I work primarily as a "location" shooter for corporate and industrial clients with business all over the world. This work requires me to travel quite a bit and therefore, my need for studio space to shoot in is seldom.
Like so many other photographers, I work out of my home. I once had a studio earlier in my career for about 6 years in cool area of Denver. Over the 6 years I occupied that space, I shot perhaps 15 or 20 times. Do to the nature of my business it just didn't make sense having a studio.
My studio is located in my basement, Debbie calls it the black hole. I occupy the entire basement, office and shooting space. The shooting space small, for sure, when I need a larger space to shoot in, I rent a studio in town.
The ceiling height in my shooting space is 8 feet, I sure wish it where higher! There are times when I need overhead lighting for a shot and there isn't enough space above to put a softbox or some other modifier. My solution for the low ceiling is to simply bounce a strobe into a white board which becomes my light source.
From the photo above you can see the the size of my shooting space. I have a piece of styrofoam clamped to the floor joists overhead. I simply bounce a strobe into it in order to produce soft overhead lighting. I'm using a set of "Barn Doors" or some other type of gobo on the strobe in order to contain the light and preventing any unwanted spill or flare.
Here are a few more view of the crib, my wife calls it the black hole. When I go downstairs to work, I'm there for the day. Working all the time, even harder than ever with today E.
