The best laptops for your home photography studio
A laptop is arguably the most expensive part of any photography studio setup. No matter how you slice it, subpar audio and video equal a subpar product, and the equipment you use will make a tremendous difference in the quality of your work. If you’re going to cut corners, don’t do it with your tech. Let’s start with the big guns. Armed with top-of-the-line overall performance, outstanding battery life, lightning-fast SSD speeds, a solid webcam, and that signature Apple keyboard, the latest MacBook Pro is always at the top of our list when it comes to video, audio, and photo editing capabilities. Apple’s new M1 chip brings performance to the forefront, and when it comes to content creation, there’s not much this machine can’t handle. See our full Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) review. If you’re more of a Windows fan, you can’t go wrong with the Dell XPS 13, another longtime favorite of ours in the world of portable multimedia. The XPS 13’s lightweight, elegant design is just as eye-catching as anything Apple has to offer, and to top it all off, its internals are exceptional: the 3.0-GHz Intel Core i7-1185G7, 16GB of RAM, and gorgeous 4K display are perfect for most video- and audio-editing chores. See our full Dell XPS 13 review.
The best Chromebook for your home photography studio
If you’ve already got your primary laptop covered, consider snagging a Chromebook for subsidiary productivity chores. The Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is perfect for reading scripts, taking notes, or keeping open web browsers handy as you flow from one project to the next. Trust me: having that extra screen real estate is worth the extra money, and if you’re an Android user, the additional compatibility with everything Google is an additional boon. Of course, you can’t use this machine for intensive photo or video editing sessions, but it’s a budget-friendly sidekick that’s useful during content-creation productivity. (Chromebooks are getting more and more powerful with every iteration. Some of the best Chromebooks are already capable of hi-res gaming.) See our full Asus Chromebook Flip C434 review.
The best drawing tablets for your home photography studio
The Wacom Intuos Pro S is a fantastic companion for any digital artist, and its compact size is easy to migrate from studio to project site (and back again) in a pinch. The Intuos Pro S is also a great collaboration tool for on-the-spot photo editing, and thanks to its built-in Bluetooth, there aren’t any annoying cords to worry about. The bundled stylus (with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity) is fantastic for Photoshop and it feels extremely comfortable in the hand. In short, the Intuos Pro S is ideal for mobile artists across the board. See our full Wacom Intuos Pro S review. Not every artist needs a cutting-edge drawing tablet, and the reMarkable 2 slab takes a different approach. Classified as the world’s thinnest tablet as of this writing, think of the reMarkable 2 as a blank 100,000-page notebook that organically eliminates other distractions. There are no downloadable apps to install nor any social media integration to speak of. It’s an extraneous note-taking tool that’s more useful than you might think and far more efficient than cluttering your office with errant moleskins. See our full reMarkable 2 review.
The best monitor for your home photography studio
If your medium is a visual one, you’ll want to edit (and appreciate) the finished product on a high-resolution display that leaves no pixel unturned. The Razer Raptor 27 is such a monitor, and though it’s aimed at the gaming sector, those fast response times and high-refresh rates are fantastic for resource-heavy video editing. Quite frankly, this isn’t just one of the best gaming monitors around, it’s one of the best monitors — period. See our full Razer Raptor 27 Monitor review.
The best docking station for your home photography studio
The more dynamic your production studio setup, the more of a rat’s nest your cord situation can become on the back end. If your laptop station (i.e. home office desk) is starting to look like a garter snake den, perhaps a new docking station is in order. The Plugable USB-C Triple Display Dock fills the bill and its 4K output is powerful enough for lag-free multitasking on multiple monitors at once. This is a great way to futureproof your older laptop without replacing the whole damn thing. (Plus, if you follow any of the advice from this article, you’re gonna need more ports, my friend.) See our full Plugable USB-C Triple Display Dock review.
The best camera for your home photography studio
If you’ve got aspirations in the entertainment industry, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K is a cinema camera that boasts fantastic 6K footage and 120 frames per second in 2.6K. (It has myriad ports and storage options, too.) You can use the Pocket Cinema 6K like a regular DSLR camera, but documentarians, students, indie filmmakers and creators of all types will find something to like with this game-changing camera. If 6K is more resolution than you know what to do with (ahem raises hand), the 4K version of this camera is slightly less expensive. See our full Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K review. See our full Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K review.
