8 Best Photo Studios in Melbourne for Fashion Photography (2026)

Last updated 22 October 2026.

Looking for the best photo studios in Melbourne for a fashion shoot? Melbourne calls itself Australia's fashion capital, and it has the studio scene to back it up. The Melbourne Fashion Festival anchors the calendar each March. Hire studios cluster in a few places: the Cotton Mills in Footscray, the warehouse streets of Collingwood and Richmond, and South Melbourne and St Kilda south of the river. If you want the short answer, start with Glow Studios for twin 6m x 9m cycs with daylight, LUMI Studio for a large cyc and natural light at a published day rate, and Cool Studio for an 8.5m cyc in Collingwood.

Below are eight Melbourne photography studios we checked against their own websites, with rates where they publish them (in AUD) and Google ratings as of October 2026.

Quick comparison

The best photo studios in Melbourne

1) Glow Studios

Glow runs two studio buildings in Footscray's Cotton Mills, about 7km west of the CBD. Studio 5 (in G49) is a first-floor daylight studio with a 6m wide by 9m deep white cyc and extra-large south-facing loft windows. Studio 3 (in G37) is a ground-floor soundproof studio with its own 6m x 9m cyc, a 9m green screen, a red brick wall, remote blackout blinds and 3-phase power, plus a full kitchen studio. Both have make-up, steamers and racks.

• Location: 37/91 Moreland Street, Footscray VIC 3011

• Best for: Campaigns, e-commerce, video

• Rates: $490 + GST half day (4.5 hours), $850 + GST full day

• Google rating: 4.9 (70 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Phone: 0413 535 045

• Website: https://www.studioglow.com.au/

2) LUMI Studio

LUMI has been running in Box Hill North since 2013. At its heart is a 6.5m x 5.5m cyclorama, alongside a black cyc, white brick, concrete and grey surfaces and a customisable feature wall. Natural light fills the space, and full-length blackout blinds cut it by about 90% when you need control. Hair and makeup facilities, racks and a steamer are on site, and the 242 sqm fabrik warehouse next door can be added for bigger builds.

• Location: 79F Lexton Road, Box Hill North VIC 3129

• Best for: Campaigns, lookbooks, TVC and content days

• Rates: $250 + GST for 2 hours (max 4 people), $400 + GST half day (5 hours), $600 + GST full day (10 hours)

• Google rating: 5.0 (112 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Phone: 0412 200 440

• Website: http://www.lumistudio.net/

3) K-Studio

K-Studio is a 140 sqm studio in South Melbourne with a 3.5m x 5m cyclorama and ceilings of 3m to 4m. One room has natural light, and the rest is designed for blackout. Lighting, modifiers, stands, grip and props are included in the hire, and backdrops cost extra. You can book it dry or add a photographer, makeup artist or model.

• Location: 29 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205

• Best for: E-commerce, small lookbooks

• Rates: $119 for 1 hour, $381 for 4 hours, $709 for 8 hours (GST not stated)

• Google rating: 4.9 (99 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Phone: +61 403 965 905

• Website: https://www.k-studio.com.au/

4) Cool Studio

Cool Studio fills a 500 sqm warehouse in Collingwood with two cyclorama studios, a film lab and darkroom, co-working desks and gear hire. The Big Studio has an 8.5m x 7.5m cyc and a private makeup and styling room, for crews of up to 25. The Small Studio has a 4m x 4m corner cyc with natural light or blockout. Its in-house production team works on fashion and editorial campaigns too.

• Location: 127B Campbell Street, Collingwood VIC 3066

• Best for: Editorial, e-commerce, motion

• Rates: Small Studio $180 (2 hrs) to $400 (8 hrs); Big Studio $520 (4 hrs), $800 (8 hrs), $1,100 (10 hrs); whole studio $1,200 (8 hrs). All excl. GST

• Google rating: 5.0 (25 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Website: https://www.coolstudio.com.au/

5) The Loft Studio Melbourne

Also in the Cotton Mills, The Loft is a big, bright warehouse space with large north-facing windows, white brick walls and polished concrete floors. Its hire page lists it at 200 sqm. A clothes rack, garment steamer and make-up station are included, and access is self-managed with phone support. There's no cyc, so it suits natural-light fashion work best.

• Location: 44/91 Moreland Street, Footscray VIC 3011

• Best for: Lookbooks, editorial, daylight content

• Rates: $300 + GST half day (4 hours), $500 + GST full day (9am to 5pm)

• Google rating: 4.9 (70 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Website: http://www.tlsm.com.au/

6) Studio Bastille

Studio Bastille is a 12m x 8m open studio in Richmond with 6m ceilings and a large folding door that lets a truck back in to unload sets. It's run by working photographers and comes with background systems, 240cm floating walls, vinyl floors, racks, steamers and a make-up room. You can also rent ghost mannequins (male or female, $80 a day) and there's free parking for three or four cars out front. The studio isn't soundproof.

• Location: 35 Lincoln Street, Richmond VIC 3121

• Best for: Catalogue, ghost mannequin, set builds

• Rates: $500 + GST half day, $700 + GST full day (8:30am to 5pm); weekends $600 / $800 + GST

• Google rating: 5.0 (20 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Phone: 0416 157 877

• Website: http://www.studiobastille.net/

7) Studio Mondo

The Melbourne arm of Sydney's Studio Mondo has two daylight studios on Chapel Street in St Kilda. Studio 2 is 148 sqm with an 8m wide by 9m deep cyc, and Studio 1 is 110 sqm with a 3.6m cyc. Both have blackout curtains, can be combined, and share a kitchen, dressing area and lounge. Studio hands are on site for set builds.

