Renting a photo studio in Cebu? What to know before your first shoot

A good studio day starts before you arrive. Most of what goes wrong on a shoot, like running out of time, missing a light or cramming ten people into a room built for four, can be sorted out when you book. Here's a checklist we share with first-time clients at Nest Studios in Cebu City.

1. Match the room to the shoot

Think about the widest shot you need and how many people will be on set, including crew, talent, clients and the person holding the coffee.

• Full-body fashion, group shots or furniture need a wide, deep space. Studio 1 at Nest is 58.5 sqm with a 12 by 4 meter cyclorama and fits up to 60 people.
• Headshots, products, interviews and content can work in a smaller room. Studio 3 is 35.94 sqm and fits 25 to 30.
• Big productions or a shoot with an audience may need the whole floor. The Entire Studio gives you both studios and the dressing room, for 60 to 100 people.

2. Count your hours honestly

Setup, lighting tests, wardrobe changes and pack-down take longer than the shooting itself. A good rule of thumb is to add an hour on each side of your shot list. At Nest, Studio 1 starts at ₱9,000 for the first 4 hours and ₱2,500 for each extra hour. Studio 3 starts at ₱2,000 for 2 hours. See every rate on the studios page.

3. Ask what kit is included

Renting lights separately adds cost and a pickup run. Ask the studio for its equipment list before you book. Every booking at Nest includes:

• Godox SL60 and SL200 lights and a Nanlite 300W light
• Octagon and rectangle softboxes and 3 Bowens-mount reflector dishes
• 3 C-stands and backdrop stands in various sizes
• 5 wooden backdrops: 2 white, light pink, light blue and green
• 2 sliders, a ball head tripod and a fluid head tripod
• 2 Bluetooth mics, a Bluetooth speaker, a projector and a rolling smart TV
• A 10.8 sqm dressing room with a lit mirror counter

4. Tips for shooting on an infinity wall

• Keep your talent off the wall. Standing a few meters forward lets you light the background separately and avoids shadows on the curve.
• Light the background evenly if you want pure white. Two lights aimed at the wall from either side usually do it.
• Bring shoe covers or clean socks. White floors show every footprint.
• Shoot a test frame of the empty set so your editor has a clean plate.

5. Plan for people, not just pictures

• Where does hair and makeup happen? A dressing room keeps it off set.
• Is there parking? Nest has free parking at Horizons 101.
• Can you bring food? At Nest, yes, with no corkage.
• How do you pay? We take cash, GCash, cards and bank transfer.

6. Book early for busy dates

Weekends and the weeks before holidays fill up first. Send your date, hours and what you're shooting, and we'll confirm availability and the total. Planning a long shoot or a series? Our head manager can put together an offer.

Want a closer look at the big room first? Read inside Studio 1, or plan your shoot and we'll recommend a studio.