We are excited to introduce the new Work Spaces feature to Beyond Snapshots, showcasing all kinds of photography related spaces, from studios to home offices. We are sure these places will inspire, whether you are in business or happy snapping away at home.
There couldn’t be a better candidate for the first feature of this section than the wonderful studio space of Joyce Smith. She has transformed a dreary office unit into an beautiful and fresh natural light photography studio. The perfect place to create those gorgeous light, airy images she has become so well known for.
The before and afters need to be seen to be believed!
clearly you have a great love for mid century modern furnishing, what piece are you most excited to use in your photo sessions?
It’s funny, because I studied Victorian literature in graduate school and used to have a great love of the frou-frou. Now I adore the clean lines of midcentury modern furniture and have been redoing my whole home over the past two years (much to hubby’s chagrin) and, of course, having a field day with the studio. I’m excited about the white Eames rocker and the green Eames elephant. I’ve never been a prop kind of girl, but already the elephant has proven it will work as I’d hoped–capturing the attention of a busy two year old and giving me a prime headshot opportunity!
what’s next on your shopping list?
New canvas samples and new packaging goodies are on the way. I’m still looking for perfect throw pillows. I don’t think any more furniture will fit!
what was the most difficult part in the process of creating your studio?
Envisioning what it could become was difficult. After signing the lease I was thrilled for all of ten minutes and then utterly despondent at all that remained to do. It was a mess! In a dark hour I even entertained the crazy notion of paying for the year’s lease to get out of it and continuing the search. Deciding how much money to pour into what might be a temporary space was tricky too. My landlord paid for the paint so the electrician’s bill (gulp) and floors (double gulp) were on me.
and the most exciting?
The shopping! I love nothing more than researching something into the ground and this was no different. It was tough because I did have a fairly short time frame and didn’t want to wait for 16-week turnarounds. Oh, and I am annoyingly picky and indecisive–always wondering if “the one” would be right around the corner.
the papercut dividers are so beautiful! where are they from? they look so delicate, are you not afraid of them and other things like them being broken by little hands? or is that something you have come to accept as inevitable?
Thank you! They are the work of Dutch-born, London-based designer Tord Boontje and they are actually made of Tyvek! They are the only items in the studio that gave me pause as potentially not child-friendly, but they have already withstood the fury of a few toddlers. So far so good! I looked at every possible room divider. Most were cheesy. Some were $12K. Some were available only on German websites with no US distributer. It was maddening. My favorite, which would not work because of the track lighting, was Parametre by 3form. Maybe in my next studio!
all the white is so calm and fresh. did you know from inception you wanted to go with this kind of colour palette?
Sort of. I didn’t want EVERYTHING white, which at this point it mostly is, but I knew that I needed white floors to transform the space (and bounce light!) and that I wanted splashes of color. The splashes of color are still a work in progress, but I have some cute Fauna pillows and some bla bla animals on the way. The canvas samples should provide some color as well.
are you finding more people are booking studio or on location sessions?
At this point I have not advertised the studio at all, other than to place images on the blog and add one line to my new client inquiry response. And yet, I’ve had three sessions at the studio in the two weeks or so that it’s been officially ready. It’s a little surprising to me, actually, since I am obviously known for location work. Once the first two workshops at the studio are finished, I hope to host an open house for my clients.
will your studio get good natural light year-roud? if not, have you considered using lighting in the greyer months?
It does get enough light. I would not say that it’s an abundance of light a la the perfect industrial loft with rows of six foot windows of which I’m still dreaming, but it is plentiful even on grey February days. A typical reading near the big window on a cloudy, dark March day was f 2, 100 iso, 1/400. I don’t usually get those kind of readings in private homes. One interesting feature of the studio is that you enter on the first floor (the only ground floor space I saw) but the back, northern-facing windows are on the second story which makes the light even better–no color casts, buildings, or trees anywhere near those windows. I may consider using lighting. I do have a simple lighting set up at home that I’ve never used for clients, just to learn for my own satisfaction. For quite some time now, though, I’ve had in mind a different sort of session offering for clients–a more commercial, heavily stylized shoot with studio lighting.
how is the studio set up? one big open space or are there different rooms?
One big open space of almost 700 square feet. It’s not a perfect rectangle–there’s a small inset in the back–but it is very open. There’s a small powder room and one closet–not enough!
have you noticed a change in your style between studio and on location sessions?
Not yet. Time will tell, but this is definitely something I have wondered about during the process. I think I will get bored pretty quickly (sssshh!) so of course I will always offer on-location sessions as well. I really, really, really do not want to continue to drive as much as I do now, though . . . hence the studio!
we have seen all the gorgeous furniture, but what other things do you do to set the mood of your space? The non-visual… music? scents?
One of the first things I bought was a Bose iPhone dock more to cover up the sounds of the business next door (and, ahem, some cigar-smoking construction workers who like to chat out back under my windows, oy!!). I’ve been cueing up Pandora and plan to add a “favorite musical artist” question to my client pre-session questionnaire. That way I can have their custom Pandora station playing when they arrive. I’ve kept up the lovely fresh flowers for a few weeks but I see low-maintenance, less sweet-smelling cacti and moss spheres in my future. ha ha!
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