Counterpoint to your counterpoint: the prevalence of inexpensive off-camera light kits means it's much easier than it used to be to get the kind of lighting you

Counterpoint to your counterpoint: the prevalence of inexpensive off-camera light kits means it's much easier than it used to be to get the kind of lighting you want, where you want it (i.e. somewhere less sterile than a studio). None of the photographers I know have studios, but they all have great strobe kits and are quite skilled at creating the kind of light you're talking about outdoors or in some other interesting location.