Building a studio/work space

[felix5616]

I am not a professional photographer but i am serious about my work, have a large and varied collection of photo equipment, cameras, wet darkroom, mounting and mat cutting gear and a large digital darkroom. My question for pros is if I were to build form scratch a new workspace, like a free standing photo space how does one determing how much space is needed for all my gear plus some studio space.  

[SangRaal]

The first thing that you would need in a quest for the ultimate studio space would be a DIVORCE( yes I am a Domestic relations Atty. not a misogynist) this would end any constraints on your expenditures, home space and esthetics. You then would need to install strict dust, humidity and temperature controls. Computers, Camera bodies and lenses like low humidity, while digital printing systems like high humidity. That means that they need to be kept in different rooms. I have finally dedicated full size cabinet to hold camera bodies, filters, lenses, camera and lens protectors, and cameras; that has dedicated racks padding etc. as well as dedicated precision tools, but most important 2 "goldenrods"  (plugin dehumidifiers used for gun safes etc) with locking drawers on the chest. Dust is your enemy for every process and piece of equipment how do you control it? I have an active high end whole house dust remover on my heating system and 3 large stand alone stand alone dust removers; yesterday I had to manually clean the dust filters in the cases of all 4 of my desk top computers and a heavy coating of dust on every surface. The Culprit was a 2 day visit by several large dogs on top of my 2.5 GSD's (4- GSD 1 rhodesian ridgeback 1 border Collie 1 OES 7 total dogs weighing in at an estimated weight of 850 pounds). Then for any high end dedicated hobby room you need a security system. Yes I made this reply tongue in cheek there is no way to ever come up with an ultimate any thing in the world of hobbies.

[bill t.]

Random thoughts.  Would be nice to able to back away at least 4 times the height of your tallest large subject.  For lighting would be nice to have at least twice the ceiling height of your tallest subject.  For studio work have enough space to work on at least 2 setups at once.  When working you should not have to go into another room to fetch this or that doodad.  Electrical plugs galore, maybe even in the floor.

But bottom line, nothing effects what you can do more than the amount of open space you have and the ease with which you can maneuver lights, tripods, and everything else you need to use.  Nothing drags down a shoot like the side effects of cramped conditions, or equipment that is a hassle to remove from storage.  Easy access, don't leave home without it.

[theguywitha645d]

That is a tough one. A lot of that would be how you work. And that is really personal. I would also design based on priority--what will you spend most of your time doing. For example, if studio work is most important, I would put the studio on the ground floor and tuck in the darkroom on the same floor to keep water near by and upstairs I would put the digital processing and printing space.

But this is a really complex problem. How you make everything fit is very important. Are you going to have a basement foundation, a great place for a darkroom. Do you need toilet? Heating/Cooling. Electricity and data cables? Access to upgrade the wiring if data cable specs need to be change. Natural light is nice to have, but also nice to block off so your print viewing area is not influenced by outside light. Permits?

Studio space is a tough question. What will you shoot? Tabletop, 1-2 people, groups, cars? If I were building to shoot portraits of 1-2 people my minimum would 20x25 foot room with 18 foot ceilings--don't forget ceiling height. I could work smaller, but that is making more compromises. If I were using rolling studio stands and such, I would want a concrete floor. If I were really wild and crazy, I would build a north light studio and then the outside becomes a huge factor.

And finally, you want this structure to look nice. An architect is really needed--construction companies don't make nice looking buildings.

[Rob C]

Random thoughts.  Would be nice to able to back away at least 4 times the height of your tallest large subject.  For lighting would be nice to have at least twice the ceiling height of your tallest subject.  For studio work have enough space to work on at least 2 setups at once.  When working you should not have to go into another room to fetch this or that doodad.  Electrical plugs galore, maybe even in the floor.

But bottom line, nothing effects what you can do more than the amount of open space you have and the ease with which you can maneuver lights, tripods, and everything else you need to use.  Nothing drags down a shoot like the side effects of cramped conditions, or equipment that is a hassle to remove from storage.  Easy access, don't leave home without it.

I can verify that from experience: my first studio was an entire flat of a listed building, with the large rooms that suggests. Then I let it go, because studio work had fallen so far that I figured it had left me for ever. Naturally enough, in stepped Sod's Friggin' Law: the work came back and I decided to build a new one alongside the house instead of rent anymore. Unfortunately, it had to be fairly tight, and there's no question in my mind that the work suffered. Even doing small jobs, like a swatch of cloth, it was frustrating to know what I'd given up, and it used to annoy the hell out of me. Doing clothes shots was really pushing it, but that was my bread and butter at the time, so it had to be done. However, when design and calendars replaced fashion, being at home and chatting with my wife took over from studio size and made life wonderful, as was seeing the kids when they come home from school for lunch!

Golden years...

