Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Paint color for studio walls  (Read 24306 times)

jalcocer

  • Guest
Paint color for studio walls
« on: February 09, 2012, 03:59:00 pm »

Hi, I'm just on the process to build my first studio and start doing business with photography, at the moment just have a small space for my photography but soon I'll have a big enough open space for my studio.  The space is big enough to have one area for shooting and another area for my equipment, computer, and even a sofa, so my question, since it is the first time I have one of my own, starts with what color do you recommend for the walls, should I go with white for the shooting area and something more cozy for the other space? Mostly thought white for the shooting space since I can use the walls sometimes when I want to bounce the flash, but also white is a color that gets dirty very easily, even a dirty hand againts the wall can mess it up.

So for the ones that already have their studio, what do you recommend?

regards
Logged

Johnny_Boy

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 133
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2012, 04:21:07 pm »

I would go with lighter color initially if this is multipurpose room rather than strictly for shooting. Paint it with something like satin or semi-gloss latex paint, so you can wipe off the dirt easily. 
Logged

LenR

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 195
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2012, 01:04:33 pm »

Avoid any color on your walls, ceiling and floor.  In a small studio it will bite you in the butt.
If it was me I might choose white so I can use them as a light source.
My walls and ceiling are white but my floor is a warm-tone so I roll out paper when I shoot people.
I am thinking about changing to munsell gray to limit reflections and help control color.
Good luck!
Logged

jalcocer

  • Guest
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2012, 01:11:14 pm »

thanks to all for your comments!
Logged

fredjeang

  • Guest
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2012, 05:03:05 pm »

frog green, or summer british sky blue, for chromakeying.
Logged

Schewe

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6229
    • http:www.schewephoto.com
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2012, 06:12:15 pm »

So for the ones that already have their studio, what do you recommend?

Above all, photographically neutral for everywhere. I personally tried white as a studio space but ended up hating having to cut the light and cut bounce all the time. So my shooting area us pure black...that way light only, ever occurs where I put it.

Note I do have the ability to have a really large white bounce surface...I have several rolling canvas flats painted white. I have a 12' x 18' flat and a 12' x 12' white flat I can roll around to use as a large bounce (which is really, really nice to have). But shooting in an all white studio would, at this stage, make me nutz...

If black is too extreme, consider a neutral middle gray...it's not hard to darken down and not hard to lighten up with lighting...
Logged

jalcocer

  • Guest
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2012, 08:58:44 pm »

I think I'll go with a light or medium gray, pure white walls sometimes make me nuts and the space is no more than 15 ft wide so I guess if I go with white I'll have a lot of bouncing I may not want. But still let you know about it. thanks
Logged

rcdurston

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 231
    • http://www.durstonphoto.com/
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2012, 02:42:02 pm »

Black if you shoot a lot of products and white if you shoot more general stuff. I have a daylight studio (1300sqft) painted all white with 7 4x6 windows. Even the smallest amount of light from even an overcast day, lights up the room. If I was shoot products all day it would be a black walled studio with a grey floor.
Logged

Ken Bennett

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1797
    • http://www.kenbennettphoto.com
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2012, 04:04:08 pm »

I went with a light grey - but you have to be careful to get a completely neutral color if you go this route. The grey is dark enough that I don't get tons of light bouncing around, but light enough that I don't feel claustrophobic.
Logged
Equipment: a camera and some lenses. https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestphoto/

bill t.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3011
    • http://www.unit16.net
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2012, 06:57:24 pm »

For years I showed pieces in a space with slightly muted RED walls and was amazed how nice it looked!  And in an odd way rather neutral.  The color was actually Valspar 1010-2 "Bright Red" although I disagree with the "Bright" part.

Of course this is New Mexico.  New Hampshire might be different.  But in googling around for pictures of galleries I notice several gallery spaces with walls in pink, forest green, light green, yellow, orange, you name it.  Red is actually a very old, classic gallery wall color going back at least a few centuries.  And I'm also seeing a lot of highly colored interior walls in new and recently redecorated houses.

OK, white.  As in "boring white walls."
Logged

Martin Kristiansen

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1527
    • Martin Kristiansen
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2012, 12:46:44 pm »

The smaller the space the darker the walls and always neutral. A small space painted white you end up using a lot of black flags and when you get busy it is tempting to short cut the flags and flat lighting is the result of a lot of of light bouncing around.

A neutral grey is a good compromise. A small black studio can be a bit on the depressing side.
Logged
Commercial photography is 10% inspiration and 90% moving furniture around.

mediumcool

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 770
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2012, 09:29:35 pm »

Reflective subjects work best in a dark environment with modifiers huddled around the set. Humans, including sitters, may well find that claustrophobic.
Logged
FaceBook facebook.com/ian.goss.39   www.mlkshk.com/user/mediumcool

nhvma

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12
    • Pro One Studio - Mai Anh Photography - Commercial Photographer
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2012, 04:07:26 am »

Pls, take a look at my studio photos here http://www.proonestudio.com/cty/index.html. If you think it works then use medium gray as I am using now.
For me the heigh of the studio is important. If it's low then black would be the best choice. If it is high then medium gray is good. If it is really high then white is OK.
At the time of shooting, manage the lighting is the most important thing to do, so if do paint your studio with bright color then sometime you really have problem in control the bouncing light. Do not use any color other than gray scale (natural) color.
Hope this help.
Regards,
Anh
www.proonestudio.com
Logged
Thanks and regards,
Anh Nguyen
www.proonestudio.com

jalcocer

  • Guest
Re: Paint color for studio walls
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2012, 08:18:30 am »

Pls, take a look at my studio photos here http://www.proonestudio.com/cty/index.html. If you think it works then use medium gray as I am using now.

That's a really nice studio you have, ceilings aren't that high, about 9 ft in height, and between 10 and 15 ft width. I think I'll start with a light neutral gray and do some tests to see if there's light bouncing, and adjust the wall color from there.

thanks for sharing
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up