Studio Set Up

Setting up your studio and your camera are most vital when shooting. You need to make sure that all your camera settings are correct before you start so you don't lose or ruin any shots that you take and setting up the studio with your lighting, background and tripod/camera so its safe and ready to use when you are ready.

Setting up your studio before you shoot is so important, you don't want to be rushing when you are on a time limit. Things can go wrong, things can get set up wrong and then that can danger your model and yourself.
There are so many things to remember when you are setting up your studio, but you must always do it in a safe manor and make sure your model is ready to go so you don't lose out on any important shooting time.

Camera Set-up

- Don't forget your camera!
-  Use your own SD card to save all your work on to

- A hot shoe adapter, this is attached to the top of the camera where you connect the camera to the flash.

- USB or a hard drive

When setting up the camera there are 3 most important setting that need to be done before taking any photos, when you turn the camera on and the settings appears on the screen make sure you go into the MENU and erase everything from off the camera and reset the settings.
After you have done this the camera is cleared and ready for you to use -

1. Raw Image - taking photos in Raw will take the picture exactly the same as a JPEG but when it comes to post production it proves more difficult to edit. You cant change some of the settings on the photos without drowning out the light etc. On a Raw image, you can change the lighting and it doesn't change the whole colour of the image, it either adds more light or less light not by darkening the whole image.

2. Manual setting - having the camera in a manual setting is the best for you, if it was in Auto it will automatically change the lighting, the composure etc. You want images that are 'what you see' so you can change the lighting or the models pose or the type of lighting or if you need a reflector. You need to learn to change things and do it yourself because you don't want the camera doing all the work for you. That's cheating!

3. ISO 1/160 - This is the shutter speed. This shutter speed takes images at its fastest, this is what you want - to click the shutter and the image be taken just how you want. You cant keep clicking away though as the flash needs to catch up with the camera, so you need a few seconds between taking a shot.

Using these setting will give you the best shots you can take, you can then change them to how you want in post production with out any problems. When using the MAC in the studio, don't use the SD card in the camera, use a USB or portable hard drive in the computer to save the images to instead.

Studio Set-up

- Remember to use a tripod (if necessary), these will be sturdy shots, as it wont be hand held there wont be any wonky pictures being taken.
- A sync lead, this physically connects the camera to the flash.

- Set up your lights, get a light and stand if needed or change the accessory on the lighting to the one you want/need.

- Get reflectors if you will need them

- Set up the background - do you want a white background or a colour etc

- Do you need a chair or stool for your model

- What kind of lens do you need

1. Get your camera settings sorted and attach the camera to the tripod correctly.

2. Attach the hot shoe adapter in to the camera, them placing the sync lead in to the shot shoe and the other end into the light

3. Make sure the light works by turning it on and looking at the light/flash settings on the camera making sure they are at the settings you want them - dimming the light or flash etc

4. Get the right attachment for the light, do you need a spot light, a soft box a beauty dish. There are many to pick from but you firstly need to think about what kind of lighting you want -
         1. High key lighting - lets out more light, brightening the picture

         2. Low key lighting - lets out less light, dimming and adding shade/shadows to a picture

Try not to use a hard light on beauty shots, its very hard on the face of a women but when shooting with a man it looks very good and brings out the facial details. Where as on a women it takes all detail from out of the face washing them out.  

4. Using reflectors or boards when you need them to add light or to take out some light and add depth and shadow to the image. The light reflectors are either white or silver, the white reflector will add light in to the areas that need it where as the silver reflector will add light and shine on to the areas. The silver reflector really brings out shine and details in the models eyes.

5. For beauty shots you will need a beauty lens, it is made for these really precise and close up shots of the face and they bring out a lot of detail in the shot.

Types of Light Accessories -

- Hard light - this light has no cover over the actual light bulb but has a small dish around the exterior aiming the light in the direction you want. This is a high key lighting, the light is really harsh and shouldn't ever be pointed face on to the model or any other person in the studio, they are good at being aimed at a wall or back ground the give off reflective light. You don't need to use a reflector in these shots as you will be getting all the light you will need.

- Soft box - you can get these in different sizes but this is an adapter where it looks like a box with a white sheet in front of the light giving off a really soft light. This is a low key lighting technique, giving off less light in to the shot so there are more shadows and shade. You can use reflectors for these shots as they will add more light in to the shot if you think you will need it.

- Beauty dish - this adapter is really good for the beauty shots we want to product, hence why it is called a 'beauty dish'. This is low key lighting too as there is not harsh light being shone on to the model, but you can use reflectors in these shots to add more light/shine where you want it.

Changing the lighting in the studio will give you different kinda of images, one with more shade and less light or the opposite. Changing and seeing how things change is so good to learn what goes well and what doesn't with what kind of shot you want, experiment and see what happens!