The best webcam for your home photography studio
If you do a lot of live-streaming from your home studio, the built-in webcam on your laptop isn’t going to cut the mustard. The Logitech StreamCam, one of the best webcams, has a premium price tag to match its premium features, and this 1080p webcam is designed to work right out of the box with OBS, Twitch and XSplit. You can adjust the StreamCam for portrait or landscape mode and tweak the frame rates between 24 and 60 frames per second. (Just make sure you’ve got a USB-C port to spare.) For budding musicians and web personalities, the StreamCam will let ‘em see the whites of your eyes as you share your stories with the world. See our full Logitech StreamCam review.
The best USB microphone for your home photography studio
Having a quality USB mic is paramount for quality audio, and nobody is going to take your next podcast seriously if it sounds like it was recorded underwater. The Shure MV7 is a professional studio mic that’s ideal for all your podcast and streaming needs, and the user-friendly design makes it one of our top picks. Rest assured, we’re positive the Shure MV7 is a surefire win when it comes to the best USB mics. See our full Shure MV7 Review.
The best audio interface for your home photography studio
The Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 is a frequent recommendation among podcasters and solo artists of all genres; it has everything you need in a USB audio interface. Thanks to two high-performing preamps, two high-headroom instrument inputs (for guitar or bass), and two balanced line inputs, it’s also a top choice for musicians. Bonus: it comes bundled with ProTools First and Ableton Live Lite, so your DAW is already covered if you don’t have one already. Interested in building your own voiceover studio? It’s less expensive than you might think.
The best photo and video editing software for your home studio
The photo and video editing software you use makes a difference, too. Sure, there’s plenty of video and audio-editing freeware out there for snatching, but some software is simply worth the subscription in the long run. (It’s not easy to future-proof yourself as a creator, after all.) With the ability to edit RAW files alongside traditional Adobe Photoshop formats, Lightroom CC/Classic can become an all-encompassing workflow from import to print, allowing you to load print templates and customize them with your images. The streamlined feature set has an easy learning curve and it makes image correction a snap. See more of the best photo editing software here. Adobe Premiere Pro has long been the top pick amongst industry professionals for TV shows, Hollywood movies, advertisements and other SAG-sponsored content. Available for both Windows and Mac, the software lets you edit in high definition, 4K, 8K and even virtual reality. Trimming footage, adding graphics and importing videos from multiple formats has never been easier. See more of the best video editing software here.
The best headphones and speakers for your home photography studio
You could lay down the best melodies on the planet, but that still means diddly squat for everyone’s earholes with the wrong speaker setup. Recording and editing with subpar headphones will inevitably affect your audio project since some frequencies will literally be lost on you. You can’t edit what you can’t hear, amiright? Yes, these noise-cancelling buds aren’t meant for audio editing, but they’ve become the go-to Bluetooth headphones for folks in the entertainment business. If you’re already an Apple user who does a lot of live streaming, these buds are tough to beat when it comes to active noise cancellation, audio quality and overall comfort. They’re great to have around your studio for hands-free productivity See our full Apple AirPods Pro review. If you prefer dedicated over-the-ear headphones, the Bose 700 cans are our top choice. (Plus, you can use a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm AUX cable to plug these into your computer or audio interface.) They’re beautiful, functional and comfortable: three of our favorite things for any quality cans. If you’ll be spending most of your audiophile time indoors, these are the headphones to get. See our full Bose 700 review.
Bluetooth Speaker
There’s no doubt about it: any production studio, no matter the medium, requires some quality speakers. Whether you need them to actually get work done or just kick back and relax, the Klipsch The Fives speakers have a sweet retro look that pumps out powerful, immersive sound. There’s even an output to connect one of the best turntables to, if analog is your thing. The outstanding craftsmanship will put some extra panache in your mustache. See more of the best computer speakers here.
