# Anyone here have experience in owning a portrait studio?



## d300user (Jan 2, 2008)

I want to open up my own portrait studio outside of my home and have a few questions.

What type of printers do you recommend?

What camera do you use at your studio?

Any recommendations for a setup so the process will go faster..like multiple backdrops on a rack, etc.

How many customers to you go through in a day? (I know it will different for me).

Where is your studio located? (mall, strip mall, etc)

How many people do you need to run your studio?

Thanks for the help.


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## Sideburns (Jan 2, 2008)

I am not a studio owner..so take my advice for what's it's worth.

One thing I know, is that it's cheaper, and it's higher quality to just send your prints out.  mpix.com or something.  Less trouble/overhead for you.

You can buy backdrop stands for backdrops...

You could technically run the studio by yourself.  Any more people and you have to start paying people...

Also, if you have to ask what camera to use for a studio...I don't think you should open a studio.  You should understand a few more things, first.


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## d300user (Jan 3, 2008)

Sideburns said:


> I am not a studio owner..so take my advice for what's it's worth.
> 
> One thing I know, is that it's cheaper, and it's higher quality to just send your prints out. mpix.com or something. Less trouble/overhead for you.
> 
> ...


 
I know how to use a camera. I was curious what camera some studio owners use. For example I've been to a studio and they use a Nikon D40x.


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## Big Mike (Jan 3, 2008)

I think the point was that it doesn't matter what type or brand of camera that a 'studio owner' uses.  It could be a point & shoot digital, a Canon 1Ds mk III or a view camera big enough to shoot sheets of film.


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## nicfargo (Jan 4, 2008)

I have a small studio in my House...pretty much my basement is my studio.  

Printing...outsource it.  Plain and simple.  I use a local lab.  I support local business because I am a local business.  

Camera doesn't matter but I use a Canon 5D and a Canon 30D.  A better question would be what Lighting equipment do I use?

The backdrop stand I use has 3 bars...and I have at least two backdrops on each bar.  I use mainly Muslins...been curious about seamless though.   For a studio business I would seriously paint my walls to be backdrops.  Have a white wall, a gray wall, and a black wall.  Besides that I'd get a backdrop stand.   Honestly you could get by with just a gray wall (use lighting techniques to make it white or black) but it looks so depressing.  If you throw in white and black it just looks better IMO.

I run my studio from my basement...so maybe this isn't really all that helpful now that I read you're planning on setting up outside the home (I really need to up my reading comprehension). I do customer's on an appointment basis.  I think if you were running a studio in a mall you'd have to be set up for anyone who came in.  If you hold in a business location you could do by appointment only or if there was an opening.

If you're studio is small enough and not in a mall, run it yourself.  Honestly, do you need someone to answer your phone?  If your not shooting answer it yourself, if you are...let the machine get it.  If you have too many clients hire more photogs...but that would be about it I'd think.


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## dipstick (Jan 4, 2008)

If you haven't already done it, I would recommend starting your business and try to run it before you go out and get a studio. Running a studio is instantly gonna give you a lot of overhead costs that you can avoid by starting out with a home office. Portraits can be done on location instead, or you could set something up in your garage or whatever.

I would strongly recommend that you get some experience running a photography business before you sign a lease and hope for customers to just drop by.

But with that said, I don't know what your experience level is, so take my advice for what its worth.

Good luck!


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