Optimising the small Studio
Not everyone has access to a large well equipped studio. If you own a garage or a large shed which also has an electricity supply then there is an opportunity to create a workable studio for occasional use. While it depends on the sort of picture taking you want to do, the height of the space is always an issue. If photographing standing figures is necessary, then of course the space must be high enough to allow this to be done.
This technique article will concentrate on making the most of the height available. When you need a white or any other coloured background that gives a seamless effect, it is usual to employ a paper roll. In a confined space, this cannot always be raised high enough above the model’s head to make it work. Large commercial studios extend the use of their space by using an infinity cove. This is basically a construction that removes all the corners of the background so that floor, ceiling and the walls on each side, top and bottom, blend into each other. The finished result is like being able to photograph inside half a giant eggshell. It this way, even things as large as motorcars, can be shot surrounded by background even if the available space is little bigger than they are.
This system is of course much too ambitious for the small studio but it is possible to borrow something from the idea. What is proposed does not take up much room and also does not prevent the space from being used for its normal purposes once picture taking is over. Only the end wall needs to be treated. This should first be covered with plaster board so that it is flat and free from obstructions if this is necessary. The illustration here will give some idea of what all this is about. By making a scoop to blend the floor into the wall and a similar one from wall to roof and painting it, you can get more background out of any given space. If the area being used has a pitched roof then it is a matter of deciding how wide you are going to need your background to be, and then seeing how near the roof it is possible to fix the top scoop. Both top and bottom scoops can be made out of hardboard. It is best to pre-form them before fixing into position. If you are planning a background say 2.4 m wide then the hardboard needs to be about that by about 0.6m. It will be easier to bend to shape if this is cut into 1.2m lengths. These are first dampened with water and placed at 45 degrees to a wall one on top of the other, the middle can then pressed down until the sheets form a curve and then weighted with something heavy. Bricks work well. Do both sheets together so they take up the same curve. They are left until the hardboard dries out when they will then be found to have accepted and retained the curve. The sheets can then be fixed to the wall and floor and skimmed with plaster so that the floor curves seamlessly up to the wall.
The process is repeated for the overhead curve. It is usually possible to make use of a cross beam from the A frame of the roof to provide the top anchor point. Next you need a piece of vinyl to cover the floor up to the point that the scoop takes over. Both this and the background is painted white or whatever other colour you need and the project is complete. If a join shows in the finished picture it is a simple and quick process to clone it out using your computer. When the shed /garage is not being used for photography the vinyl is simply rolled up and put to one side. When it becomes marked with use from foot prints it is merely given another coat of paint before the next session unlike background paper which usually has to be discarded. In the meantime your shed/garage can return to its original use.
Examples
This picture was taken in a small studio using the methods described here. The studio was only a modest 2 m high and even by using the roof space, only added another 0.2 m. However by bending the background back overhead, much more background area was provided from the camera’s viewpoint. Something which is necessary if your subject is wearing high heels. If you still do not have enough space to get you camera far enough back from the subject to get her into the picture, shoot through any opening or doorway in the wall opposite the background.
