What Color For Studio Walls?

[jackaldridge]

<p>Hope this is the right place to post this question.<br>

I'm getting ready to enclose a portion of my shop building as a photo studio.<br>

What color is the best for the interior walls?<br>

White, gray, black, etc.?<br>

I plan to do portraits and typical studio shots with strobe lighting.<br>

Thanks...</p>

[richard_miller5]

<p>black... leaves you in control of the lighting</p>

[nathan_stiles]

<p>Black is depressing though, and unless you have a very chic modern set up, it's doesn't set the mood for your subject either. Frankly, I think black strains the eyes, and should only be used if you have a really small room to shoot in.</p>

<p>If you have a normal sized room, then you can use grey, wheat/straw, and even an egg shell color.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>I would recommend White, or a Neutral color. Allot of strobes with buit-in slaves have diffiuclty Syncing with other units if the color is not highly reflective.<br>

Also when it comes to bouncing the flash off different surfaces the light is cleaner when bounced off a white area.<br>

I once ruined an entire event by bouncing the flash off a blueish ceiling. I was using film back then so nearly an entire roll of 36 exposures had a bluish tint to them. Recently I tried scanning that roll of film and editing it in PS. It didn't help. </p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>@Harry, in a studio you generally don't use the walls/ceiling to bounce off of. In fact, stray light bouncing off walls and ceiling defeats your ability to control the light.</p>

<p>In a small studio, I think black drapes or similar sliding wall covering can provide the control over stray light you need, and can still be "rolled back" to allow a nicer aesthetic for the room.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

 

[bob_osullivan]

<p>It depends on if you are using the walls for backgrounds or not. In my basement studio I have both white and black walls. I can light the white walls directly for a blown out white sweeping paper effect, or I can avoid lighting the black background for a infinite blackout effect. The joint between wall an floor is smoothed with thinset to emulate the sweep of paper and avoid the hard line. I may paint another wall gray. Of course any of these can be covered with a background.</p>

<p>You have to be cognizant of the fact that the white will reflect so plan for that. I use some white foam core boards overhead for reflectors to emulate overcast daylight.</p>

<p>This simple setup works well for me.</p><div></div>

[richard_cochran]

<p>Ideally, you'll have curtains or rolls of paper which allow you to change the walls from white to black at will.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>"Ideally, you'll have curtains or rolls of paper which allow you to change the walls from white to black at will"<br>

========================<br>

I have background stands with black material to cover up the windows. My landlord would kill me if I decided to paint the walls black.</p>

[jackaldridge]

<p>Thanks for all the ideas....gonna go with white and then use black 4'x8' flats as needed...</p>