A photography studio can be set up almost anywhere! Here is a video I made on how I transformed my garage into a fully functioning photography studio. I used it for portrait photography as well as food and stock photography. Enjoy!
0:00 Hi! This is Juventa with Vezzani Photography and HomeBakedJoy.com and I just wanted to talk to you and give you a tour of my studio, so let’s go!
0:15 Okay, here is a shot of where I do a lot of my work. I was able to convert my garage into a fully functioning photography studio. I do individual and family portraits in here as well as stock photography.  Right now my lights are set up for food photography.
0:33 One important aspect of making your garage feel like a professional studio is having a defined space. I purchased painter’s drop cloths made out of muslim fabric and they work beautifully. There are inexpensive and HUGE and I love them! I also purchased a black curtain rod and rings with little clasps on them to hang my curtains from the ceiling. This give me full coverage and privacy allowing me and my clients to feel more comfortable.
1:05 Next to my curtains, I have a FOBA TT Plastic Background Sheet. I use this when I want a seamless white background for my stock photography. It is washable and fairly durable. I also use a Manfrotto Background Support System which I LOVE. It is much stronger than my other support system and more stable for my backdrops.
1:27 On the other side of my studio I store my background boards for my food photography. I have a weathered painted white panel that I use for my antique or vintage looks. I also have a white washed wooden board that I sometimes use. Another inexpensive option for a background board for food photography is to use wainscot. You can buy it at your local hardware store and cut it down to the size you need.
1:53 In addition to my wooden backgrounds, I store a Black FOBA Plastic background sheet to use when I want to do a seamless black background. It is also flexible and washable like the white one.
2:07 The next thing I want to talk about is lighting. Many garages have windows which can be a problem when you want to have controlled lighting. There are two options here. One is to permanently cover the windows with a dark curtain or dark paper. Another one, which I currently use, is to create a diffused light source. I have a roll of seamless white background paper which I use for my family portraits. I have it mostly rolled up to diffuse the light as it is coming in from the outside. As my food photography is facing the garage door, this can add a soft glow to my food photography and hasn’t been a problem for me. Obviously at night, outside light is pretty much a non-issue.
2:49 Now I want to talk about my studio lights. As I mentioned previously, my photography studio is set up for food stock photography as well as for photos for my food blog. I will go into greater detail in a future video as to the specifics of studio lighting. For now, I will just give an overview. I have my large octobox placed in the back to back light my food. I LOVE my octobox! It is a giant diffuser and gives a really soft glow to my pictures.
3:20 Next to my octobox, I use a studio light with an umbrella. This is a perfect placement for some dramatic side lighting. I also have a studio light using an umbrella coming in from the front. I also like to use Alien Bees for my studio lighting. They are a decent price for a really high quality studio light. When I took my studio class, this was the lighting that my instructor recommended. Well worth the price for what you get. I have two B800s and one B400. The B800s have a lot of power and can create a dramatic source of light. The B400 is half as powerful but still very strong. I love that depending upon what time of day it is I can simply do micro adjustments on my studio lights and get exactly what I am looking for.
4:15 One thing that I quickly wanted to mention was the finish on my floor. I bought a dark concrete stain to give my studio a more polished look. Next, I want to talk about my food photography table. I found this little table at an antique shop called, “In the Barn.” It is made of weathered barn wood and has a white-washed finish. It is definitely a unique addition.
4:35 On top of my table, I have a higher quality food backdrop from Erickson Woodworks. I got it from Etsy. While it is quite costly, I have been extremely pleased with the high professional quality that I have been able to get with my food photography. This board is double sided. The back has a mock concrete finish, which allows me to take food photos on a more modern background.
5:00 I also like to simply use my table top for a background for many of my food stock photos. Another item I have in my studio is this little black stool that I got from Target. This little gem has been used for countless family portrait sessions inside and out as well as for my props. I have also used it to stand on when I want to take photos directly over my food.
5:23 You will need a sturdy support system and have to use caution when taking overhead shots. I sometimes have to switch from my 100 mm Macro lens, my “go to” food photography lens, to my 50 mm lens when taking overhead shots.
5:39 The last thing I want to show you is this reclaimed TV entertainment center. I wanted a place to store all of my props and this was perfect. It was free and helps to keep the dust off of my dishes. Most of my props are inside of my kitchen right now, but it’s nice to have a place to store them when you need to.
5:58 Alright, that’s the tour of my studio. Thanks for watching! We’ll see you next time. Bye!
I hope you enjoy my video of how I transformed my garage into a photography studio!!!
To purchase some of my photographs through the stock agency, visit Shutterstock today!
Read more of my travel stories here!
Please note, this website may contain ads and affiliate links. Thank you for your support and for making this site possible!
If you like my work, please send me a donation to encourage me to do more.
Thanks for your support!
[wpedon id=”1433″ align=”center”]
