What should you ask before you book a photo studio?
Ask the questions below before you pay a deposit. The answers decide whether a studio works for your shoot, and most of them aren’t on a listing page.
- Where do we park, and how far is the carry from the car or truck to the studio?
- Is there a freight elevator, a drive-in door or just stairs?
- How high is the ceiling, and how big is the cyc wall, if there is one?
- How much power is there, and what’s already on the circuits?
- What lights, stands and backdrops are included, and what costs extra?
- What are the hours, and what happens if we run over?
- Is the minimum booking hourly, half day or full day?
- Do you need a certificate of insurance from us, and who is named on it?
- Who cleans up, and what has to be put back the way we found it?
- Can we bring a crew, a stylist, a client and a rack of clothes?
Photo studios for rent around DC
These studios are listed with their neighborhood or city and what they say about themselves. Rates are on each studio’s site or listing.
StudiowerksDC
What they do: Photo, film and TV studio, about 1,250 sq ft, designed and equipped by a director of photography, with backgrounds, lighting, grip, props and furniture.
Best for: Full-day productions, with a booking page on their site
Where: Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
EOD Studio DC
What they do: Creative production studio for photo, video and podcasts in downtown DC, with a reserve page on their site.
Best for: Photo, video and podcast work in one room
Where: Penn Quarter, Washington, DC
Bacon Studio
What they do: Private photo studio of about 850 sq ft with west-facing windows, 9 foot ceilings, Broncolor flashes, seamless paper and a dressing room, booked in 2, 4 or 10 hour blocks.
Best for: Portraits, product and creator work near the Metro
Where: Dupont Circle, Washington, DC
Rana Labs Studio
What they do: Photo, video and podcast studio of about 800 sq ft with black, white and grey backdrops and a green screen.
Best for: Interviews, video and photo in the same session
Where: Northwest Washington, DC
FOSTR Collaborative
What they do: Downtown studio of about 1,025 sq ft, listed for its lighting and greenery.
Best for: Sets that want light and greenery
Where: Northwest Washington, DC
Portraits by Jared Wolfe
What they do: Daylight photo and video studio of about 805 sq ft with 9 foot ceilings and equipment on site, run by a portrait photographer and.
Best for: Daylight portraits and small video sets
Where: Northwest Washington, DC
JRCB Studios
What they do: Loft studio of about 540 sq ft with a cyc wall, booked by the hour.
Best for: Small sets with a cyc wall
Where: Truxton Circle, Washington, DC
People’s Television DC studio
What they do: Photo and video studio of about 800 sq ft with 14 foot ceilings and white walls, listed as sunny and flexible.
Best for: Photo and video days
Where: Takoma Park
Will Name Later Studios
What they do: Creator-first studio of about 700 sq ft for video podcasts, interviews, livestreams and photography.
Best for: Video podcasts and content days
Where: Union Market, Northeast Washington, DC
LED Studios
What they do: Natural light studio of about 603 sq ft in Old Town, open seven days from 7 AM to 11 PM, booked through an online scheduler.
Best for: Photo, video and interview sessions
Where: Old Town Alexandria, VA
Vanaheim Studio
What they do: Photo studio of about 300 sq ft with a 12 by 10 foot cyc wall, booked by the hour.
Best for: Small sets with a cyc wall
Where: Taylor Run, Alexandria, VA
Sharp Studios
What they do: Studio of about 355 sq ft with white walls and seamless backdrops for photo, video and content.
Best for: Small photo, video and content sessions
Where: Lincolnia, Alexandria, VA
Lisa Damico Portraits studio rental
What they do: Boutique studio on the second floor of an office building, with a 12.5 by 15.5 foot shooting room, two tall windows, canvas backdrops and seamless paper, and a hair and makeup room. Rented by the hour, day or week by a portrait photographer.
Best for: Portraits and small styled sets
Where: Old Town Alexandria, VA
Nova Production Studio
What they do: Loft studio of about 1,195 sq ft with natural light and a super white seamless backdrop, listed for photo, video and podcast.
