How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Photo Studio in NYC?
Most NYC photo studios rent by the hour. Smaller daylight and cyc wall studios usually charge $30 to $80 an hour. Large studios over 2,000 sq ft run $150 to $250 an hour, with 4- to 5-hour minimums. At Nula in Brooklyn, it's $35 to $89 an hour on weekdays and $45 to $99 on weekends, lighting included.
What drives the price of a photo studio in NYC
Two studios with the same hourly rate can end up costing very different amounts. These are the things that move the total.
Size and ceiling height
Bigger rooms cost more. You pay for space to back up for full-length shots, room for a crew, and height to get lights above your subject. A solo headshot doesn't need the same room as a fashion shoot with six people.
Natural light or a cyc wall
Daylight studios are usually the cheaper option per hour. A cyc wall, the curved white wall that makes the background disappear, costs more to build and keep clean, so cyc studios tend to charge more.
Manhattan or Brooklyn
Rent is higher in Manhattan, and studio prices tend to follow. Manhattan studios usually start a little higher than studios in Brooklyn and Queens, but the ranges overlap a lot. Compare specific spaces, not boroughs.
Weekday or weekend
Many studios charge more on weekends. If your date is flexible, a weekday is the easiest way to save.
Minimum hours
Most hourly studios set a minimum booking. At the NYC studios we checked, minimums ran from 1 to 5 hours, and bigger spaces usually had longer ones. A low hourly rate with a long minimum can cost more than a higher rate with a short one, so multiply before you compare.
Group size
Many studios include a set number of people in the rate and charge more for larger groups. Count everyone: models, stylists, assistants and clients.
Whether gear is included
Some studios rent the empty room and charge for lights and stands separately. Others include them. Compare what you'd actually pay for the room plus the gear you need, not the hourly rate alone.
Paper pulls
Some studios let you use seamless paper as a background for free and charge only when someone stands on it, because the used section gets cut off and thrown away. That charge is called a "pull." Other studios charge for any paper you use.
Overtime and cleaning
Overtime is usually billed at a higher rate than your booking. Cleaning charges apply when a studio is left dirty or messy materials are used without warning. Some cyc wall studios also charge a fee to repaint the wall after your shoot.
Marketplace service fees
If you book through an online marketplace, the listed hourly rate may not be the final price. Some add a service or processing fee for renters at checkout, often a percentage that changes with the booking total. Others charge renters nothing. Check the total on the last screen before you pay.
What photo studios cost in NYC
In October 2026 we checked the current public rates of more than a dozen NYC studios and marketplace listings. These are starting rates, before weekends, extra people, paper or overtime.
| Type of studio | Typical hourly rate | Typical minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller studios, daylight or cyc wall | $30–$80 | 1–3 hours |
| Large studios, 2,000+ sq ft | $150–$250 | 4–5 hours |
Cyc wall studios sit toward the top of the smaller-studio range, usually $45 to $80 an hour.
Full production stages often don't publish rates at all. You request a quote, often for a full day.
Gear varies too. Some of the studios we checked include strobes and stands in the rate. Others rent the room and charge for equipment separately, which can change the real cost a lot.
Nula Studios prices
Nula has nine self-service studios in four buildings in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, about 20 minutes from Manhattan on the L (Morgan Ave stop). You book online, get access codes, and let yourself in.
| Studio | Type, size, ceiling | Per hour, weekday / weekend | People included / max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio F | Daylight, 400 sq ft, 13 ft | $35 / $45 | 3 / 10 |
| Studio A | Sunlit loft, 550 sq ft, 12 ft | $39 / $49 | 4 / 12 |
| Studio B | Daylight, 600 sq ft, 11 ft | $44 / $54 | 4 / 12 |
| Studio G | Daylight, 600 sq ft, 11 ft | $44 / $54 | 5 / 15 |
| Studio C | Multi-set daylight with a flower wall, 800 sq ft, 11 ft | $49 / $59 | 5 / 20 |
| Studio D | Multi-set daylight, 800 sq ft, 11 ft | $49 / $59 | 5 / 20 |
| Studio H | Cyc wall, 800 sq ft, 14 ft | $49 / $59 | 5 / 15 |
| Studio E | Ground-floor cyc wall, 900 sq ft, 12 ft | $54 / $64 | 5 / 20 |
| Studio J | Drive-in cyc wall with a garage door, 1,200 sq ft, 16 ft | $89 / $99 | 5 / 50 |
The minimum booking is 2 hours, or 3 hours for Studio J. If your group is larger than the number included, a per-hour guest fee applies. It depends on the studio and the size of the group, and you see the full price, including any guest fee, before you pay.
