pierre_levasseur Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 hi! I'm at completing the "construction" of my small studio 12"x25" and I wonder what color should I use to paint the wall? Any suggestions? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 For total control, black is best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickwhite Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 I have found 'battleship grey' to be ideal in the past - far less claustrophobic than black. Anything between white and black will work - just avoid any form of colour! PS I hope you mean 12'x25' unless you are building in a doll's house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Black, while by light science, seems good-- will give the place a terrible feel. Find something darker than 18% grey, and maybe a beige that won't reflect to much color cast. Perfect lighting control and tempeture is useless if you end up never wanting to shoot in your studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan_stiles Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Nick, I would think that colors that are slightly warm work for most portrait studios. It's flattering for skin tones, and if you choose wisely, should not cause a color cast, and only slightly alter the overall tempeture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre_levasseur Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 Sorry, dimensions are 12'x25' and even if it is in feet it is some kind of a doll house for a studio... Ideally, I'd like to have 25x25 but my wife disagree a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_levine Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 The reason I suggested flat black, is that lighter colors in small rooms are too reflectant. You can't shoot very high light ratios in a white room due to this factor. Another solution would be black cloth attached to the walls/ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ransomsix Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 My previous studio was 14'x 35'. I matched the paint to a gray card (18 percent gray or so) and it was perfect. Initially it was painted slightly off white, and the whole place turned into a giant soft box. The gray was excellent. Total control, without eating the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mona_chrome Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 Black will probably insure that you will rarely go into your new studio--it is way too depressing! My studio is fairly large, but I had a dark green and dark brown on a wall close to my shooting area and never had any color spill, in fact, after one shoot, I had a bright yellow wall that I didn't paint over for several months with no problem. My ceiling and other walls were all white, which I used frequently for creating "ambient light" on some sets, but only by actually shooting lights into the ceiling(13ft) or walls. Your light control might also be a factor. If you are shooting thru white umbrellas, then the walls and ceiling(taller the better) will become a factor, whereas using grids on your lights or a softbox will diminish the extraneous bounce--a low ceiling-8 or 9 foot- might be your biggest issue here! I don't know what you shoot-tabletop, people or ?, but that might also be a factor. If your door is in the middle of the length of the room, you might consider having the ends different--one dark and neutral and one white. Paint is fairly cheap and you might go with a pleasing, but muted color first and then adjust if you are having issues--do tests. So, really, every studio and use is different and requires a different approach to make it useful for your way of shooting. Just make it a pleasant and comfortable place to be or you will find it never gets used! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd_k. Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 18% Grey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre_levasseur Posted November 16, 2007 Author Share Posted November 16, 2007 thanks to all of you it is very helpfull! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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