It has taken nearly nine years of experimenting with light and spaces for my still details photography and photo styling business to finally land itself in the garage photo studio I’ve created. It originally started on my front porch and has hopped from space to space around my home over the years. We have moved several times and each home has offered new possibilities. I still occasionally love my porch or driveway for lighting variation (I use natural light in all of my photography) but the garage photo studio has been amazing.
As you will see in this video, I use my garage studio space to house a variety of my styling props. But I also use it as a space for me to create and explore shooting still details of food, products, flowers and anything that might be useful for a brand shot or a flat lay photo. With practice, you can shoot so many different kinds of photos in a garage space without having it feel like a garage!
A video tour of my garage photo studio:
The full view of my garage photo studio:
In this pullback of my garage photo studio, you can see that it’s bright, spacious and functional. Using the curtain system allows access to the back of the garage, and makes it easy to change out backgrounds if needed. I have pipe shelving for my props, which leaves space below to store my flat lay backgrounds. You can see everything in more detail in the video walkthrough (above).
Photos I’ve created in my garage studio:
As you can see from these photos, I’m able to create a lot of variety in my garage photo studio. You’d never know that my product photography was done in a garage!
25 Flat lay backgrounds to get you started with product photography:
Here’s a short list of some backgrounds I recommend for people wanting to get started with shooting still details and flat lays without having piles of props, rolls of paper, and excessive gear they really don’t need.
1. Repurposed bookshelves
2. Cutting boards
3. Vinyl
4. Wrapping paper
5. Butcher paper
6. Fabric
7. Trays and pans
8. Maps
9. Book pages
10. Scrapbook paper
11. Reclaimed wood/fencing
12. Matte board
13. Bead board
14. Foam core boards/posters/wall paper
15. Tile
16. The ground around you!
17. Cardboard (paint it!)
18. Blankets
19. Newspaper
20. Chalkboard
21. Canvases
22. Placemats
23. Tissue paper
24. Brown paper bags
25. Tablecloths
Hopefully by seeing my simple space, and knowing I most enjoy just shooting where I am and with what I have, you can create beautiful images in your own garage photo studio. Thank you!
Photos by Stephanie Studer, video by Shanyn Nicole Photography
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Pretty nice post. I like the information that you share. It really helps us a lot.
Very cool! I’m actually in the garage door industry and was trying to find new ideas on how I can help transform my client’s space. This is a very creative use of space, I love it.
So cool! I would love to do something like this. The flooring looks so nice.