How I Built a Photography Studio
in a Camberwell Railway Arch
Switching Careers in My 50s and What the Pandemic Had to Do With It. Originally Posted in 2020 on the studio Website, updated May 2026.
Background
After over two decades of running a creative manufacturing business, I decided to return to photography in a more focused and professional way in 2019. As I approached my 50th birthday, I wanted to re-engage with the creative side of my work and build something that reflected how I actually wanted to spend my time.
In late 2018, I acquired new premises for my business, which allowed me to design and build a dedicated photographic studio for my personal shoots and later for commercial hire.
From Personal Studio to Commercial Space
The original plan was modest. Create photographic prints, develop small runs of home accessories, take on occasional portrait and product commissions. Nothing grand.
What changed things was a request from a neighbouring business to hire the studio for a shoot. It revealed something I hadn’t fully considered — there was a real need for a well-equipped, affordable studio space designed by someone who actually uses studios, not just someone who rents them out.
Arch Photo Studio grew from that single request. Initially promoted through simple listings and word of mouth, it gradually attracted a regular base of photographers, filmmakers, and creatives. The business I’d planned to run alongside my existing work started to become something in its own right.
Adapting During the Pandemic
When the exhibitions and live events sector closed in March 2020, it was both the worst and best thing that could have happened.
The worst because Dimensions Displays — the business I’d spent twenty years building — stopped almost overnight. Events cancelled, clients silent, revenue gone. That kind of sudden stop is frightening in a way that’s hard to describe if you haven’t experienced it. You lie awake doing the maths.
The best because it forced a decision I’d been avoiding. The studio had been running alongside the display business as a kind of creative side project — something I was serious about but hadn’t fully committed to. When the pandemic took away the choice, it also took away the excuse.
During the first lockdown I did what I could with the time. Repainted the space. Redesigned the layout. Built the website. Added a small kitchen. Made the studio into something I’d actually want to hire rather than something I’d thrown together. It wasn’t a grand pivot — it was just the work that needed doing, finally getting done.
Looking back, the timing of moving to larger premises a year earlier — prompted by yet another rent increase at the old location — turned out to be one of the luckiest accidents of the whole thing. Without that extra space, there would have been no studio to develop.
The studio now shares a single location with my two other businesses, about a mile from home in South London. Although this wasn’t originally planned, it proved a practical and efficient arrangement — and one I’d recommend to anyone starting out.
When It Felt Real
There’s a moment every new business owner is waiting for — the one that tells you this isn’t just an experiment anymore.
For me it wasn’t the first booking, although that was a relief. It wasn’t the first five-star review, although that helped. It was when someone came back for a second time.
A repeat booking means the shoot went well enough that they wanted to do it again. It means the space worked, the kit worked, the experience worked. It means you’re not just a convenient option — you’re the place they chose to return to. That felt different from everything that came before it.
Once that started happening regularly, I stopped worrying about whether the studio would survive and started thinking about how to make it better.
Tips on building a photo studio on a Budget
Scroll to the bottom if you want my basic equipment list.
Build Gradually
You don’t need to buy everything at once. I’ve been buying photography gear since 2005 when I got my first digital SLR. I reinvested earnings back into equipment steadily over time. For my 50th birthday, friends gave me money specifically to buy three LED panel lights — which became the foundation of the studio’s video lighting offering when I first opened.
Start with what you need to take a booking. Add what the next booking requires.
Multiple Lighting Options
You’ll need both continuous and strobe lights from early on. Video is now just as important as stills — a variety of LED panels alongside flash heads is essential if you want to attract a broad range of clients. Versatility is what keeps people coming back.
Prioritise Space
You’ll need more space than you think. A simple two-person shoot is manageable almost anywhere. But editorial fashion shoots and small film crews bring makeup artists, hairstylists, photographers, videographers, models, stylists, and clients — easily ten to twelve people with all their equipment.
Stylists in particular need significant space for preparing clothes, hanging rails, and storing cases. Ensure your studio has a reception area, bathroom, kitchen, changing area, storage, and an office. High ceilings matter too — the 4.75-metre apex at Arch is one of the things clients mention most. I’d suggest a minimum of 60 square metres, but 100 or more gives you real flexibility.
Start with Essentials
In 2019 I was shooting with an eight-year-old Nikon D800. Initially I used three SB900 speedlights, but proper studio lights became necessary quickly once I started renting. My first real kit investment was two Godox AD200s and one AD400, three GVM LED panels, and a couple of Godox 60W LED spots. Basic — but enough to take serious bookings and start building a reputation.
Don’t let the kit hold you back from opening. Open with what you have and upgrade as you earn.
Choose the Right Location
To build a sustainable studio business, you need to be somewhere with real demand. London, Manchester, and Birmingham are the obvious choices — people travel from across the south east to use London studios because there simply aren’t enough good ones outside the city.
South London gave me a specific advantage — there are far fewer studios here than in east London areas like Hackney and Shoreditch. Less competition, underserved demand.
Practical location factors matter too. Ground floor access makes a significant difference for filmmakers carrying heavy equipment, and for clients with accessibility needs. Parking, even for one car, is worth more than people expect.
Start Charging Proper Rates Sooner
I started renting the studio at £20 an hour. It felt like the right call at the time — low rates to attract early clients, build reviews, prove the concept. And it worked, up to a point.
