Much demand for studio hire?

[samrr]

I have an empty unit which I am looking to rent out however as it’s been on the market for a while I have been thinking of ways to make it pay.

At the moment it’s my studio, well I say that, it’s big, empty and I have my backgrounds one end and my basic set of Interfits that have served me well for the last two years.
(I’m no photographer however it’s a hobby of mine and like having a play doing product shots and when I have time often take pictures of family and friends)

Would there be much demand (or money) in turning it into a basic studio?

I guess I would need to invest in some more backgrounds, maybe one big enough for cars and also some decent lights…

Anyone got any views? Seems simple to setup and downsides just seem to be damage to the lights and backgrounds…

[Nick Grant]

I imagine that demand would depend on location for one thing. Other than that, you would probably need to provide support onsite, offer lessons on how to use the gear etc.

[Nick Grant]

But if it were in South Croydon, big enough to get a car in and priced right I would use it

[samrr]

It's J26 of the M25.

I haven't really got the time to offer any support and don't have the knowledge to offer any lessons...

I would really like to offer it to people who knew what they were doing and could get on with it.

Would that narrow the market down too much?

What could you charge per day?

[xrrr]

I would be interested but a dedicated car studio is a large proposition. Some of us have been to the Haymarket Studios where they do Autocar and Whatcar studio shots (and others). The facilities they have:

• About 20 Arri studio lights
• Infinity curve
• A rotating turntable for rotating the car
• Lots and lots of space!

Here is a pic I took last year:

PistonHeads Photo Session by xrrr, on Flickr

You may be better off advertising it as a general studio that is big enough for a car rather than a car studio.

Have a look on http://www.getlocations.com/ to see if you can find something comparable in order to decide a price.

[mcflurry]

What sort of price range would it be aimed at?
i.e. is it worth DIY vs visiting a pro to get the portrait done?