What is a studio photographer?

Answer 1

A studio photographer works full time inside a studio, a fixed indoor location equipped with all the lights, props, cameras, and anything and everything the photographer needs to do a particular task. The opposite of a studio photographer is a location photographer. Many photographers do both.

There are many kinds of studios, but typically we tend to think of portrait studios, which specialize in the making of portraits of people and other living things, and commercial studios, which are more generalized in that they may be used to make photographs of pretty much anything that fits through the door, which may include portrait subjects. Some commercial studios have rolling doors, like garages or warehouses, that allow for very large subject material coming inside. There are even studios that specialize in the Photography (we are not making this up) of trucks! Yes, whole, entire trucks, sometimes with trailers. They are driven inside and the floors repainted right up to the wheels to remove the tire marks.

The major advantage to working in a studio is that everything in the photographic environment can be precisely controlled: lighting; props; background, &c. Much of the advertising photography you see in magazines is made in studios. Food photography is a good example. Food studios usually have complete kitchens on site for the preparation of food specifically for photography, with specialized cooks and food preparation experts who can make anything look like you could take it off the page and eat it.

If you are thinking of having your own studio, take a look at the Related Link below which has some pretty good advice. But remember that creating and maintaining a studio can be expensive. Location photography is generally less expensive but can be more challenging since you can't control every element in the scene.