Traditionally, studio photographers tend to shoot with narrower apertures, though there are certainly situations in which it might be a better choice to shoot at a wider aperture. This informative video examines when different apertures are optimal in studio as well as some of the issues associated with using artificial lights at wider apertures.
Coming to you from Daniel Norton of Adorama TV, this excellent video discusses using different apertures in studio portrait photography and how high speed sync can make your life easier when shooting at wider apertures. Normally, studio photographers tend to shoot at narrow apertures around f/8, as this is normally where a lens is at its sharpest, and it ensures the subject is completely in focus. This is generally much easier to do in studio since one does not have to worry about a busy background like they would outside. Nonetheless, there are situations in which you still might want to shoot at a wider aperture in your studio, particularly for artistic reasons, and this is when high speed sync can be a nice way to make your life simpler (though you can certainly work without it as well). Check out the video above for the full rundown.
Nice simple well explained video that really covers the dilemma between shooting sharp and deep and sharp and shallow. A situation where auto eye AF really comes into its own.
There's different ways to do things, depending on what you need, and this article explains it very well.