Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Studio photography is an entirely different beast than shooting on the fly or in the wild. My fellow photogs are probably snarkily thinking “Thank you, Captain Obvious” right now.
But a little perspective for those who don’t live in the shutterbug world, you might think studio photography is easier since you essentially control everything. It isn’t. It’s a different set of conditions to manage but it isn’t “easier”.
The challenges of studio photography
When we’re in the field, we don’t have control over everything. Sometimes we can choose our timing based on experience and conditions. And sometimes we simply have to work with what we’ve got and exercise our high-level photographer skills to make the best of it. Either way, we go into it aware there will be unknowns we have to manage and make adjustments for.
In the studio, you can carefully control the conditions. You have the ability to set everything up—styling, lighting, angles, etc. You can spend all day nit-picking the hell out of it, making micro-adustments down to the last meticulous detail as you shoot.
Therein lies the rub. When you have the ability to control everything you end up trying to control everything. The battle becomes not getting lost in the minutia.
And, trust me, in the studio we’re making endless tiny adjustments—ones that most observers wouldn’t notice. But in the end, it impacts the overall feeling and quality of the image, whether the audience realizes it or not.
There comes a tipping point, though, when you’re working against yourself. So we have to remind ourselves what the goal is for that day of shooting and make sure we’re not getting off in the damn weeds.
Studio blues
As for shooting in studio or in the wild, I like both. They’re very different efforts and experiences but both appealing in their own way.
Sadly, since we left Nevada, I haven’t had a studio. To be clear, my “studio” in Nevada was a corner of the guest room I could leave set up with lights and gear most of the time. Here in New Mexico, living not only in a much smaller house, but one we’re in the throes of renovating, even that setup ain’t happening.
One
So in my missing-studio-shooting-blues, this week’s theme brings me to my effort to capture one single perfect cherry.
Did I get exactly what I was going for? Nope. Time limitations and fatigue set in before I got there.
But am I satisfied? Yes. To semi-quote Farmer Hoggett from Babe*, “That’ll do, cherry. That’ll do.”
Bluesky Art Show
This post is inspired by the Bluesky Art Show, a challenge to share artwork surrounding a weekly theme each Saturday.
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