The best accessories for your home photography studio
Here is a well-curated, carefully researched compilation of home office accessories that will harmonize and streamline your workflow as you dive into your content-creation grind. We even threw in an exercise desk bike to help keep a sedentary lifestyle at bay. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra, as they say, and these are the home office extras that tie everything together. See the full Canon Pixma TR8620 review from Tom’s Guide, our sister site. If you’ve never tried out a standing desk before, it’s high time you did. It’s an expensive piece of office furniture, but you get what you pay for. The Flexispot EG8’s gorgeous tempered glass tabletop will look sharp in any production studio and the built-in ports (three Type-A USB and oneType-C USB) turn the desk into a 54-watt charging station. The stabilization bar keeps the whole thing in place with each adjustment, and the anti-collision function works like a charm. As an additional perk, standing desks are ideal for projects that involve intermittent sitting and standing; your back, knees and hips will thank you later. See our full Flexispot Comhar All-in-One Standing Desk (EG8B). Hold on to your butt, folks. This portable standing desk is also a stationary bike, which means you can always squeeze a little cardio into even your busiest shooting day. What makes the Flexispot Deskcise Pro V9 extra useful, however, is the fact that if you forget about the bicycle seat part, it’s essentially an adjustable table on wheels. It’s an excellent home office addition as you build, break down, and rebuild your surrounding environment (i.e. the common life cycle for any production studio). See our full Flexispot Deskcise Pro V9 review. Even if you’re not a bonafide photographer, most smartphones are capable of fantastic pictures these days (heck, my new Galaxy S20 Note Ultra shoots video in 5K, for goodness sakes). Every single shot can be enhanced if you know a thing or three about lighting. But if you’re looking to take this new hobby more seriously, the super-portable Neewer Softbox Continuous Lighting Kit has your back. (And front. Every angle, really.) It comes with two box lights, two umbrella lights and three backdrop colors: black, green, and white. The light bulbs are included, too, so it’s ready to use right out of the box. This is a great investment for aspiring podcasters and YouTubers because it allows you to create a miniature photography studio at the drop of a hat. As long as we’re fine-tuning the lighting in your studio, let’s go full holistic. The Philips Hue line has a whole slew of white and color ambiance bulbs, which are all connected to the Hue Hub. This starter kit comes with four 60W soft white bulbs, but once you’ve got that Hue Hub, there are some pretty sweet smart lamps (opens in new tab) (and other light bulbs (opens in new tab)) you can add to the mix. In addition to whatever photography lighting you use, it can never hurt to have extra light resources — especially when they’re 100 percent dimmable and available on command. Whether you’re an Apple, Alexa, Google Assistant, or even a Microsoft Cortana user, these smart lights are the bee’s knees. See the full Philips Hue White Starter Kit review from our friends at Tom’s Guide. See the full Wemo Smart Plug review from our friends at Tom’s Guide. I’m not pulling any punches with this one. Sometimes your studio gets so cluttered, you start to lose important possessions. Enter the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. This is the smartest, most foolproof way to keep track of easy-to-lose valuables (bags, wallets, earbud cases) around your home and the extensive range is superior to competing brands like the Tile Pro. See our full Samsung Galaxy SmartTag review.
The best decor for soundproofing your home photography studio
Some of the best soundproofing materials are stylish as hell, and you can simultaneously decorate your apartment while also dampening noise and softening up those acoustics. This won’t come into play for every creator, but it’s a damn cool way to liven up your studio whilst also keeping your neighbors from hating you. These hexagon-shaped panels make for excellent decoration and each 0.4-inch thick panel has a noise reduction coefficient of 0.92. There are 11 colors to choose from and the beveled design is great for absorbing unnecessary echoes. The polyester fiber is flame-retardant and the panels are easy to install. If you have more money to spend, the UA-Acoustics Sound Absorption-Diffuse Acoustic Panels are as attractive as they are functional. Similar to the thinner panels above, these larger acoustic panels come in 10 different colors. Meant to be mounted on the wall or ceiling, these panels are used for absorbing mid-to-high frequencies, eliminating echoes and controlling reverb. Musicians will find a friend in these panels. If your new studio requires the constant movement of furniture (or humans), give your downstairs neighbors a break with some extra floor mats. The extra padding under your feet won’t do much for your space’s acoustics, but it’ll sure make a difference as you walk around throughout the day. Bonus: these are technically exercise mats, so having them around should give you an excuse to get some burpees in when you’re not shooting the next big indie film.
