottix;
15. Accessories(memory cards, batteries, cables, fasteners) – $100. DigiCare, Fujimi, Nikon, Prolike, Transcend;
16. Photo printer– 70-100 $. Zebra, Conica, Canon;
17. Computer or laptop– 450 $. Asus, HP, Lenovo.

Furniture and software

To open a small photo studio, you will need to purchase furniture and display cases for the reception area. It will cost approximately $700 to purchase display cases, a cabinet, a table, a chair, a sofa for visitors, an air conditioner, a telephone and a cooler.

To process photos, retouch, create collages, you will need to buy licensed versions of programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Studio Pro. You will have to invest about $600 in software.

You should budget approximately $170-200 for the renovation of a bathroom.

How to open your own interior photography studio from scratch

In a small room it is possible to design five interior zones. The most popular options: an area with a fireplace for family photo sessions, a boudoir option with a mirror and a bed, a cozy area with a wide window and blankets/pillows, a brick wall and a leather sofa, a bar counter, etc. Themed corners are created for the holidays: New Year's, Christmas, etc. Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc. It is convenient to style an area with a fireplace.

Don't forget about the children. Opening a photo studio for children means dooming yourself to too narrow a focus, but it’s worth setting up a children’s corner. There is always a stable demand for family and children's photo sessions.

For a standard photo zone with removable paper backdrops, 2-3 square meters is enough; for interiors, a space of 4-5 square meters is required. m.

To open your own photo studio with decorations, you should carefully consider not only the interior of the area, but also accessories and decorative details. For example, candles, LED garlands, gift boxes, retro records, decorative pillows, etc.

The cost of equipping one site with decorations ranges from $200-300. In total you will need from $1500.

Pay special attention designing a corner with a dressing room mirror and special lighting. This is a good place for a makeup artist to work and an additional photo zone. Such a mirror with a dressing table costs $160-200.

Pricing

How can a beginner open a photo salon and navigate the prices correctly? Analyze the average prices of similar establishments in the city and form your own price list based on them. To get started, put the following price tags:

• Shooting, including interior photography, with a studio photographer – $60. The premium service includes the work of a makeup artist, printing of several photos and costs from $70-80;
• Studio rental – $13/hour;
• Retouching – $5/photo;
• Creation of photo books and albums – from $23.

Staff

The studio staff consists of three people. Photographer, sales administrator and technical assistant, exhibiting light and advising clients.

Almost every photographer dreams of becoming a professional photographer and opening a photo studio, so there are many who want to work with you on a permanent basis. The photographer receives 50% of the cost of shooting, the salary of the administrator and assistant costs $700 per month.

Marketing plan (advertising)

Step-by-step instructions on how to open an interior photography studio and promote your business include the following activities:

1. An external sign for a company will require an investment of $300-400;
2. Creation of a logo and corporate identity – $100;
3. Printed promotional materials (business cards, flyers) – $100;
4. Website development, detailed description of services, studio portfolio – from $100.

Sales promotion methods and promotion channels

A good advertising move is to distribute gift certificates at a discount. Promotions for regular customers, discounts on the second and third hour of studio rental, etc. work great. You should look for your first clients among members of photo clubs and advertising agencies. Most on the Internet: website promotion, .

Costs and profits

To properly open a photo salon, calculate your business investment in detail:

• Documents – 60 $;
• Rent of premises for six months in advance, repairs, decoration, necessary communications – about $7,000;
• Purchase of equipment, furniture, design of photo zones – $10 thousand;
• Promotional events – $700.

Capital costs are approximately $18,000. Monthly costs (salary, utilities, rent) – $1600. We add here the purchase of goods for sale - $1,500. Total $3100.

The studio will receive a minimum profit if the salon is rented daily for at least 2-3 hours, 10-12 orders for shooting by a full-time photographer, and the production of several albums. Together with sales of related products, the monthly net profit will be about $600-800. This figure is increasing every month.

A detailed plan on how to open a small photo salon will allow you to foresee all costs and plan the work of the company. Such a business will only expand and prosper over time, gaining popularity and fame among clients.

High-quality photography of objects is a very difficult matter. We need special tables, backgrounds, diffused light sources - softboxes.
But there is a device that makes life a lot easier for a photographer. This is a lightcube, aka a photobox, aka a shadowless tent. Of course, there are ready-made solutions on sale, but a lightcube is such a thing that it is much easier to do it yourself.

Structurally, the device is a frame covered with diffusing fabric with a background inside, and illuminated by 1-3 light sources. The simplest lightcube can be put together in literally twenty minutes from a cardboard box and tissue paper, but if you want something more substantial, you will have to work hard. Luckily, various photo blogs have detailed instructions.
Most authors recommend making the frame from PVC cable-duct boxes. Ok, Bartimaeus said to himself and went to the hardware store.

So at first I had:
- a sheet of Whatman paper size A1.
- PVC box 16x16 - 4 pieces, 2 meters each;
- jointing block 15x20mm - 6 pcs. 1.2 meters each;
- spunbond, aka geotextile - 1 pack vka, 1.6 x 10 meters.

