The studio

So I think I can finally say, IT'S DONE!!  We have been working on it since May and I have been using it since June.  It's kinda tough when I can only work week-ends, my husband works all week, so the week-ends are the only time we can work on the studio, but we did it!  I - LOVE - THIS - SPACE!!!  I am so happy, and I feel like a real "photographer".  I have spent many late nights working in here, painting, organizing, going through all of my crap, because I did say whatever doesn't fit in this space has got to go.  I know there is still alot of crap in here, but everything has sliders underneath, all of the furniture, everything, because I do have to move stuff around when shooting.  So I have 4 main shooting areas, 2 at the front and 2 at the back.  I have 2 main sources of light (2 main windows) plus my door that my clients come in has a window insert.  All of my windows have blackout curtains on them so I can control the light where I need it.  I have a door at the front for clients and the window at the back is sliding glass doors.  The front window is west facing, the back window is east facing, so for our short crappy days of winter, I can shoot in the front in the mornings for soft gorgeous light and in the back in the afternoons.  I am so thankful for my husband and my father-in-law who did all of the work, I am thankful for Skully who did an awesome job mudding, and I am thankful for the gas guy who put in the heater.  This is MY space and I LOVE IT!!

                     This is the back window, with my 2 main shooting areas (black and cream) on either side.

              This is my wood wall at the front, I love it but it is a fad and won't last forever so I would like to eventually get a motorized backdrop for here.

                This is the door that the clients come in and it lets in a surprising amount of light, so I use the black-out curtains when I don't need the fill light.

                      This is the front window.

       This is a little cubby hole above the closet where I keep seasonal props, Christmas, easter etc.

          The back window.

                  Change table and storage.

                The closet which is packed full of stuff.  I have some maternity things, tutu's pettiskirts hanging up, I have all of my small rolls of seamless paper and my beanbag fabrics that wrinkle easily rolled onto tubes, and I have some bigger props in here.

                       Blankets, as you can see, I like colour!

         Maternity fabrics.

       My black backdrop shooting area.

      My cream backdrop shooting area.

                More blankets on the shelves and the trunk is full of blankets too.

     Change table, I keep my furs on the shelves.

               My cart of goodies on wheels, I have newborn hats in the top drawer, headbands and diaper covers in the middle drawer and wraps in the bottom drawer, I keep this beside me when doing newborn sessions.

    My white shooting wall at the front, I just have the lights on there for Christmas.

        I keep all of the props that I use the most (at least the ones that fit) in this pantry at the front where I shoot newborns. 

               Prop cupboard.

    My love seat, I want to have it reupholstered in a rich olive green, but I think it will be really expensive, so that is at the bottom of the priority list right now.  I have the matching couch too but I have no room for it, so I will have to find a new home for it.

      My floors, they need a washing.  They are hand carved walnut, I love them but un-fortunatley they look red on camera (they are NOT red, they are WALNUT)


So that's about it I guess.  I love this space and I am very grateful for it.  I have also come to the conclusion that if things don't work out for me as a photographer, #1, My husband will have a kick-ass man-cave) and #2, I will have enough blankets to get my family through the next ice age :)