How much does a photo studio cost in Cairo?

What decides the price of a studio

Before comparing numbers, compare what each studio actually gives you. Two prices are only comparable when the spaces are.

• Size and height. A bigger floor and a higher ceiling let you light from further away, move a camera on a dolly and fit a crew. Small rooms are cheaper but limit the shots.
• The backdrop. A permanent cyclorama — a curved white wall with no visible corner — is very different from a roll of paper. It gives you a seamless background wide enough for full-body fashion, groups and moving camera.
• Light control. A studio that blacks out completely lets you build the light you want at any hour. One with windows changes as the sun moves.
• Power and rigging. Heavy lighting needs proper power, and a rigging grid lets you hang lights instead of filling the floor with stands.
• What is included. Dressing and makeup rooms, a lounge for clients, parking and air conditioning all matter on a long day.
• Equipment. Some prices include lights and grip; others are space only, with equipment added on.

What Obscura charges

Obscura is a 120 m² studio with a 7 m white infinity cyclorama, a 5 m ceiling with a rigging grid and 100% blackout. You can book by the hour at EGP 300 (minimum 2 hours), a half day (5 hours) at EGP 1,200, or a full day (10 hours) at EGP 2,200.

• A short session — the minimum of 2 hours — comes to EGP 600.
• A half day of 5 hours is EGP 1,200. If you run over, extra hours are added at the hourly rate of EGP 300.
• A full day of 10 hours is EGP 2,200, the best value for campaigns and music videos.
• A 50% deposit confirms the booking, paid in cash at the studio or by Instapay.

These figures are read live from the studio’s rate card, so they are always the current prices.

Hourly, half day or full day?

Count the time honestly. Setup, lighting, hair and makeup, wardrobe changes and packing down all happen inside your booking. A shoot that is "one hour of shooting" is usually three or four hours in the studio.

• Hourly suits headshots, a handful of products, or a quick social video with a simple setup.
• A half day suits a product catalogue, a podcast recording or a small fashion shoot.
• A full day suits commercials, music videos and anything with several setups or talent changes.
• Several days in a row suit big campaigns and set builds; each day is booked at the same hours.

How to get more from your booking

1. 1Send a shot list and references before the day so the lighting can be planned.
2. 2Arrive with talent ready, or book the makeup room time inside your slot.
3. 3Group similar shots so lights move as little as possible.
4. 4Add equipment when you book instead of bringing a second truck.
5. 5For larger productions, send the project form with your budget — we will suggest the most efficient way to book.

A quick way to estimate your budget

1. 1Count the deliverables: how many photos, how many videos, which formats.
2. 2Estimate time per setup, including the light change between setups.
3. 3Add an hour for setup at the start and half an hour for pack-down at the end.
4. 4Choose the booking that covers that total with a little room to spare.
5. 5Add equipment, crew, catering and post-production, which are separate from the studio.