LuxS Studio Decor Consultancy Service
Your studio? Our problem!
Please contact us by email or telephone if we can assist with your studio planning
Most photographers at some time will at least consider opening a studio of their own. However, very few will have had the luxury of sufficient studio experience to help them easily make decsions about suitable premises, equipment, layout and all the other decisions that go in hand with establishing a workplace.
To help such customers, LuxS offer a free of charge 'No Obligation' studio set up consultancy
throughout the UK & Ireland***. We regularly advise architects, electricians, builders and various companies on the feasibility of various design aspects of photographic studios, and welcome all enquiries.
*** Central London enquiries, please see below
A common first sight of a potential studio (Courtesy David Rose, Alderholt)
This can be done in two ways: We are happy to look at any amount of emailed images and sketch plans to give our opinions on either a place's potential as a studio, or advice on the layout of a particular place.
We are also happy to visit premises that clients have secured either by purchase or lease, and work with you on the ground to establish what you plan to do, and help you compile a list of your requirements to make the best of it within your budget. Prior to visiting however we do ask that your occupation of the premises is secured, either by exchange of contracts in the case of purchase, or signed and completed leases in the case of rented premises.
Many consult us at the planning stage of building home studios either in extensions or conversions, and we are quite happy to discuss what services you may need, and what you may need to incorporate totally without obligation.
Besides industrial units and shops, we have advised clients on garage and garden shed studios right up to one client who had gained access to an aircraft hangar which he successfully converted into a studio. Among the more unusual places in which we have given advice and assistance have been squash courts and cattle sheds.
The finished item (Courtesy Studio North, Newcastle)
So what do you need to think about???
Firstly, what sort of work are you going to do?
If you are going to offer family/social work you need to think about the wider areas such as access, parking, comfort facilities and waiting areas. In a high street situation, access and parking is particularly important, as is footfall past the premises which aids promotion at no cost other than having a display.
Some home studios may require planning permission, especially where a business is being run: Whilst this may appear complex, there are quick and easy ways to ascertain what, if any, permissions are required.
Is my place big enough for a studio???
Anywhere is big enough for a studio - but you must be prepared to recognise a place's limitations in terms of what work you can offer - For example, it is extremely difficult to offer full length shots in small low rooms - you need space between subject and background and space between camera and subject, as well as height behind the subject to produce quality images without large amounts of post production. In this sort of space, you have to adjust your poses to seated/lying/crouching, which can produce equally dramatic results which will delight your clients: Dont be fooled into thinking that all those considered leading photographers have massive studios oozing with lights and equipment: Many of the leading lights of our social market work in extremely humble places, but successfully adapt those premises through lateral thought - More 'What can I do?' than 'What do I want to do?'
'Where will I park my car now?' (Courtesy Kirit Patel, Wolverhampton)
What equipment can you offer me?
Besides our renowned posing products and props, we also supply a range of studio hardware, in particular lighting booms and ceiling track systems. In conjunction with the large range of backgrounds we also supply, along with the equipment to handle them, we are also agents for Elinchrom, Bowens, Lastolite, Sekonic and Manfrotto, so we can offer you a 'One stop studio shop' package - and although our individual list prices are often more expensive than our online competitors, our package prices almost without exception will be favourable to the comparable prices from them.
We are able to include cameras and lenses in packages provided you specify which model and lenses you require.
Do you provide an installation service?
No - but in saying that almost all the equipment we supply is a simple fit that any competent DIYer or handyman can fix, and the costs of our employees travelling to site will almost without exception make this an expensive option. We do however offer telephone support, including out of hours support when we are advised that equipment is being fitted.
When we say that our equipment is a simple fit - 24 screws fit a complete ceiling track system... 4 screws fits a Wall scissor boom... No more than that!
*** Note to London customers within the area bounded by the North and South circular roads: A charge of £35 inc VAT, payable in advance, will be made for consultancy visits to potential studios in this area to cover the costs of additional travel, unless off road parking is available free of charge. This charge may be refunded on ordering at our discretion.