A dedicated car photography studio with a drive-in bay, infinity cove and controllable lighting typically costs between £800 and £2,500 for a full day in the UK. At Story + Space, our drive-in car studio, The Neon, is available from £1,200 inc VAT for a full day. That rate is published, fixed and covers the space itself, not a rough estimate subject to extras.
What The Neon Costs and Why It Is Full Days Only
The Neon is priced from £1,200 inc VAT per full day. A full day is eight hours. We do not offer half-day bookings for this studio, and that is a deliberate decision. Getting a car in and out, setting your angles, running through paint and chrome detail work, and then resetting for a second vehicle is a process that simply does not fit inside four hours without shortcuts that affect the final image. The full-day structure protects the quality of your shoot, not just our schedule.
The rate gives you exclusive access to the studio for those eight hours. There are no hidden room fees, no extra charges for the drive-in bay access, and no per-vehicle surcharges built into the base price. What the quote covers is the space and the time.
What Is and Is Not Included at That Price
The Neon is dry hire. That means no equipment is included in the day rate. You bring your own cameras, lenses, lighting rigs, tethering kit, and any crew or assistants your production requires. This is standard practice for a studio of this type, and it gives you complete control over your lighting setup without compromise.
If you need equipment and would rather not transport it, we offer equipment hire as an add-on to any booking. Speak to us at the point of enquiry and we can build that into your quote. Remote support is available throughout your session, though the studios are unstaffed on the day. You are working in a private, self-directed space.
You can find the full breakdown of what The Neon includes on our car photography studio East Midlands page, and a broader pricing comparison across all nine rooms on our pricing page.
How £1,200 Compares to the Wider Market
Drive-in car studios are a specialist category and there are not many of them. Rates across the UK range considerably depending on location, cove size, ceiling height and whether the space was purpose-built or adapted from an industrial unit. London-based options with comparable drive-in access typically sit between £1,500 and £2,500 per day. Converted warehouse spaces in other cities often quote lower but come with practical limitations: columns in the shooting area, restricted access heights, or lighting rigs that cannot be moved.
At £1,200, The Neon sits towards the accessible end of a genuinely specialist market, and it is located in Colwick, Nottingham, which puts it within easy reach of the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and the wider Midlands without central London logistics or costs.
For brands or production companies weighing up options, the real comparison is not just day rate against day rate. It is what you lose or gain in setup time, ceiling clearance, surface finish and turnaround between vehicles. Those practical factors shape the final output as much as the hire cost does.
Who Books a Full Day in a Drive-In Studio
The typical The Neon booking comes from one of three directions. Automotive brands shooting product content for campaign use, independent car dealers commissioning professional imagery for stock listings and social content, and production companies or commercial photographers hired to deliver hero imagery for clients who cannot achieve the look on location.
The studio also works well for custom vehicle builds, modified cars, and high-end private sales where the owner wants imagery that matches the specification of the car. If you are handling multiple vehicles in a single session, the full-day structure gives you the time to do each one properly rather than rushing through a sequence.
Our production companies page covers how we handle more complex multi-room bookings if your shoot requires additional space alongside The Neon.
Getting an Accurate Quote Before You Book
The published rate of £1,200 is the starting point for a standard full-day booking. If your production has specific requirements, equipment add-ons, or involves multiple vehicles across consecutive days, the final figure may differ. We do not quote blind. When you get in touch, we ask about the vehicle type, your intended setup, crew numbers and any equipment requirements so that your quote reflects the actual day you are planning.
There are no membership requirements to book The Neon. It is available as a standalone hire. If you are a regular user of the building and hold a Story + Space membership, that membership does not apply to The Neon day rate, which is structured separately from the hourly rooms.
To start an enquiry, visit our contact page with your shoot date, vehicle details and a rough outline of what you need. We will come back with specifics rather than a holding response.
What Makes a Drive-In Studio Worth the Rate
Location shoots for cars are not free. Scout fees, permits, weather risk, equipment transport, and the time lost managing variables that are outside your control all carry a cost. A studio removes most of that uncertainty. You control the light, the background, the timing and the pace of the day.
The Neon was built specifically for this type of work. The drive-in access means no craning, no disassembly, no compromise on the vehicle you can bring in. The cove and surface finish are designed to work with the reflective qualities of automotive paint and glass rather than fight against them. If you want to see how this compares against shooting on location, our car studio hire cost guide covers the practical trade-offs in more detail.
For producers and brands who have tried location shooting and found the unpredictability a problem, a day in a purpose-built space is usually the point where the process becomes manageable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Neon car photography studio cost?
The Neon is priced from £1,200 inc VAT for a full day of eight hours. This is the published rate for a standard booking. Add-ons such as equipment hire are quoted separately at the point of enquiry.
Is half-day hire available for the car studio?
No. The Neon is available on full-day bookings only. The eight-hour structure is in place because drive-in car shoots require setup, lighting adjustment and vehicle positioning time that does not compress into a half day without affecting results.
Does the day rate include camera or lighting equipment?
No. The Neon is dry hire. Camera, lighting and audio equipment are not included in the day rate. Equipment hire is available as an add-on, and you are welcome to bring your own kit and crew.
Where is the studio located?
The Neon is part of Story + Space in Colwick, Nottingham. The location is easily accessible from across the East Midlands and within reasonable distance of South Yorkshire and the wider Midlands.
Can I book The Neon for multiple consecutive days?
Yes. Multi-day bookings are possible and we can discuss pricing for longer-run productions at the point of enquiry. Get in touch via our contact page with your dates and requirements.
If you are ready to book or want to understand exactly what your day will include, visit our car photography studio page for full details on The Neon, or head to our contact page to start an enquiry with your shoot specifics.
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