If you want to sell products through your online shop, it always comes down to perfect product shots. But even for the well-known online auction houses, good pictures say more than written text. A mobile photo studio is a good choice so that you can create professional shots without a disturbing background and with good illumination. A photo booth for product photography is available in many different designs and sizes. Here is a guide to help you decide what to buy. I hope it will help you make the right choice.
Why is a mobile photo studio useful?
A mobile photo studio* is typically 1 x 1 x 1 m (L x W x H).You can easily take such a mini photo studio with you wherever you go. Most versions are offered in a set with integrated LED lighting. In many cases, it is a foldable photo box, which is usually also referred to as a light tent.
You can combine such a complete package to save space. It is also much cheaper than a large photo studio for photoshoots. Understandably, usually only smaller objects can be photographed in it. Nevertheless, there are a variety of applications. As a mobile photographer and designer, you can create impressive product images directly on the customer’s site. You don’t have to take the items home with you. You can also create great shots at corporate events and even wedding parties to some extent. Thus, the wedding cake shines in a mini studio in a special light.
It is especially useful as a ministudio for online store operators or for placing products on auction platforms. Most platforms only accept product photos in which the background is exposed. This can be perfectly achieved, for example, with a light tent or a hollow with proper illumination. But graphic designers also use a mobile photo studio to digitize special objects. These can then be post-processed much more easily on the computer.
What equipment does a large mobile photo studio need?
It is not always about product photography, in which only small objects are photographed. If you want to photograph people or larger objects, such as works of art, furniture, etc., then you can hardly avoid a professional photo studio. But there are also practical solutions for this that you can use on the go. It would help if you had the following equipment for such a project:
camera, lenses, and power sources
You can achieve the best photo results with a good SLR (or system) camera with interchangeable lenses. A small zoom lens up to 85 mm in focal length is usually sufficient for models and larger motifs. Of course, you can also take more lenses with you. Photographers often use a 50mm fixed focal length for such shots. If you want to use a mobile photo studio on the go, then you should bring enough replacement batteries.
Flash and softboxes
You can’t always shoot in the open air, so you’re tied to additional lighting. Here, of course, an external flash comes into consideration. Many camera models have a hinged flash, but it only has a low flash guide number and is relatively weak. Better still is a modern computer flash, which emits the optimal light when taking pictures.
Depending on the mobile photo studio, an indirect flash system can help. This prevents a disturbing shadow formation behind the motif. Here, different flash devices are mounted on tripods, which are triggered synchronously with the main flash of the camera. So that you do not get hard drop shadows, these are attached via the actual flashlight device. In this way, the light is softened and scattered.
Reflective screens
Reflective screens catch the flashlight or the studio lighting and reflect it onto the subject. There are different reflex umbrellas, which are stretched similar to an umbrella. Some models have a reflective gold or silver coating, while others contain translucent nylon covering. These act as blurs and provide a weakened contrast. Reflective umbrellas are brought to the right height with a tripod.
Background system
For each photo motif, you should choose a suitable background. With the help of a bracket, you can stretch a wide variety of backgrounds with a background system. In addition to neutral and colored backgrounds, there are also certain motifs.
Memory cards and external hard drives
With modern cameras, the photo recordings are stored on a memory card. If you take many pictures, you should still have a memory card on hand as a replacement. An external hard drive is quite practical. On these, you can cache larger numbers of photos. This has the advantage of later connecting the hard drive to your computer. From there, the final photo processing takes place.
Tripod
Especially for studio shots, you should mount your camera on a tripod to be on the safe side. Especially with longer shutter speeds, motion blur or shake can be avoided. A little tip: turn off your camera’s built-in image stabilizer when working with a tripod. Otherwise, the camera might move, and the image stabilizer will work hard to make up for it.
Photo Printer on the Go
Depending on the intended use, it makes sense to have a printout of particularly successful shots ready. Maybe your client wants to convince himself of the photo quality and the image arrangement. In this case, using a mobile photo printer (a mobile photo printer) is advantageous.
Equipment must be easy to store.
A mobile photo studio should always be robust and easy to install. There are also bags and suitcases for larger studios that are easy to move around.
Mobile photo studios for product photography
Compact boxes, light tents, and shooting tables are offered, especially for product photography.
The photo booth
A photo booth consists of a cube with fixed side panels. The inner surfaces are usually kept white. On the back wall, you can attach a fabric web to result in a small hollow. A hollow throat offers the advantage that optional lighting does not cast shadows. The subject can thus be photographed without shadows with a background flowing backward. Depending on the manufacturer, further colored backgrounds are supplied to use the hollow throat flexibly. The front opening usually remains open. In front of this, you place your camera and a possible LED light. When not in use, you can fold the box to save space. A collapsible photo booth is usually offered with additional backgrounds and additional lighting.
The Light Tent
A light tent or light cube consists of a flexible wire rod on which a translucent nylon covering is applied. You can also stretch a hollow throat made of nylon in the rear area. This again ensures shadow-free shots. Since a light tent also allows light to pass through on the sides, you can position LED spotlights all around. Note that this is scattered lighting. The images have a high blur factor. With a light tent, you can also close the front with a Velcro nylon curtain. There is a slot through which you can insert the camera lens in the middle. When not in use, you have to turn the wire rods into each other so that the tent can be stowed back into its compact pocket. As a rule, a light tent is offered in a set with at least two LED lights.
The recording table
An interesting alternative is a recording table. At the back of the table, you will find a height-adjustable crossbar, over which you can lay the background as a hollow. On the side, different photo lights can be brought into the right position. With the help of a shooting table, you can sometimes photograph larger subjects. These are also offered in a set with photo lights.
All mobile photo studios are equipped with matching bags or suitcases. The assembly succeeds within a few minutes.
What accessories should the small photo studios contain?
If you are interested in a small, mobile photo studio, there should also be a good basic set of accessories. In most cases, the lighting is supplied on small tripods. These are energy-saving LED luminaires. Older offers are still offered with halogen bulbs. Make sure that you can customize the small spotlights. It would help to photograph the subject in a shadow-free environment as much as possible. Some set offers still include different colored backgrounds. For light subjects, you should rather choose dark background for dark subjects, a lighter background. Most backgrounds can be easily attached with Velcro.
If you want to photograph subjects on reflective surfaces, acrylic sheets are used. As a rule, these are colored black or white. These are not always part of the basic equipment of a mobile photo studio. Turntables are also usually offered. With the help of a turntable (or similar device), you can easily rotate an object around its axis and thus photograph it from any side. Professional turntables are even equipped with quilted motors. You will also rarely find these plates in the set offering of a photo studio.
What are the application scenarios?
After setting up the photo booth or the light tent, you should choose the appropriate background cavity. Now place the motif in the middle, in front of the bend in the hollow. Now align the photo lighting with illuminating the subject from all sides. As explained above, you can also place a motif on a turntable. Thus, all sides can be optimally illuminated and photographed. Now turn on the lights. Place your camera on a tripod and place it in front of the opening of the photo booth. Now you can focus on the subject and take the first test shots.