What I didn’t fully account for was how hard it is to raise prices once people know what you used to charge. Early clients talk. Word spreads. The studio that was £20 an hour becomes a reference point that’s difficult to move away from, even when the equipment, the space, and the service have improved significantly.
If I were starting again I’d charge closer to a sustainable rate from day one — even with nothing but basic kit and no reviews. The clients who book on price alone are rarely the ones who come back or recommend you. The ones who value what you’re offering will pay for it. I learned that later than I should have.
Focus on Marketing From the Start
Don’t rely solely on Instagram. Build a fast, mobile-friendly website early. List your studio on Google Maps immediately — this is free and drives a significant volume of local search traffic. Register with studiohire.com if you’re in the UK.
Pursue Google reviews actively from your first clients. A handful of genuine five-star reviews early on does more for your visibility than months of social media posts.
When I started, I used Gumtree and Instagram ads to attract the first wave of clients. They weren’t glamorous channels but they worked. SEO took longer to build but has proven to be the most durable source of bookings over time.
Why I Used to Let Sessions Run Over for Free
To build a business from nothing, word of mouth and repeat bookings are everything. The question is how you earn them.
In the early years I helped clients with their lighting setups at no charge, let sessions run over by ten or fifteen minutes without watching the clock, and made sure people left having got what they came for. I now charge for lighting assistance — it’s a formal part of the pricing structure — but those first two years of going the extra mile built a client base that kept coming back and kept telling people about the studio.
Exceptional service in a small business isn’t a slogan. It’s the only reliable growth strategy you have.
Lighting Modifiers
Build your selection of lighting modifiers and offer them at no additional cost. Many London studios have limited modifier options — providing a wide array sets you apart. A significant number of returning clients at Arch specifically mention the inclusive kit and the modifier range as reasons they keep coming back.
Think about it from the client’s perspective: how many studios include two stage spot gobos as standard?
Simplify Pricing
Adopt a straightforward pricing structure that includes everything. Hidden extras and hourly add-ons create friction and erode trust before the client even arrives.
At Arch, the pricing is clear — you pay for your session, everything is included. Clients choose the level of support they want: basic hire where we set up and they shoot, or active assistance throughout. No surprises on checkout.
Props, Furniture, Fabrics, and Storage
Props and set-building materials are vital for creating variety. Stools, chairs, backdrops, mirrors, plants, and fabrics all expand your creative options without significant cost. As the collection grows, storage becomes its own challenge — plan for it early.
Fabrics in particular are underrated. Curtains, tablecloths, throws, and lengths of material can transform a set quickly and cheaply. Build a collection gradually and you’ll find they get used constantly.
Invest in Quality Grip Equipment
Tripods, light stands, booms, and grip equipment are not the place to cut costs. Skimping on stands that support expensive lighting gear is a safety risk as much as a practical one. Buy good stands early and they’ll last the life of the business.
Tethering & Software
Tethering is a must for efficient studio photography. Capture One is the standard — reliable, fast, and significantly better than Lightroom for tethered shooting. Build or buy a simple wheeled tether cart to keep the laptop at a workable height on set.
The Essentials People Forget
A heavy-duty clothes rail, a clothes steamer, multiple power outlets and extension leads, heaters, a vacuum cleaner, and a set of step ladders in different sizes. None of these are glamorous purchases. All of them get used constantly.
Mirrors
You’ll need more than you expect — in different sizes. Illuminated makeup mirrors and full-length mirrors are both essential. At Arch we have five. They also double as props, so think about aesthetics when buying them.
Studio Sound System
Background music changes the atmosphere of a shoot in ways that are hard to quantify but clients notice immediately. A quality sound system doesn’t need to be expensive — a decent amplifier connected to a laptop covers streaming services, and a Bluetooth receiver handles phone connections. Make sure you have enough cable length to be flexible on set.
Lead Generation Through the Studio Itself
Renting out the studio generates income, but it also generates something more valuable — relationships. By offering photography services alongside studio hire, you create natural referral opportunities. Clients who hire the space and need a photographer. Photographers who use the space and refer clients for bookings. The studio and the photography practice feed each other.
Six Years On — Where Arch Photo Studio Is Now
When I opened the studio properly in 2019 I had three LED panels, a handful of modifiers, and genuinely no idea whether anyone would want to hire a photography studio in a Camberwell railway arch run by someone who’d spent twenty years making exhibition displays. It turns out they did.
Six years later Arch Photo Studio has hosted hundreds of shoots — music videos, eCommerce campaigns, fashion editorials, headshots, brand content, product photography, DJ promos, and everything in between. The kit has grown from that basic starter list below to 8 Godox flash heads, 11 continuous LEDs, and over 20 modifiers, all included in the hire price. The ceiling is still 4.75 metres. The arch is still the same arch.
What’s changed is everything around it. Over 120 five-star Google reviews from photographers, brands, musicians, and content creators who’ve shot here. A client base that now comes from across London and beyond. A pricing structure built around transparency — everything included, no awkward conversations about what’s in the price.
The pandemic that threatened to derail the whole thing turned out to be the moment that made it. The enforced pause gave me time to build properly, think clearly, and commit fully to something I’d been half-doing alongside another business for years.
If you’re a photographer thinking about building your own studio — the equipment list below is where I’d start. If you’re a photographer, brand, or creative looking for a well-equipped space to shoot in South London — Arch Photo Studio in Camberwell is what six years of iteration looks like.
Sessions from £120. Lighting included. Usually available within the week.