• Location: Level 1/122 Chapel Street, St Kilda VIC 3182

• Best for: Campaigns, catalogue days

• Rates: Rates on request

• Google rating: 4.9 (14 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Website: https://www.studiomondo.com.au/all-studios-melb

8) Hire and Fire Studio

Hire and Fire is a custom-built blackout studio in North Melbourne, designed by two photographers. Its Google listing describes a 6m wall-to-wall cyclorama and a 5200K makeup room for two models and their hair and makeup artists. All lighting is included in the hire. It's near the 57 tram and North Melbourne station, with street parking.

• Location: 8 Stawell Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051

• Best for: E-commerce, product and fashion, video

• Rates: $195 for 2 hours, $395 half day (5 hours), $595 full day (9 hours), inc GST; extra hours $110

• Google rating: 4.7 (18 reviews), as of Oct 2026

• Phone: 03 8686 9160

• Website: http://www.hireandfire.com.au/

How to choose a fashion photo studio in Melbourne

Pick your side of town

Footscray's Cotton Mills (Glow, The Loft) is the densest cluster, about 7km west of the CBD. Collingwood and Richmond (Cool Studio, Studio Bastille) keep you in the inner north and east, close to Fitzroy and Abbotsford. South Melbourne and St Kilda (K-Studio, Studio Mondo) suit crews coming from the south-east, and LUMI in Box Hill North is the pick for eastern-suburbs teams.

Plan around the Melbourne Fashion Festival

The Melbourne Fashion Festival runs each March, and campaign and editorial demand builds in the weeks before it. Book cyc studios early for that window and for the pre-Christmas e-commerce rush.

Melbourne weather and daylight

Melbourne can swing from bright sun to heavy cloud in an afternoon, which is hard on daylight-only shoots. Studios that pair windows with blackout (Glow's Studio 5, LUMI, Studio Mondo, Cool Studio's Small Studio) let you switch to controlled light without moving. For catalogue consistency, a cyc with strobes is safer than daylight alone.

Check loading and parking

Studio Bastille's folding door and Glow's ground-floor Studio 3 make big load-ins easy. Glow's Studio 5 is on the first floor, so ask about access before you bring rails and set pieces. Studio Bastille has free parking out front, and Hire and Fire relies on street parking.

Know what the rate covers

K-Studio and Hire and Fire include lighting. Glow, LUMI and Cool Studio hire kit separately. GST varies too: Glow, LUMI, Cool Studio, The Loft and Studio Bastille quote + GST, while Hire and Fire's rates include GST. Half days also differ, from 4 hours (The Loft) to 5 hours (LUMI, Hire and Fire).

When you don't need a studio day

Studios are still the right call for campaigns, talent-led editorial and video where movement and real interaction matter. No software replaces a photographer, a stylist and a model working a set together.

But a lot of Melbourne studio days go to work that doesn't need any of that: on-model PDP images for 200 SKUs, every colourway of a bestseller, ghost mannequin packshots and flat lays. For that volume work, many fashion teams now use an AI visual production platform like Caimera instead of booking a full day. Our AI fashion models put your garments on consistent, on-brand models. You can turn a flat lay into on-model catalogue images or produce ghost mannequin images from existing product shots. Keep your studio budget for the shoots that need a studio.

FAQ

How much does it cost to rent a photo studio in Melbourne?

Among the studios above that publish prices, short bookings start at $119 an hour (K-Studio) or $180 + GST for two hours (Cool Studio's Small Studio). Full days run from $500 + GST (The Loft) and $595 inc GST (Hire and Fire) up to $850 + GST at Glow and $1,100 + GST for a 10-hour day in Cool Studio's Big Studio. Studio Mondo quotes on request.

What is the best photo studio in Melbourne for fashion?

For most fashion teams, Glow Studios, LUMI Studio and Cool Studio are the strongest all-rounders, with large cycs plus daylight. For e-commerce on a budget, K-Studio and Hire and Fire include lighting. For natural-light lookbooks, The Loft Studio Melbourne is the pick.

Do Melbourne studios include equipment and lighting?

Some do. K-Studio includes lighting, modifiers and grip, and Hire and Fire includes all lighting. Studio Bastille includes stands, polyboards and reflectors but hires flash heads separately. Glow, LUMI and Cool Studio offer lighting as an add-on. Confirm what's in the base rate before you book.

How far ahead should I book a Melbourne photo studio?

For a weekday outside peak season, a week or two is often enough. In the run-up to the Melbourne Fashion Festival in March and the pre-Christmas e-commerce rush, book several weeks out, especially for the larger cyc studios. Hire and Fire only takes half-day and full-day bookings on Sundays.

Which Melbourne studios have natural light?

Glow (Studio 5), LUMI, The Loft Studio Melbourne, Studio Mondo (both studios), Cool Studio (Small Studio) and K-Studio (one room) all advertise natural light.

What should I check before booking a studio hire in Melbourne?

Confirm what a "day" means (eight, nine or ten hours) and what overtime costs, since that is where budgets slip. Ask whether the rate includes GST, lighting and grip, or whether kit is hired separately. Check the cove size against your widest full-length shot, whether the windows face north for even daylight, and the load-in route for rails and cases. Finally, read the cancellation and rescheduling terms, and ask if a steamer, rails and a hair and makeup station are on site so your stylist is not packing them.

Planning shoots in other cities? See our guide to the best photo studios in New York, or read how fashion photography is changing in 2026.