Not sure which room fits? Our guide to choosing the right Nula studio matches shoot types to studios.
Three real bookings, with the math
Solo portrait or content shoot: $105
Studio F on a weekday for 3 hours, with 3 people. Three people is the number included in Studio F's rate, so there's no guest fee.
3 hours × $35 = $105
E-commerce shoot on a cyc wall: $271
Studio E on a Saturday for 4 hours, with 5 people and one seamless paper pull. Five people is included in Studio E's rate.
4 hours × $64 = $256, plus a $15 paper pull = $271
The same shoot on a weekday would be $231.
Car or big-set shoot: $267
Studio J on a weekday for 3 hours, its minimum. The garage door lets you drive in a car or load a large set.
3 hours × $89 = $267
What's included and what costs extra
Included in every rate
- Profoto strobes
- Aputure LED lights
- Stands and modifiers
- Every backdrop color, used as a background
Optional extras
| Extra | Price |
|---|---|
| Seamless paper pull (standing on the paper) | $15 per color |
| Extra Profoto strobe | $50 |
| Spotlight attachment | $50 |
| Scrim Jim 8x8, set up for you | $75 |
| Studio photographer | $150/hr, 2-hour minimum |
| Behind-the-scenes video, 20–30 seconds | $100 |
Charges to avoid
- Overtime: $100 per hour.
- Cleaning: $150 if the studio is left dirty, or if hard-to-clean materials like glitter, confetti or powder are used without telling us first.
- Smoking, alcohol or drugs: a $500 fine.
The full list is in our studio rules and rental agreement.
Ways to save
Book a weekday. Every Nula studio is $10 an hour cheaper on weekdays. A 4-hour shoot in Studio E costs $256 on a Saturday and $216 on a Tuesday.
Pick the right size. A solo portrait or small product shoot fits in Studio F at $35 an hour. Save the bigger rooms for shoots that need the space or the people.
Plan to finish on time. Overtime is $100 an hour, almost three times Studio F's weekday rate. Leave time to pack up and clean before your booking ends.
Look at membership if you shoot 10+ hours a month. Membership gives you 15 studio hours a month for $500 on a 12-month plan, or $525 on a 6-month plan. You can book from 1 hour instead of 2. If you use all 15 hours, that's about $33 an hour on the 12-month plan. Membership requires an application.
FAQ
How much does it cost to rent a photo studio in NYC?
Smaller daylight and cyc wall studios usually charge $30 to $80 an hour. Large studios over 2,000 sq ft run $150 to $250 an hour. Weekends, extra people, paper pulls and overtime can add to that.
What's the cheapest studio at Nula?
Studio F, at $35 an hour on weekdays. With the 2-hour minimum, the smallest booking is $70.
Is lighting included?
Yes. Every rate includes Profoto strobes, Aputure LED lights, stands, modifiers and every backdrop color as a background.
Do weekends cost more?
Yes. Every Nula studio is $10 an hour more on weekends.
What's the minimum booking?
Two hours for every studio except Studio J, which has a 3-hour minimum.
Do bigger groups pay more?
Each rate includes a set number of people. Larger groups pay a per-hour guest fee that depends on the studio and group size. You see the full price, including any guest fee, before you pay.
More questions? See the FAQ, or read how a self-service photo studio works if it's your first booking.
Ready to choose a room? Compare all nine studios.