I cut 12 pieces of box 35 cm long. In four of them I made a slot on the side, in another four I spread out the “ears”. Looking ahead, I note that this is a very clumsy job. The cable channel is not intended at all for creating structures from it, and it certainly does not forgive such an attitude.

To cut the box, I thought of using garden pruners. :) And for the connection, use Lacrysil “Tougher Than Nails” construction mounting adhesive, in the hope of compensating for profile unevenness and cutting flaws. Looking ahead, I note that hopes were only partially justified.

However, pretty soon I became the owner of two 35x35 cm frames. All that was left was to connect them into a cube, with “eared” pieces.

The task turned out to be so difficult that ordinary nails had to be called in to help liquid nails...

Nevertheless, here it is, the treasured cube! Oddly enough, the design turned out to be relatively durable. Although unsightly. What can you do, working with a PVC box requires direct hands...

For prevention, I covered the corners with tape. Then I placed the background inside and covered the cube with spunbond. By the way, instead of geotextiles, you can use calico, and, in principle, any white fabric, even an old shirt will do.
Who's whispering "nightie"?? Leave the audience, you prankster! :))

Forgot something? Surely! The most important thing is light!
This is what a lightcube looks like “in combat positions.” For lighting I used two table lamps Ultraflash UF-301. These are the first pictures. As you can see, they look more than decent. Despite the fact that it was not possible to completely get rid of the shadows (the spunbond is still too thin, you need at least two layers), the quality of the photos is an order of magnitude higher than those that I took with the light from the window.

However, when the initial excitement subsided, I wanted... to make version 2.0. Because in the process, annoying design flaws were revealed.
I was already thinking about buying more boxes and connecting them correctly, cutting off all the irregularities and adjusting the parts as accurately as possible, when during another meditation in a construction market I saw THIS.
Remember and don’t say you haven’t heard! The best material for a lightcube frame is a PVC “corner” profile, white, 20*20 mm, thickness 1.5 mm. Sold in pieces of 2.7 meters, it costs a penny, or at least cheaper than a box. And it is rigid enough to build a cube of at least 60x60x60 cm...

Excellent cutting with a hacksaw for metal...

...and it sticks just as well! Moreover, you can even use Moment glue; you don’t have to spend money on assembly glue. The frames came out in one go. To be on the safe side, I secured the gluing points with clothespins.

My lightcube 2.0 is a parallelepiped 30x35x45 cm. Looking ahead, I’ll note that I missed a bit - the length of the module should have been 42.5-43 centimeters. I will explain why below.

I made another important addition to the design - I glued an LED strip to the inner surface of the upper corner. For front lighting. I found this solution from the Chinese from Aliexpress.

The power of the tape is 14.4 watts/meter, with a piece length of 35 cm (this is 7 LED modules, each 5 cm), the power consumption will be 5.04 watts, with a supply voltage of 12 volts, the current will be 420 milliamps. Which allows you to use a regular 12 V DC unit with a current of 500-700 mA for power supply!

While the glue is drying, you can build the diffusers. According to the new concept, they should be removable. I made 2 stretchers from a crossbar. 30x35 cm and 1 pc. - 35x45cm. I put PONGS ceiling fabric on the sides, and two layers of spunbond on the top. For fastening I used power buttons with caps, but regular ones will do.

Now someone will ask why it was impossible to build the entire frame from a block, why this foppishness with a corner and overhead diffusers? I answer: this requires not only basic carpentry skills, but also a carpentry workbench or at least a normal workbench with a vice. Sawing a block “on the knee” is a bad idea, and assembling frames from pieces “on the fly” is even worse.

As we see, this time all the efforts paid off. A piece of whatman paper fit inside like a glove, if my photo box was shorter, 43 centimeters, then I could easily use the ready-made A2 format. The ceiling fabric diffuses light well, despite the fact that I installed powerful Gauss 15W light bulbs, 1400 lumens each, into the “tabletops”. For the overhead lighting I used a clothespin lamp"Svetkomplekt" E50N with a 590 lumen lamp, although a regular socket on a tripod will do.As you can see, results have been achieved. The highlights and shadows are gone, the only thing that needs to be worked on is correcting the white balance, but that's another topic.

A visual demonstration of the results of LED strip illumination. The "without backlight" option is on the left. As you can see, the result is very much worth a couple of extra rubles spent on the tape and block.

The frame and diffusers cost about 7 rubles new, and half the amount was paid for glue. I had to pay another 5 rubles for the LED strip, it is sold by the meter. I don’t take into account the power supply, there’s a scattering over them.

Summary. Lightcube is an effective tool for a subject photographer. It is easy and simple to make with your own hands, the main thing is to decide on the dimensions and choose the right material for the frame.

P.S. All I have to do is wait until Santa Claus brings me an “adult” camera, and then I can try my hand at photo stocks...
P.P.S. The original article was originally posted on the Otzovik website, but due to administration policy it had to be moved here.

Setting up a simple home photography studio can be very rewarding for any photographer. Whether you're a professional portrait photographer or a designer who needs to capture product photography, a home studio will give you the opportunity to work, and most importantly, learn and experiment. Let's look at a few basic points needed to create a home photography studio.

