Something that’s worthy of note when talking about artist-led and community-driven co-working buildings is that they also have the potential to open up for wider public and community use. This might be done via the offering of short-term hire for events, meetings and (what we’re going to talk about today!) use for photography and film.
Today, photography and video work is more accessible than it ever has been. Long gone are the days when highly specialist equipment and huge editing and processing suites were required – anyone who’s motivated enough really can have a go! Some start young, they might be given a camera as a child, study their preferred discipline at school and carry on at university; others choose to enrol on an evening course to learn the ropes. Hobbyists simply save up some money, invest in kit and software and embark on teaching themselves and learning ‘on the job’ – with a little help from YouTube no doubt!
Whilst the camera quality on many mobile phones these days is superior to the SLRs of the past, there are a few tricks of the trade that haven’t changed at all despite the advent of new, more widely available technologies and equipment. That’s why those who might consider their Instagram friendly shots to be professional-grade works of photography are often deeply disappointed when they blow their photos up to a larger size or view them via different devices.
If you’re an up and coming business owner or creative, it’s a big step when you launch your website or need to publicly showcase what you do for the first time. You might have individual products that need photographing from a range of different angles to highlight their features, or perhaps you’ve need to hire a model for the day to help show off your brand. Keeping costs down is essential when you’re starting out, and we think you can save a lot of money by hiring a studio but skipping the expensive add-on of a professional photographer. Primarily, always bare one simple principle in mind: it’s all about the lighting!
So, for the best outcome, hire a simple, blank canvas studio space and get hold of a decent camera. Make sure the studio either has good natural light or includes equipment for controlled, continuous lighting – you’ll then have full flexibility and control of the atmosphere and style of the shots your taking, If the studio includes a colorama, some backgrounds, perhaps some other features to play around with, even better! See how you get on, but we’d say it’s a safe bet you’ll be happy with the results. If all that sounds good AND you’re based in Bristol, come down to the photography and video space we operate in Bristol, in collaboration with the guys at Lightforge Video. You can check out the services we offer here.