Best for: Podcast, video and photo in one loft
Where: Bailey’s Crossroads, Falls Church, VA
Lair The Studio
What they do: Minimal creative space of about 1,600 sq ft with south-facing windows, furnished for photographers and creatives, with a booking page on their site.
Best for: Branding sessions and natural light work
Where: Falls Church, VA
The Studio by Nonagon
What they do: Photo, video and podcast studio with lighting included, a stage curtain, paper backdrops, a green screen and a sound-treated podcast room, booked by the hour.
Best for: Interviews, podcasts and video with photo
Where: Falls Church, VA
Studio Eleven 13
What they do: Photo studio of about 1,249 sq ft with a white cyc wall and styled sets.
Best for: Cyc wall work and seasonal sets
Where: Marlow Heights, Temple Hills, MD
The Studio Collective
What they do: Boutique studio in Old Town Fairfax with backdrops, furniture and props, reserved by the hour, half day or full day, and managed by a photography business.
Best for: Portraits and styled sets
Where: Old Town Fairfax, VA
Rock Creek Productions studio
What they do: A 5,500 sq ft daylight studio with a 23 foot wide infinity cyc, a 1,650 sq ft main stage, a makeup room and a kitchen, rented by the day or week.
Best for: Large sets and multi-day shoots
Where: Herndon, VA
DC Video Studio by Dudley Digital Works
What they do: 38 by 30 foot cyclorama and green screen studio for video, film and photography, with day packages and tours.
Best for: Video and photo days that need a big cyc
Where: Herndon, VA
AT YOLK
What they do: Three studios, from 1,200 to 2,700 sq ft, with a 25 by 32 foot cyc wall in Studio C. Studios A and B rent by the half or full day, and C by the full day.
Best for: Large photo and video productions
Where: Hyattsville, MD
Vault Studio
What they do: Studio of about 797 sq ft with a cyc wall and a large garage door for vehicle access.
Best for: Product shoots and vehicles
Where: Tuxedo, Hyattsville, MD
Yom Photo Studio
What they do: Photo studio of about 500 sq ft in downtown Silver Spring, booked by the hour.
Best for: Small photo sessions
Where: Downtown Silver Spring, MD
Creative Colony Spaces photo studio
What they do: Photo studio inside a Silver Spring coworking space, with Profoto lighting, seamless paper, props and a hair and makeup space, booked by the hour.
Best for: Small photo sessions
Where: Silver Spring, MD
DC Studios at Photogroup
What they do: Two studios, a 62 by 32 foot drive-in studio with a 35 foot wide cyc wall and a daylight studio with a corner cyc, plus a kitchen and client lounge.
Best for: Big sets and drive-in loads
Where: Silver Spring, MD
How do you pick a photo studio for a commercial shoot?
Start with what you need to photograph, then match the room to it. A product day wants a clean background and a table you can set up fast. A team portrait wants daylight and space to move back. A set with a car, a crowd or a clothing rack wants a drive-in door or a freight elevator and a wide floor. Match that against the questions at the top of this page.
Do you need a cyc wall?
A cyc wall is a wall that curves into the floor so there’s no hard line behind your subject. It’s useful for a clean white or colored background and for full-length shots. Seamless paper gives you the same clean look in a smaller space. Ask each studio what it has and how wide it is.
Can you rent a studio by the hour?
Some studios rent by the hour, usually with a minimum, and others only by the half day or the full day. The cards say what each studio shows about its terms. Check the studio’s page for the current minimum and for what happens if you run over.
Should you bring your own photographer?
You can. A studio rental is usually the space and some equipment, not a photographer. Ask the studio whether it limits outside crews, whether an assistant or a technician is available and whether it needs a certificate of insurance.
Double-check before you book
Rules, rates and availability change. Look at each studio’s own page, and confirm the details with the studio before you book.
Briefing a photographer
To write up a shoot, see the photo shoot brief builder. For agency teams, see the Agencies page. Need lights or a stylist? See camera and lighting rental and hair and makeup stylists. For the rest of the day, see the production day checklist.