Room.

First of all, you will need free space - the more the better. If it is possible to free one of the rooms, or at least part of it, as much as possible from furniture and other things, do it.

Ideally, it would be great to completely empty the room before filling it with photography equipment. In real life this is unlikely, there are a lot of things in the house besides a photo studio, so you will have to put up with cramped spaces.

In the room, you will need tight control of the light conditions at all times of the day and night. Natural lighting can certainly be useful, but consider closing the windows tightly, completely blocking any natural light that could spoil the light picture.

Another point that should not be forgotten is temperature. Especially if you plan to work constantly and store equipment in the studio. For example, in summer the room can heat up on its own from the sun and operating lighting equipment to very high temperatures, which is not very good for photographic equipment. In addition, models sweating from the heat or shivering from the cold are not the best subjects for shooting. Therefore, think about maintaining an optimal climate and temperature in the room.

And the last thing you should think about is sound insulation. If you are only going to take photos, then this will not worry you much, but if you are planning to also video, then you should think about how much extraneous sounds, for example noise from a busy road outside the window, may disturb you. In this case, it is well worth considering investing in some sound insulation.

Backdrop (background).

Every good studio has several backdrops against which photographs are taken. You'd be wise to ditch the expensive "professional" backdrops you may have seen in hardware stores in favor of something simpler. You need something with a dense, uniform color and unnoticeable texture.

Backdrops are usually made from a variety of materials, including cotton, canvas, vinyl, and plain paper. The easiest and cheapest choice for backdrops is plain paper, especially if you can find it in large rolls.

But if you want to get a more professional studio and achieve better results, it’s still worth spending money and choosing inexpensive material for the backdrop in a photo store or having it sewn to order.

However, for starters, for the first experiments, a simple white sheet or a roll of wrapping paper will do just fine, with which you can build something similar to the photo below.

Light

Lighting is the most difficult and expensive part of the studio. Choosing studio light is not an easy task and is the subject of a separate discussion.

In short, there are two types of light. Constant and impulsive. Constant is cheaper, but generates a lot of heat in the studio and is not as versatile as pulsed. With pulsed light you get much more power, very good light quality and much more options. But it also costs noticeably more.

To get started, you can purchase a simple, inexpensive studio light kit. But for a good result, be prepared to fork out a decent amount in the future. And no matter how much you would like to save money, it is better to immediately buy an inexpensive set of pulsed light with two or three flashes rather than a permanent one. For a small home studio, this will be enough to get excellent results in various situations, and over time you can expand the kit.

Umbrellas and softboxes.

When looking at different lighting kits, you may find yourself going back and forth between whether an umbrella or a softbox is best for your studio. Unfortunately, there is no exact answer, since both have their pros and cons. At the same time, both perform their task - softening the light.

Umbrellas are usually cheaper and more versatile. They often come with a reflective surface that allows you to control the light output - you can make the most of the light by reflecting it, or reduce it by removing the reflector and directing the light directly through the umbrella material. Umbrellas spread light over a fairly large area and they work well in large spaces or when photographing a group of people. In addition, umbrellas are more mobile than soft boxes; they are faster to assemble and install.

Most professional photographers work with both umbrellas and softboxes at the same time to achieve better results. But if you're on a budget, an umbrella is a great place to start.

Entourage and costumes.

What is often not thought about is the multitude of crazy and at first glance completely unnecessary accessories and other junk. Taking a portrait is an incredibly boring process for most people, so using dress-up costumes and anything that can make the shoot fun and enjoyable and get the models excited can be very helpful.

So it will be useful to keep in the studio all sorts of nonsense such as stupid sunglasses, wigs, toy jewelry and other nonsense that will “stir up” the most complex clients - from clerks to children, causing a smile, a good mood and a relaxed state.

The main thing is to make the person relax. A photo of a person with a tense face “like a passport” will always lose to a photo taken in a relaxed atmosphere.

Photo supplies.

Don’t forget about the specific and often necessary equipment for the studio. This could be a refrigerator and a plasma TV or laptop, but first of all, think about the essentials. For example, you will definitely need a tripod or even two. You may need remote controls or cables to control the camera remotely.

If you use flashes, consider wireless controllers for them. Don't forget that a small stepladder can be very useful for choosing a specific angle or hanging a backdrop. And also a mirror, for those who at the last moment before shooting decide to check what he looks like.

And further. Be smart about your spending and try to understand your goals. Otherwise, creating a home studio can milk a lot of money out of you, some of which you will spend on expensive, but unnecessary or rarely used things. Therefore, always think carefully about what will be useful for you and what will not. Perhaps inexpensive constant light will suit your specific purposes, so you don’t necessarily need to invest in pulsed light, etc.

Well, that's the main thing. Don't be afraid to learn and experiment - shoot more, try new approaches and you yourself will understand what you need most. Remember, a home studio is only the first step to “get your teeth into” and understand the basic principles of working in a studio. And then you will either begin to improve your own studio or find a suitable professional one.