Light, power, backdrops and somewhere for people to change. The things that are easy to miss on a listing and hard to fix on the day.
Booking a studio is different from booking a desk. You're paying for a few hours, there's probably a client, a model or a whole crew on the way, and everything has to work first time. If the backdrop is creased or the power goes halfway through, you can't just come back tomorrow.
Here's what's worth checking on the listing, and asking the host about if the listing doesn't say.
Light
Find out which way the windows face and whether they can be blacked out. Natural light is lovely for portraits in the morning and a real nuisance when it moves across your set in the afternoon. If you're bringing your own lights, ask what's already in the room and whether you can switch it off.
Power
This matters more than people think. Ask whether there's backup power, how long it lasts, and whether it can run your lights and a laptop at the same time. Ask where the sockets are, too. A great room with one socket in the far corner means a lot of extension cables.
Backdrops and floor space
Check which backdrops the studio has, what colours they are and what condition they're in. Look at the ceiling height if you're shooting full-length or rigging lights overhead. Then think about where everything else will go: kit bags, a laptop for tethering, a table for props. Studios fill up faster than you'd expect.
Somewhere to change and wait
If you're photographing people, they'll need somewhere private to change and a mirror to get ready in. If a client is coming along, it helps to have somewhere for them to sit that isn't in the middle of your shot.
Sound, if you're filming
For anything with audio, ask about noise from outside. A studio on a busy road, or next to a church or a mosque, might be fine on a Tuesday afternoon and impossible at other times. AC units can be loud as well. Ask whether you can turn them off while you record, and how warm the room gets when you do.
Getting in and out
Ask about parking, especially if you're bringing a car full of equipment, and how far you'll have to carry it. Check whether there's a lift if the studio isn't on the ground floor. And find out when you can arrive. If your booking starts at 10, you want to be setting up at 10, not still signing in with security.
Finally, book a bit longer than the shoot itself. Setting up and packing down always take more time than you plan for, and running into the next person's booking isn't fair on them or on the host.
