07 Mar The World is My Studio: A Photographer Without a Storefront
The first time the topic came up, I’ll admit it, I felt awkward. A client had booked me for a family session and wanted to pay her reservation fee. She said to me on the phone “I’ll stop by your studio and drop off a check instead of mailing it.” Um, well, you see, I don’t have a studio. I don’t have any retail space or even a dedicated office. My workspace – albeit beautiful and bright, complete with large desk and oversized monitor, and with my own artistic creations of my children adorning the walls- is located in the bonus room of my home. So not only do I not operate a studio, I also don’t have a place where I can “see” clients. Yet this hasn’t stopped my business from going full speed ahead and if anything, I think it has spurred the creative process a bit more for me personally than it would if I did have a studio.
That said, I have nothing against studio photography. In fact, our property has a small detached room with beautiful French doors and two large windows. I know that this space could serve as a studio if only I had the desire and the motivation to make that happen. But when I started my business about three years ago, I had a vision, and that vision was to be an “on location” photographer. Many photographers have both a studio and work on location. Some started out as I did and then slowly migrated toward opening a studio – which definitely has its benefits. In inclement weather, they can easily hold a session indoors. They also have a place to keep all their props, and if they choose to use artificial lighting to enhance their work, it’s a lot easier to do that in a studio than it is to replicate the set-up outside or in a client’s home.
Initially, I worried that clients wouldn’t take me seriously; or worse, they wouldn’t feel they could trust a photographer who didn’t have a studio. Did they feel I might take their money and they’d never hear from me again? It did cross my mind. I wanted to be taken seriously yet the decision to open a studio wasn’t something I felt passionate about.
I can tell you that not having a studio forces me to be very creative sometimes. Although I am based in Northern California and our weather tends to be decent most of the year, there are still times when weather can be a deterrent. In such cases, instead of shooting outdoors, we simply shoot in the client’s home, or if the client really did want their session done outside then we reschedule. You might think 50 degrees is too cold for a family outdoor session, and for some people it is! But children seem to run on a different body thermometer than adults do – they just do not mind running around in an open field in cooler weather. These images were taken on a day where the high was about 54 degrees. She is cavorting around an open field in a summery dress not minding the cooler weather.
I always remind parents that their children will likely not mind the cold – parents often dress in layers so they can quickly put a sweater on after we are finished, but rarely will a child want to stop to put on something heavier.
Without a studio to fall back on, I absolutely MUST keep finding new and fun locations for my clients. After all, no one wants their images to look like everyone else’s. So not having a studio means a lot of extra work. I spend some days just driving around my county looking for unique areas that I can use as locations. This is what I mean by “the world is my studio.” Truly, it is! Some of my favorite locations are “mundane” looking at first glance but I can see the potential. I love using locations such as local mustard fields and train-tracks (only if no longer in use – safety first!).
When a client is open to using their own home for the session, this works out perfectly too. It gives their images a personalized touch and many clients are more relaxed in their own environment. I have had a few clients who recently moved into their homes, so having a session done in a new home was like part of a new beginning for them. As you can see, I was able to get a “formal” couples shot of this beautiful husband and wife in their brand new home; and, their adorable but shy daughter hid behind their own sofa, making for a fun shot as well.
Will I ever open a storefront studio? The answer remains to be seen. There certainly are pros and cons. But as of this minute, I see no reason to change, and I haven’t heard any negative feedback from clients which is what matters the most to me.
2 Comments