Setting up a Digital Studio

[robertarthur]

I am in the process of converting to digital photography. I have a 12' x 18' spare bedroom that I will be converting into my digital studio. I won't be shooting in the studio, but setting it up for editing and printing.

For those that have already done one or those that have seen what others have done I would appreciate any and all recommendations (eg. what would you do differently and why and the like).

My thoughts so far:
18% gray paint on all walls and ceiling
dark wood or carpeting for the floor
dedicated printer stand that doubles as large print storage (eg. old blue print cabinets)
some kind of magnetized system on the wall for putting up prints (so I don't have to use pins and punch small pinholes in the corners of the print)
Lighting, 5000k, track system
The desk has light wood (maple) that I will either sand and paint or put a non reflective black or dark gray top
One wall will have floor to ceiling bookshelves (photo books, paper storage, etc.)

Again, if anyone has anything that they wish they had in their digital studio, I would appreciate hearing about it. I am a serious amateur photographer. I will probably not print beyond 16x20s. 95% of my images are black and white, social and landscape images.

Thanks in advance.

Bob

 

[pschwart]

I am in the process of converting to digital photography. I have a 12' x 18' spare bedroom that I will be converting into my digital studio. I won't be shooting in the studio, but setting it up for editing and printing.

For those that have already done one or those that have seen what others have done I would appreciate any and all recommendations (eg. what would you do differently and why and the like).

My thoughts so far:
18% gray paint on all walls and ceiling
dark wood or carpeting for the floor
dedicated printer stand that doubles as large print storage (eg. old blue print cabinets)
some kind of magnetized system on the wall for putting up prints (so I don't have to use pins and punch small pinholes in the corners of the print)
Lighting, 5000k, track system
The desk has light wood (maple) that I will either sand and paint or put a non reflective black or dark gray top
One wall will have floor to ceiling bookshelves (photo books, paper storage, etc.)

Again, if anyone has anything that they wish they had in their digital studio, I would appreciate hearing about it. I am a serious amateur photographer. I will probably not print beyond 16x20s. 95% of my images are black and white, social and landscape images.

Thanks in advance.

Bob

I also print mostly b&w and some color, and I find I don't need most of that. What I really want is a pleasant work environment.
- Controlled lighting is important for viewing your monitor. You can purchase or make a print viewing station. Who wants to work in a gray room? light/neutral color works fine for me.
- dark furniture and carpeting -- also not necessary.

 

[Doyle Thomas]

I agree with pschwart, if you were doing a studio (image capture) then gray walls could help prevent color spill over. You however are building a digital darkroom not a studio and controlled consistant lighting is important for viewing your monitor. It should be not too bright with no glare on the screen. Windows should be covered so the ambient light remains the same day or night. For Print viewing daylight balanced lamps are fine and BTW you don't need to poke pin holes in your Prints, place the pins outside the Print at the edge to hold it or just lay it flat. If you don't want to poke holes in your walls you can attach some cork board (dark) or styroform (light) to the wall and push the pins into that.

The monitor is transmissive light and so long as the ambient is not too bright it will not impact monitor viewing.

 

[Doyle Thomas]

Oh, on an aide, the brain does have a color memory. I'm sure you have seen the effect whereby you look at a color for a few min then close your eyes and can see the complimentary color. It is useful to have a gray patch to rest the eye on to counter this. You could paint the walls gray but I would not spent my $$ on a 18% gray paint (expensive), any reasonably gray would do. I have an 18% gray card taped to the wall that I can look at to balance color memory.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

+1

 

[robertarthur]

Glad I Asked

Yes, technically this would not be a digital studio, but a digital darkroom.

Thanks for all the advise. It looks like I will save some money with the paint.

Again, thanks much appreciated.

 

[clapcreative]

yea right Mr @Robertarthur

It seems like dark room

 

[Alan Klein]

Is 5000K too high? Don't you want to match the Kelvin where you'll be mounting the print?

 

[Doyle Thomas]

Is 5000K too high? Don't you want to match the Kelvin where you'll be mounting the print?

Technically yes but you often don't know what the viewing light will be so 5000K is a good choice. This is why a color Photograph should always have a pure black and a pure white somewhere in the image.

A B&W Photograph should always have a pure black OR a pure white somewhere in the image. This provides a reference point for the brain.