Behind the Scenes of a Beauty Editorial Magazine Shoot in Just a Home Studio

If you were ever in doubt about what can be achieved in just a home studio, this video is for you. This stunning beauty editorial for a magazine was shot at home and it is of the highest caliber.

This is the second time in a week I have mentioned this, but it's a point I'm happy to reiterate: watching behind-the-scenes videos of high-end photoshoots is the best way to learn outside of paid tutorials and first-hand experience. The amount of information you can gleanĀ from even short BTS videos is staggering. In 5 minutes here, you can see the exact lighting setups, how small a backdrop can be if you're shooting this style of portrait, posing advice, how important a make-up artistĀ and model is for achieving the magazine standard, and so on.

The most important takeaway ought to be regarding the location of the shoot. If you have some space in your house, you can turn it into a studio that can accommodate many shoots. The bulk of my commercial product work was shot in a home studio, even before I had a dedicated studio in my garden. I once shot an entire campaign for a major British brand of great heritage, on my kitchen floor. If it's outside of the photograph and isn't having an impact on the final image, it simply does not matter. Do not hold yourself back thinking you need more than you do. This video by Vera Change is a brilliant example of just how great the results can be even if they're shot at home; there is no way you'd look at her final images and couldn't be convinced they were taken in a large, dedicated studio.

Rob Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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5 Comments

A well produced shoot, a talented team that created beautiful images.

Excellent work. Food and beauty photography are very similar in that the Stylist or M/U Artist is so integral to the final result.

I agree and have said for years, the Food Stylist is the most important person on set. I might be able to light and shoot it but I cannot make, style and prop a dish anywhere close.

Great work!