I want to create a small, basic photo studio at my service dog organization so that we can take good quality photos of the dogs and recipients for various online and print marketing purposes.

Any recommendations on what we need (other than cameras/lenses which we've got covered)? Lighting kits or backgrounds you'd recommend? Other useful accessories we need?

Added: All the dogs are golden retrievers - for size and color reference

Go with a light colored back ground so dark animal hair will be able to be seen better.You can also bounce light off it to help separate dark fur.

If you want to just put a animal in the set and photograph it tent the entire set in white foam core (4x8'taped together at the 4' edge so they fold in a L.)bounce light into them. Place a large top light over the set. This should cover about any average lighting needs. Think bright overcast day.
You can add strong directional light to cross light if you want to emphasize the texture of fur.
Usually with animals and small kids you don't have a lot of time where they sit still.
If your using "studio" strobe lights the POP of the strobes going off might frighten the animals and make it difficult to get them to sit still or remain on the set after the first shot.
Strong Quartz,or LED lights might be a better choice if your able to balance the light temp to that type of lighting and get enough light to be able to stop your lens down and still get enough depth of field and a fast enough shutter speed.

Good luck on your project.

If you will be taking pictures on an ongoing basis, the basic background many photographers use is a giant roll of white paper suspended from two lighting stands.

There are a couple of benefits.

First, you can pull enough paper out to be both the vertical backdrop and to lay out on the floor, with a nice, gentle curved transition between them (no sharp edge in the lighting).

Second, when the backdrop (inevitably) gets dirty or torn or whatever... you just rip off what you've been using and pull more paper off the roll.

It's commonly available in rolls of various sizes up to 9 feet wide.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...i/23680/N/3659994759

For lights, I think armored is probably right that continuous lights rather than strobes (flashes) would be best for animal photography.

If there is such a thing as a "standard" lighting setup, it is this one (bonus, it shows the use of a seamless background paper roll):



Usually, one of the light will be 2-3 stops brighter than the other (4 to 8 times brighter), and the brighter light will also be mounted higher up than the other one. This doesn't require different lights, any photography lights should be adjustable.

Umbrellas and softboxes (the big diffuser things photographers put on the lights) make the light "softer" - shadows and highlights have softer edges and the light isn't as harsh. That's generally a good thing for the type of photography you're talking about.

Edit: as lizardman says below, the next light to add would be behind the subject.

If you want an EXCELLENT, pretty accessible book on photographic lighting, "Light: Science & Magic" is really, really good, and available both in hard copy and as an ebook.


https://www.amazon.com/Light-S...raphic/dp/0415719402

Get a 2 inch dowel (curtain rod) make a stand for the curtain rod about seven feet tall. Roll different colored cloth (heavier material the better so you don't have to fight wrinkles), and use the cloth for background.

Put a basketball on a stool and watch where the shadows are on the ball and on the sbackground so you can figure out your lighting.

Lighting can be done with inexpensive desk lamps with the correct temperature bulbs.

I would go with a three light system with one behind the subject, and two in front of the subject from each corner. This will help minimize shadows, and give some nice backlight effect for hair.

Contrast is everything regarding background. eliminate shadows on your subjects. Indirect natural lighting is my favorite but then I'm limited to certain times of day.

Artists favor northern light for its consistency. I like lots of sunlight bouncing into the room but not actually hitting my subject.

Movie people like shooting outdoor scenes at night (they did on the set I worked on) because they could control the lighting.

I'm an amateur photobug and all of my best shots have been with natural lighting. All of them.

Maladat has it covered. This is what I would do! Easy and inexpensive, if you can find the paper!

B&H

Here are some basic lighting kits.

I have this kit : https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...gital_monolight.html

I also bought a cloth background and a light meter. If you already have a tripod, this is all you need. This guys videos are pretty good: