The new home studio is set up and ready for all the self-love we can muster up together! Before shooting with clients, I wanted to test out the space and make sure I had everything where I wanted it. I reached out to my model friend and muse Ginny Rosewater to see if she'd be down to test out the space, and she was free! *Insert a happy little dance*
Check out the first session in this space while I fill you in on some of the shenanigans I went through to get everything ready. Let me know what you think!
I love this mustard yellow couch. I knew when picking out furniture I wanted a pop of color here and there, and I spent days looking for a small sofa I could find for the sitting room. I finally found one and ordered it with plenty of time to spare before my first client appointment. I waited. I waited some more. The sofa never came. I received a notification that it would arrive late, but that was ok because I had scheduled a buffer window. I waited again, and finally the seller told me they had lost it. Somewhere along shipping, the sofa had been lost. I was crushed. I wanted this sofa so bad, but when you run a business, things go wrong sometimes. I ordered a new one from a different seller and decided I would make do without while I impatiently waited another month for the new sofa. Well....guess what showed up two days later? The original sofa! By some miracle, it arrived after all and I was able to test it out before my first client. After shooting on it with Ginny, I can say it was totally worth the fiasco.
At my old studio, I always had diffused light. The sunlight never directly shown into my studio, and I had consistent light every day no matter what was happening outside. In my new shooting room, the sun spills in from one window creating a spot of harsh, bright light. I'm no stranger to shooting in direct sun, but I really didn't know if I was going to get this to work. I was venting to Ginny about it and decided "hey, throw your head in this spot. Maybe it'll work. Maybe it won't." I ended up loving the photos we took! They are dramatic, moody, and intimate. It feels like we're peering in one someone enjoying the sunshine and looking super sensual at the same time. It's a little voyeuristic, which I love. I knew I didn't want this light all the time, though. I ended up purchasing a curtain rod and heavy duty linen curtains to diffuse the light when I want something soft. I went to two different stores and tried hanging three different sets of curtain rods and had one minor fight with my spouse, but the curtains are finally up! Now we can shoot with the best of both worlds.
I love this spot in my home. Our front door has a glass and prism window that splays rainbows through my living room. If the sun is out, it hits a small section of white wall during shooting time and creates a space that feels like a magical hideaway. It feels a bit like destiny that I'd end up in a home that creates rainbows all on its own.
You know I had to keep my neon lights! The Let's Get Weird sign, my leaf wall and my neon stand lights are still in the studio. I shoot neon against a bright blue wall now, adding even more color to our sessions.
BIG NEWS! And I'm very excited about this: THE SHOWER IS BACK. Before the neon wall, I had a DIY shower backdrop set up in my old studio. It was all fake but it looked convincing. Eventually, I swapped it out for my neon signs, but I always wished I could have had both. Now I can!
Upstairs in my home, there is a beautiful stone shower with an overhead showerhead. It's big enough to give us plenty of pose options, it has glass on multiple sides, and it steams up like crazy. It's perfect for boudoir! I'm now offering the shower set as an add on to my normal session rate. This is a great space for nudes or lingerie. You can choose to get soaking wet or we can shut the water off and use the steam. The shower set will be available on Fridays and Mondays, and you can add it to your session fee at the time of booking.
So what do you think of the new space? I'd love to hear from you!