The studio lighting market offers more quality options than it ever has. For most studio builds, the question is not whether the lighting will be good enough — it will be — but which system is the right match for the specific studio, the people who will operate it, and the content it will produce. Dragon Image stocks and specifies all of the brands below. Here is how we approach the decision. The brands and what they are for Brand Primary strength Best suited to LightPro Purp

A studio that no one knows how to use is just a room with expensive equipment in it. This is a problem Dragon has seen enough times to build an entire arm of the business around solving it — Dragon Education and Training, operating from the same Artarmon, Collingwood, and Bowen Hills locations as Dragon Image and Dragon Studio Solutions. Most studio builds involve a handover session. Dragon Education goes significantly further than that. What Dragon Education offers NESA-accr

Aputure has done more than most brands to shift the professional lighting market. A decade ago, high-output LED lights with broadcast-grade colour accuracy required a budget that put them out of reach for all but the largest production houses. Aputure's LS series changed that — delivering colour accuracy, output, and build quality that meets professional film and broadcast standards at prices that working photographers and videographers could justify. Dragon Image is an autho

Amaran is the creator-focused sub-brand of Aputure, designed to bring professional LED lighting quality to a broader market — content creators, small studio operators, school media departments, and videographers who need capable, app-controlled lighting without the price of the full Aputure LS professional series. The brand sits between consumer lighting and professional broadcast equipment, and it fills that space well. Dragon Image stocks Amaran alongside the full Aputure L

Nanlite has established itself as one of the most technically credible LED lighting brands in the professional photography and video market. Its products are characterised by high colour accuracy — CRI 96 and TLCI 97 or above across most of the range — combined with output levels and build quality that meet broadcast and commercial production standards. Dragon Image stocks Nanlite across its Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane showrooms, and specifies Nanlite products in studio b

Godox has become one of the most widely used studio lighting brands in the world, and for good reason. The range covers virtually every studio application — from compact speedlights to powerful studio strobes, from continuous LED panels to wireless control systems — at price points that make professional-grade lighting accessible to a much wider range of photographers and videographers than was previously possible. Dragon Image stocks a broad selection of Godox lighting acros

LightPro is the studio lighting system Dragon Image has developed, refined, and stood behind for over 15 years of professional studio builds across Australia. It is not a consumer brand available in every camera store — it is a purpose-built system designed specifically for the demands of permanent, high-use studio environments. When Dragon Studio Solutions specifies lighting for a cyclorama studio, a broadcast facility, a school media space, or a corporate video studio, Ligh

If you have started researching studio builds in Australia, you have probably noticed that prices range from a few thousand dollars to well over a hundred thousand — with very little explanation of what drives the difference. After completing more than 80 professional studio builds across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, we can tell you exactly what costs what, and why. The short answer: there is no standard price for a studio build because there is no standard studio. The co

Every growing ecommerce brand hits this question. You are spending $800 to $2,500 per shoot day, your volume is climbing, and your product range keeps expanding. At what point does building your own studio make more financial sense than continuing to outsource? The answer is almost always earlier than people think — and the non-financial benefits are often larger than the cost saving. The case for outsourcing Outsourcing makes sense when annual shoot volume is low — fewer tha

You have built or hired a cyclorama studio. You set up your lights. And there it is — a stubborn shadow band running across the floor, right at the curve, directly in your shooting zone. No amount of light makes it disappear completely. This is the most common complaint we hear from clients with existing studios. About 20% of Dragon Studio Solutions projects are remediation jobs — fixing cyclorama problems that were built in from the start. The shadow problem is consistently

Green screen and white cyclorama are not interchangeable options for the same outcome. They solve fundamentally different production problems. Choosing the wrong one affects your workflow, your post-production budget, and the skill level required to operate the studio every day. What each one actually does White cyclorama Creates a seamless, infinite background directly in-camera. When correctly lit, the floor-to-wall transition disappears completely. No post-production requi

Building a cyclorama too small is the most regretted studio decision we see. Unlike a lighting system you can upgrade or a background system you can replace, a cyclorama is structural — once it is built, changing its size means demolition and reconstruction. Getting the sizing right the first time is an economic necessity. The variables that determine cyclorama size Subject size Measure your largest subject first. A cyclorama for product photography must accommodate your larg

Light stands are the default starting point for almost every studio. They are flexible, portable, and relatively affordable. They also clutter the floor, create trip hazards, require repositioning for every shoot, and make it impossible for a non-specialist to walk in and operate a studio independently. In every permanent studio Dragon Studio Solutions has built — from broadcast studios for the BBC to school studios across Sydney and Melbourne — the answer has been ceiling-mo

Every studio build proposal eventually lands on someone's desk who asks: what is the return on investment? It is the right question. A professional studio build is a capital investment, and it should be evaluated like one. Based on 80+ builds across Australia, for businesses with sufficient shoot volume, an in-house studio is one of the highest-returning investments available. But the return only materialises when the build is correctly specified for the actual workflow. Two

Acoustic treatment and soundproofing are regularly confused — even by people who have been running studios for years. The confusion leads to two equally problematic outcomes: either the budget is spent on expensive structural soundproofing when simple acoustic treatment would solve the problem, or acoustic treatment is skipped entirely because it is conflated with the expensive structural work. Acoustic treatment: what it is and what it does Acoustic treatment addresses sound

The Lighting Problem With a Tight Curve Here's the real-world issue with a 450mm radius: light doesn't bend. When you place a light source to illuminate your cyc, a tighter curve creates a more abrupt transition zone between floor and wall. That transition zone is where shadows live. With a shallow curve, you'll often see a subtle but persistent darker band right where the floor meets the wall — exactly where your subject is standing or your product is sitting. You can fight

How we designed a custom lighting rig for watercolour art educator Annette Raff Client — Annette Raff, Watercolour Lessons Online | Location — Brisbane, QLD | Consultant — Dominic, Dragon Image Brisbane | Completed — April 2026 Brief: Custom lighting rig for filming watercolour painting tutorials. Challenge: Reflective paper, tilted drawing board, need for overhead camera access. Solution: Flexible LED flex-lites on boom stands with C-stand accent arm. Result: Repeata

Setting up a dedicated space for fashion photography requires more than just a camera and a backdrop. It demands a thoughtful approach to design, equipment, and workflow to ensure every shoot runs smoothly and produces high-quality results. Whether you are building a studio for commercial clients, educational purposes, or government projects, the right setup can elevate your work and streamline production. In this guide, I will walk you through the essential steps and conside

Designing a photography studio is more than just setting up lights and backdrops. It requires a strategic approach to space, lighting, acoustics, and workflow. When done right, a studio becomes a powerful tool that elevates the quality of your work and streamlines your production process. In this post, I will share insights and practical tips to help you master great studio design, ensuring your space meets professional standards and supports your creative goals. The Foundati

Creating a professional photo or video studio is a task that demands precision, planning, and a clear understanding of your production needs. Whether you are outfitting a space for commercial shoots, government projects, or educational purposes, the right studio setup can make all the difference. In this post, I will walk you through the essential elements of designing a studio that not only meets but exceeds your expectations. From layout to lighting, equipment to acoustics,