Office Share: Kate L Photography

04 Mar Office Share: Kate L Photography

In March of 2014, I was about to finish grad school in Boston, and trying to run my small business from my apartment, and coffee shops. In theory, it sounds great — set your own hours, work in your pajamas, etc. But I was used to the structure that school provided, and my business was quickly descending into an unproductive slump. I looked into commercial space options and just couldn’t afford the huge jump in overhead. I remembered reading about creative co-working spaces in a plane magazine, so I did a quick Google search and WeWork magically fell into my lap.
If I could choose one thing in my business that I’m most proud of, it’s this office. For years I imagined what it would be like to have my own space, and then I finally had the chance to make those dreams come true. Even the simplest things, such as the office address on my return labels, help me feel like a legitimate business owner. Having the space has enabled me to host in-person ordering sessions, and show product samples to my clients, which means that their images no longer live and die on their computers.
Having the clear work/home boundary also helps keep my business from invading my thoughts 24/7. When I arrive at my office every day, it’s time to get things DONE! And when I lock up at the end of the day, I leave my computer behind and “turn off” my work mode.
Socially, the office has really helped me with the lonely aspect of running a business from home. I’ve formed great friendships and business partnerships here — once I traded head shots for a ‘co-worker’ in exchange for business advice, which has immensely helped growth this year.
Now that I’ve been in this space for almost a year, I can honestly say that it’s been worth every penny for me to invest in an office space. It has helped me grow from a student to a true business owner, not only in practice but in mentality. When it’s a one-man/woman-show, I really believe that the extra environmental boost is the difference needed to bring businesses to the next level.
SO,  here’s a tour of my little space! I hope you enjoy taking a peek around!

I love seeing this vinyl logo decal on my door when I arrive at work!

These colorful frames are from The Organic Bloom, one of my favorite frame companies. I think they fit my style and space perfectly!

All the white furniture is from IKEA, and the desk chair is from West Elm. I learned a lot about furniture assembly very quickly!

Although the building has beautiful views of the Boston skyline, I chose an office without a window so that I could control the ambient lighting at any time of day. This helps me keep my photo editing consistent. When I’m not editing, the lamps help keep my space nice and cozy.

You can’t see it very well in these pictures, but the bench has several shelves and storage drawers underneath. Since it’s such a small office, I wanted to really maximize the usage of space.


It’s so nice to have shelves to store everything! Sitting on top: a sample of the canvases that I offer, monograms from Anthropologie, flowers from Target and a wicker basket to store the blankets that I use for newborn sessions.

I love these little camera photo clips I found at Target.


Since my last name is Lemmon, I just couldn’t resist including some plastic “lemmons” in a mason jar.

Proof boxes double as a perfect stand for this gold lomo camera I found on sale at Anthropologie.

Continuing with the silly “Lemmon” theme are the Lemonheads that I mail to my clients with their flash drive.

Here’s a sample of the gorgeous albums that I carry. It’s wonderful to be able to flip through images in my hands!

Although I can’t say the same thing about my apartment, I always leave my office really clean at the end of every workday. Having a clear desk helps me focus when I come back in the morning.

I adore this “make magic happen” print, and you can purchase your own here.


One of my favorite organizational tools is this huge wall calendar, created from a Design Aglow template. I switch out the dates every month, and I add client appointments on Post-It notes. I also keep my schedule in Google Calendar, but the wall calendar helps me to see everything at a glance since I’m such a visual person.

The most recent addition to the office is this competition print that recently arrived in the mail from NAPCP!

Now that you’ve seen my office, here’s a little tour of the rest of the building. This is where my clients hang out when they first arrive.

Out of all of the beautiful decorations at WeWork, this poster is my favorite.


Every floor has complimentary citrus water, coffee, tea, and beer on tap. I never drink when I’m working, but it comes in handy for my head shot clients to help calm their nerves a bit!

My office is located on the 7th floor, and this is a picture of our floor lobby.

The hallway that leads to my office.

The kitchen on my floor, where I usually bring my lunch every day.

Every floor at WeWork has conference rooms with amazing window light. This comes in handy when the weather is bad because we can shoot indoors.

This is one of my favorite rooms because it’s where I meet with my clients to view their photos for the first time. Always a happy occasion!


I leave you with a couple of views of Fort Point, as seen from my floor.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my space — I can’t wait to show you in person! Please stop by for a coffee the next time you’re near South Station. And if you’re interested in joining WeWork for your own business, use this link to receive a discounted first month of membership! There are WeWork locations all over the world, so you can join even if you don’t live in Boston.