Features
By
Victoria M.
Come behind the scenes at Breathe Easy Photo for a #CraftRoomTour and see Victoria's studio in Clayton, North Carolina.
I love the light that filters into the room through out the day. As a photographer my work revolves around lighting which is why I picked this room for my studio. Whether I am taking photos in the bright early morning sunlight, or golden hues of the afternoon I love my studio.
Tell us about your space
The studio consists of two rooms, the largest room is actually a multi-functioning room that has many purposes in running my business. This is where I bring my clients to sit and relax during their sessions, it is also where I edit my images and where I host my client consultations. A big part of this room is also where I store all of my goodies and props. Everything from baskets and bonnets to backdrops and floor drops is stored in this area. I love my organization system, when I am planning a newborn session its so much fun going through the different options and trying out new combinations that suit my clients needs.
The second room, is exclusively for shooting. For the most part I keep this room clear of clutter apart from the wooden stage I built where I do most of my posing. When taking photos of little ones, the less distractions the better! I painted the walls in this room a warm light tan called Bone, the neutral tone compliments every skin tone and leaves everyone glowing in photos. I love simple photos that have a lot of neutral or earth tones to them, which is why I do a lot of my photos using only the walls versus a backdrop.
What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?
It's important for me to make my clients comfortable during their visits and sessions, this is especially so for my newborn clients. An average newborn session lasts about 3 hours and my studio during this time is kept pretty warm to help regulate baby's heat when in their birthday suits. I always want my clients to feel like my studio is their home away from home so I keep snacks and drinks on hand, as well as wifi and Netflix to help kill time during especially long sessions. On my walls I have printed canvas' from past newborn sessions so moms can see my work and know exactly what they can look forward to from their session.
I love to keep fresh cut flowers on my desk to help brighten the room as well as a house plant to keep the air in the room clean. A small air diffuser puts out lavender to help keep everyone calm and relaxed.
How do you keep organized?
After a session, I usually have dozens of props and items every where, so having a good organizational system in place is key. I have shelves to keep my blanket drops organized with, keeping them organized by color helps me to find what I need quickly. My baskets and containers are kept on shelves usually by size. Dowels mounted to the wall help me to hang all of my wraps and I actually use curtain clips to hold all of my bonnets and hats. Baby clothes and tie backs and yes, more hats are kept in drawers out of sight but with easy access for me in a pinch.
Any tips & tricks for organising supplies?
I love colorful containers for storing items in drawers. It is especially helpful when you have a lot of small items that need to be grouped together. People also forget about wall space, I think when done right an organizational aid can be just as pretty as a painting. When you have odd items try to think outside the box on how you can display them while keeping them organized for easy access.
Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?
I really love the canvas' of my work that hang in my office. Its so nice to surround yourself with things that you are proud of and things that you worked hard to accomplish. Just being surrounded by everything I love to do so much makes me overwhelmingly happy and positive about how far I've come and the ground I have left to cover.
How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?
I pin a lot! In my industry, styles and ideas are constantly changing and evolving. I am part of a number of Facebook groups that like to share ideas and teach others how to implement them. Just seeing how creative other photographers are with their sessions usually gets my creative juices flowing.
Where do you look for inspiration?
A photographer friend of mine sent me a meme recently that said 'You might be a photographer if no matter what you are shopping for, you wonder to yourself, can I put a baby in that?' And really, its so true! I love to look for inspiration everywhere I go. My husband often times has to pull over so I can admire how pretty the light is in a particular field. Inspiration is always around us no matter where we are, we just have to be willing to find it.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it the dream space?
Eventually I would love to move to a much bigger studio set up with more storage. Until then tho, I love my cozy little home set up right here.
Whose craft room would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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