Rob C

[theguywitha645d]

I would visit some studios and ask their owns what they think of the space. That would give you an idea of the spaces and what folks think of them--good and bad. And there are some good books on architecture that can give some good ideas even though they may not be directly to do with the space you want.

[Rob C]

That is a tough one. A lot of that would be how you work. And that is really personal. I would also design based on priority--what will you spend most of your time doing. For example, if studio work is most important, I would put the studio on the ground floor and tuck in the darkroom on the same floor to keep water near by and upstairs I would put the digital processing and printing space.

But this is a really complex problem. How you make everything fit is very important. Are you going to have a basement foundation, a great place for a darkroom. Do you need toilet? Heating/Cooling. Electricity and data cables? Access to upgrade the wiring if data cable specs need to be change. Natural light is nice to have, but also nice to block off so your print viewing area is not influenced by outside light. Permits?

Studio space is a tough question. What will you shoot? Tabletop, 1-2 people, groups, cars? If I were building to shoot portraits of 1-2 people my minimum would 20x25 foot room with 18 foot ceilings--don't forget ceiling height. I could work smaller, but that is making more compromises. If I were using rolling studio stands and such, I would want a concrete floor. If I were really wild and crazy, I would build a north light studio and then the outside becomes a huge factor.

And finally, you want this structure to look nice. An architect is really needed--construction companies don't make nice looking buildings.

Best suggestion: go visit Albert Watson.

Rob C

[felix5616]

I was thinking of a single building on my property, constructed as a shell with 13' ceilings, 1 level of open space measuring 30' wide by 50' long. One end would have a wet darkroom for developing film, the rest of the space open with different areas for different steps(scanning and photoshop work, printing, mountin, mat cutting and spraying)

[bill t.]

When you locate the wet darkroom, be sure to consider what useful alternative use it might serve in the near future.  Sorry, I'm a smart a**.

As long as you're cutting mattes etc, why not also make frames?  Which means a miter saw.  Which should always be located so that whatever airflow you have in the structure exits through that area carrying fine sawdust with it to the outside.

30 x 50 is big enough.  The spanning structures that support the roof should be off a type that is friendly to clamping on lights, parts of sets, large hanging reflectors etc.  Most industrial spaces already have them.  13 feet is high enough that the roof can be white.  Lower roofs should arguably be black so as not to intrude on your lighting designs.

Your Photoshop area should have very easy access to the stage area.  The door should be wide enough so that you can roll the entire Photoshop desk out onto the stage for tethered shooting.

If possible locate the stage part of the building so that it is on the north or east side of the building.  That will slightly mitigate ugly solar temperature build up when you are working with hot lights.  Also locate the stage garage door in a location that does not receive direct sunlight.  If you install turbine air exhausts on the roof, you need to hang 4 x 4 foot black light baffles underneath them.  If you install air conditioning don't put in on the roof, because it will make those place bounce up and down and sound like factory.

Also be sure to locate the coffee and client diversion area with easy access to the stage, but decidedly not ON the stage.  When clients get bored enough they'll go there and you'll be able to get some work done.  A TV or internet station can be helpful in that regard.

Don't forget dressing rooms with big mirrors and counters just underneath.  Potty, wash basin, and shower included.

Install linoleum tile over concrete floors, or a least paint them really good.

Be sure there a couple foam pads in the cupboards for late night crashes.  Also a frig full of brews and Diet Coke, and at least a microwave.  Cuisine grade gas stove, hot tub, etc are optional but recommended.

You also need to buy several mural sized pieces from me to hang on your walls.

It is easy to predict exactly how much space you need.  It will always be a little more than you have.  Clutter always expands to exactly overflow the space available.

[John Camp]

30x50 is huge. I built a 40x50 unheated/uncooled garage/shop/storage building (a "Morton Building") at my summer cabin, and can't imagine building something that big to use as a studio, not unless I was a very heavy professional. For one thing, unless you live in some weird totally neutral climate, you're have to either heat it or air condition it, and probably both, which means a full-scale building with insulation, etc., and you'll still be spending $300 a month on HVAC. Given the amount of money you'd have to put into it, I'd suggest you'd be better off just to rent -- especially the studio component, if you only plan to use that occasionally.

Whatever you decide to do, spend a little of the money on amenities - a stereo, a wall-mounted TV, a couch with a reading light, etc. It makes everything much nicer.

[marcmccalmont]

Felix
make sure you include a garage door so cars etc can come in!
Marc

[Rob C]

If you can afford to build and also pay for all that, just forget it: travel the world and let somebody else worry about studios and all that bloody hard and often stressed out work.

Smell the daisies, turn them into chains; take straw hats off long, streaked blond tresses and enjoy the spirit of the seventies today!

Just kidding - wish my own options had been that open at the time.

Rob C