Studio Gear to Go

So you’ve been doing photography for a while now, taking just your camera, bag, and a few small props.  But what if you wanted to take the studio gear with you?  Have you thought about doing that but felt it was too daunting a task?  Well it doesn’t have to be.  Backdrop stands, reflectors, and drops are being made more portable and that means more possible business opportunities for you.  So let’s take a look at some products that will take your studio on the road.

Portable Backdrop Stand – Interfit makes a support system that breaks down and fits into a bag that can easily be slung over your shoulder.  The system consists of two tripod stands with a three-piece horizontal support bar and a travel bag.  Set up takes about 3 minutes.  Other companies that offer a similar setup are Savage, Da-Lite, and SP Systems.

Muslin Backdrops – When you are on the go, having backdrops that collapse small enough to fit into your vehicle are a must.  Forget the bulky, awkward rolls of seamless paper.  Muslins come in a variety of sizes and easily fold up to fit into a small bag.  They are light, too!  The only hitch with muslin is that it does wrinkle.  So steaming them the night before a shoot will help keep them nice and smooth.  And if you pack a travel size bottle of Downey Wrinkle Releaser, you can quickly refresh the muslin once you arrive and start setting up.  There are plenty of places to pick up muslin drops including Silverlake, Denny Manufacturing, and Backdrop Outlet to name a few.

Metal Clamps – Spring loaded clamps with a PVC coated handle are essential for holding your backdrops in place.  When you’re on the go, having 3 or 4 of these in your bag is essential.  These can be found at any hardware store for just a few dollars a piece.

Lighting & Modifiers – For truly portable lighting, you can go with just a flash.  But what if you want the more dramatic, studio look?  You can opt for off-camera flash or you can bring a strobe with an umbrella or a softbox.  One of the most portable softboxes on the market right now is the Westcott 50×50.  It opens and closes like an umbrella which truly makes it easy to fit in the car, unlike my 48″ octabox which I can’t even squeeze into the hatch of my Subaru.  The Westcott can be used with a strobe or with a flash, making it a versatile choice.  Of course, you will need a light stand to hold your strobe or flash, and Photoflex makes a nice selection of these at reasonable prices.  If you choose to bring your strobe instead of a flash, you’ll want to invest in a portable battery pack.  Alien Bees and Innovatronix both offer these.

Reflector – If you are using one light, you’ll certainly want to consider using a reflector to fill in the shadows.  Photoflex offers a lite panel kit that is truly portable.  The one I use has a corded collapsible frame, 2 fabric panels, stand and a carry bag.  It’s amazing how quickly this sets up and it takes up just a small amount of space in your vehicle when it’s in it’s bag. If you hurry over there, it’s on sale right now for 50% off.

So that’s really all that you would need to get your studio on the go.  If you have more room in your vehicle, you can certainly throw in a posing stool and some props if you need them.  Just make sure you leave enough room for your camera!