NZPhotographer Issue 59, September 2022

THE CUSTOM BUILT STUDIO WITH KAROLINA STUS
Karolina Stus is an international award-winning fine art
and portrait photographer. For years Karolina only had
a small room in her house and then half of her garage
to use as a studio. She had always dreamed of having
her own creative space. So in 2020, Karolina made
her dream come true.
Currently, in her studio, Karolina has a snood light with
a softbox attachment and a smaller softbox light.
These soft lights fill in any gaps, but with all the natural
light pouring in from both sides of the studio, the lights
are only needed on cloudy overcast days or when
Karolina wants to create a more atmospheric portrait.
Karolina also has a beautiful textured backdrop she
hangs behind her subjects to provide texture to her
images and many props. She’s a self-proclaimed prop
collector and uses them in many of her sessions too.
Her studio is located in a nice quiet semi-rural location
with plenty of natural light and nature all around. With
that in mind, Karolina has started renting out her
space to photographers who need a space with
something a bit extra. She also wants it to evolve as
a space for workshops and collective knowledge
sharing feeling that Kapiti is currently lacking in
creative spaces.
karolinastus.pro
CREATING YOUR OWN STUDIO
So, where do you go from here? You have seen how
Lianna uses her space to capture memories, but also
as a vehicle to show her clients what she can do for
them. You have also seen how Emma has managed
to use a wall in her spare room to build a successful
business. Lastly, we have looked at how Karolina has
built a space she can work in but also share and bring
creative people into. So ask yourself what you want to
do with your space. Portraits? Documentary? Still life?
A bit of everything?
I would suggest three things to get you started. First,
you will need a decent light source. I love using
natural light as much as possible. But, if you can afford
it, buy a snood with a softbox attachment. The snood
is great for focusing light on the face or in certain
areas, and adding the softbox diffuses and softens the
light.
A backdrop holder is the second piece of essential
equipment for a studio space. Make sure it will extend
as high as possible as when a client who measures
185cm walks in, you don’t want to ask them to kneel
because their head is higher than the backdrop!
Lastly, you need the backdrop itself. You can drape
a white sheet over the backdrop holder (see my last
article on backdrops!) or buy a professional plain
backdrop or textured backdrop. Failing this, a plain
wall will do, but some paints reflect light which can
create shadows, whereas a backdrop will soak up
the light.
Remember, this is a studio space that has to fit you
and what you are interested in doing. As we have
seen, these three photographers have created
spaces to fit their needs and all three are enormously
successful at what they do, but following what they
have created may not be quite right for your own
work.