The list below has been compiled by hand. It may include studios that are no longer available and it may be missing studios I’m unaware of. I have no affiliation with any of these studios. You can send suggestions for updates to david@gilliver.net.
CBD
- BK Studio – 12 Drewery Lane, Melbourne
- L1 Studios – 1/377 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
- Saint Kalaro – Docklands, Melbourne
North
- 43 Derby Street – 43 Derby St, Collingwood
- Balloon Tree Productions – 161 Donald St, Brunswick East
- Cat Scratch Studio – Union St, Brunswick West
- DCF Studios – 721 High St, Thornbury
- Dragonimage – 72-74 Cromwell St, Collingwood
- DUC – Factory 4, 159 Heidelberg Rd, Northcote
- Gale Street Studios – 2 Gale St, Brunswick East
- Hire & Fire – 8 Stawell St, North Melbourne
- MESMA Studio – Level 1, 6 Nicholson St, Coburg
- Monster and Bear – 13-19 Leslie St, Brunswick
- Mycelium Studios – 255-259 Johnston Street, Abbotsford
- Studio Brunswick – 1/24-26 Hope St, Brunswick
- Studio Northcote – 10 Langwells Parade, Northcote
- Tamale Studios – 47B Gadd St, Northcote
- Wick Studios – 23-25 Leslie St, Brunswick
- XO Studios – 10 Lincoln St, Brunswick East
- Young Street Studios – 202 Young St, Fitzroy
South
- All Time Studios – 21 Lincoln St, Richmond
- Blue Tree Studios – 2/126 Bertie St, Port Melbourne
- Blondes Garage – Level 1, 62 Chapel St, Windsor
- Bohemia Bay Studio – 3 Noyes St, Highett
- Daylight Studios – Level 1, 122 Chapel St, St Kilda
- Decent Exposure – 15 Aberdeen Road, Prahran
- Epic Studios – 15 Simmons St, South Yarra
- Filmsets Studio – 88 Warrigal Rd, Oakleigh
- LLUN Studio – Unit 1, 28 Jarrah Drive, Braeside
- Picture Perfect Studio – 2-18 Superior Drive, Dandenong South
- Ripe Studios – 80 River St, South Yarra
- Studio 20 – 20 Horne St, Elsternwick
- Studio Bastille – 35 Lincoln St, Richmond
- Studio Revolution – 111 Salmon St, Port Melbourne
- Sun Studios – 95 Buckhurst St, South Melbourne
- The Establishment Studios – 23 Grattan St, Prahran
- Toffee Studios – 115 Thistlethwait St, South Melbourne
East
- Blessed Vision – 236-238 Bridge Rd, Richmond
- Koukei – 9 Trade Way, Kilsyth South
- Luminosity – 79F Lexton Rd, Box Hill
- SOL Studio – Burwood
West
- Artificial Studios – 212a Whitehall St, Yarraville
- Awesome Sauce Photography Studios – 81 Whitehall St, Footscray
- Creative Behaviours – 91 Moreland St, Footscray
- Eclat – 6/8 Techno Park Drive, Williamstown North
- Finelight Studio – Millers Junction, 31 Cabot Drive, Altona North
- F Zero Studios – 63 Halsey Rd, Airport West
- Glow Studios – 19 Ireland St, West Melbourne and 37/91 Moreland St, Footscray
- Kindred Studios – 212A Whitehall St, Yarraville
- Photography And Design Australia – 3 Butler Rd, Altona North
- Sharpshooters Studio – 3/10 Akuna Drive, Williamstown North
- Subterra Studio – 5 Sara Grove, Tottenham
Studios come in all shapes and sizes. Some are empty rooms, some have backdrop systems, some have large continuous cyclorama surfaces. Some have lighting equipment while some have lots of windows to shoot with available light. There’s no right or wrong but a photographer needs to understand whether a space will suit their requirements.
Photographers might look for some or all of the following:
- list of lighting equipment available (eg. studio flash heads, reflectors, v-flats, stands, sandbags)
- available backdrops (eg. coloured paper rolls, painted cyc, brick wall)
- private changing space for models
- bathroom/shower facilities
- makeup mirror with suitable lighting
- racks for hanging clothes
- available furniture for studio use (eg. chairs, stools, sofas)
- car parking availability
- access to public transport
- basic costs and general availability (days/hours)
- additional costs (eg. bond, lighting equipment hire, backdrop re-painting charges, cleaning fees)
- dimensions of space (height, width, length)
- heating and air-conditioning availability
- drive-in accessibility for unloading and/or car shooting
- blinds on windows to block/manage available light
- privacy of space (eg. figure models don’t appreciate an audience)
- fridge, tea/coffee or nearby cafe/restaurant facilities for food and refreshments
- wifi internet availability
I wouldn’t expect every studio to be able to provide all of the above features but disclosure is always helpful (eg. “there’s a tram stop right outside but we have no on-site parking”).
Of course, photographers appreciate good clear photos of each space so that they can easily see whether the space is likely to meet their requirements.
this page last updated: 15 December 2022