Because my World Cosplay Summit championship costume is very dear to me, I wanted to take pictures at a special location.
This is why I checked the internet and found the photostudio Jolite in Bochum (Germany, Nordrhein-Westfalen).
About the studio:
The studio Jolite features 4 different barockstyle living room sets over 85 qm.
The sets are hold in light colors and are decorated with a lot small things.
They also have parking places and a changing room (and a Pokestop if you have some spare time ^_-).
They also offer drinks and a waiting lounge, were you can sit down and rest. They also have a small pool of props which you can use freely during the photoshoot.
You can rent the studio starting with 30 € per hour for minimum 3 hours.
They also offer a studio flash rental if you don’t have your own equipment.
Starting with 5 persons, you have to pay a additional fee (20%).
The studio itself is limited to 6 people (from 6 people, 2 can be photographers).
They also offer a day package starting with 200 € for 8 hours.
Starting from 5 people you have to pay a deposit (350 €).
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| The resting place |
Rules:
If you want to rent this studio certain rules apply.
You are only allowed to drink or eat at the designated resting areas.
Shoes with a black profile are not allowed either.
The owner will also tell you to be careful with all cushioned furniture’s. Be careful not leave make up traces at the cushions.
The Studio:
With 85 qm and 4 sets with a lot of different furniture’s and decorations it can be pretty cramped. You still have enough space to build up your flashes. But there is no place for larger groups or larger light settings.
I guess 2 photographers with 2 models each might be possible, but actually I wouldn’t recommend 2 photographers working at one time.
If you don’t have much light equipment it might work, but not if both photographers want to use flashes.
Because the studio has big windows and the interior is mostly hold in light colors, it is pretty bright. But I would still recommend to work at least with 1 softbox to lighten up your model.
If you don’t have equipment I really would recommend to rent some.
The lamps are very dim and not very bright. They are also located directly above you. So if you want to take pictures without flash you are pretty bound to the daylight, which only comes from one direction.
The studio itself has an wonderful atmosphere. I am pretty used to visit studios which look good at pictures, but the sets are mostly build up in large dark storage halls.
This one was a completely different. The owner paid a lot of attention to the atmosphere, especially to the decoration. During our stay we could find so many different details which made this studio really unique.
What I also really liked was that the ceiling high is above 3 Meter. Even with a wide angle lens, we didn’t got any problems with parts of the studio which should not be in the picture.
My opinion:
If you are looking for a barockstyle location for your photoshoot I would definitely recommend to try out this studio. It has a very nice and special atmosphere. It was a really great experience for me.
The most important point was, that this studio offers sets, which are decorated with so many details, that the sets don’t look plain and boring at all.
I visited a lot of studios, where the furniture’s were beautiful. But you could feel that the pictures were taken at a studio, because everything looked so plain and artificial.
This studio is completely different.
A problem was, that black soles weren’t allowed. If I had knew this before it wouldn’t have been a problem. But due to this rules I couldn’t wear my first Adekan Cosplay completely, which was kind of sad.
Another point is that only 6 people are allowed. For me it wasn’t a problem, because I don’t mind spending money for a good location.
But a lot of Cosplayers can´t afford such a studio. Studio sharing is due to this rules nearly impossible.
In Germany it is very difficult to find theme studios with beautiful interior. So even if its not that big and cheap I still would use it again.
Informations:
Name: Studio Jolite
Webside: www.jolite.com
Adress: Harpener Feld 11, 44805 Bochum