TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Explore and become an expert on core studio equipment for greater productivity
Undeniably, advanced photographic equipment plays a central role in the running of a pro studio. Devising an effective operational strategy for the usage, storage and maintenance of all equipment on site is something that professionals often choose to do early, although this may change over time as the studio grows and develops. The difficulty with storage is one of a conflict between the need for safety, security and accessibility. Expensive items must be protected when not in use, but must be readily available should they be required. Gear must be kept in a usable condition, with available power, common accessories on hand and with necessary connectivity, be it wired or wireless. This is heavy on space usage and time consuming during a busy day of photoshoots, not least because items will continuously be moved and replaced, requiring them to be tracked carefully. Usage is a consideration in itself – some items will find continuous use every day, while others may often be untouched for long periods of down time. Both situations can yield maintenance challenges; flash units can become overheated after extensive shoots, while inkjet printers can develop ink nozzle clogging if unused for
several days or weeks. Be sure to adhere to a strict upkeep policy for regular readiness checks of all kit.
Next there is the issue of system compatibility – one manufacturer may not offer all of the features a professional needs, so multiple equipment brands may be used in parallel. Ensuring that mixed gear will not interrupt a shoot requires thoughtful storage of items, so that the photographer knows how well their current outfit will function as a unit. A suggested system is to use a ‘traffic light’ arrangement, where red, orange and green labels indicate gear that is out of service, on standby (backups that require batteries, cards, cables etc), and ready for use respectively.
This will avoid confusion at peak times, especially where multiple photographers are using the same resources.
DP