Things are humming along at the studio without incident, and without much to update on. The studio itself is serving the desired purpose of filling the gaps when the weather is bad or when we need a private space for more intimate images, newborns, small families, and head shots. There is little to comment on in this area.

Recently, my entire family was under the weather, and when this happens it can take quite some time to run its course through the house. Consequently, there has been little time for writing intelligently. I did take some of that down time to attend a photography workshop, learn some new software, watch some video tutorials, and did a good deal of photography related reading. All of this has given me many things to think about, and I will share some of those thoughts with you.

For quite some time now, I have seen and read comments from photographers in some online forums that I don't understand. I realize life is not perfect, nor are our clients, but neither are we, the photographers. I've seen photographers complain numerous times recently about bad behavior from clients, the dates their clients have chosen, the locations their clients want to use, the clothing the clients come attired in, pretty much anything you can think of. I get tired of reading these, for many reasons, but the bottom line is, no one made the photographer take the job. The photographer always has the right to refer the client to someone else or simply be unavailable for the job.

All of this got me to thinking...*why* do these photographers shoot? I can't answer for them, only for myself, but I wonder...how many photographers know *why* they do what they do? For me, the answer is simple, it is the fundamental building block for my business, and I will share my "why" further below in this article.

It seems like it can be broken down into about 4 different categories, or "whys".

1. The photographer has grand illusions of fame and notoriety. This has ego written all over it. This photographer gets hung up on small things like insisting that their logo or watermark appear on every print they make. Let's face it, unless you are personal friends with a major celebrity, and they love your photography and want to tell the world about you, fame is not likely to happen. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

2. The photographer expects to make a boat load of money. This photographer is likely new to the business and hasn't researched all the costs of doing business. It is likely that if you asked them to explain the exposure triangle to you, they just might ask you if it's next to the Bermuda Triangle. Perhaps, for them, they are one and the same. Again, I wish them all the best.

3. The photographer has a true passion for photography. This one excites me, because they have a love for what they do, and they are often like sponges, ready and willing to take in all information and knowledge they can. Once the basics are out of the way, whatever subject matter this photographer chooses to shoot will often show their passion in the final print. This photographer will feel rewarded just in the beauty they are able to reproduce in their images.

4. The photographer has the client in mind from the very first interaction all the way through to the final print. This one defines what I do and how I run my business. My client is my "why". I desire, more than anything, to be able to give them in final print form, exactly the images they were dreaming of. If I do my job right, and I am blessed, the images are even better than what my client hoped for.  This means that any inconvenience, date, time, location, clothing, props, style of shooting, etc, are a moot point. They do not matter, nor do they impact me negatively, my photography is not about me at all, it is 100% about my clients and their wishes. This means that I will do that selective color image for them, if that's what they wish. This means I will center them in the image, completely disregarding my preferred rule of thirds, if that is what my client desires. When they receive their images, and they hang them in their homes, my hope is that all who see the images will say "I can just see the orneriness in your son's eyes", or "I can see the wheels turning in your daughter's head, it makes me wonder what she's thinking up." My goal is for my clients to have timeless, classic images that do not immediately scream "I was taken in 2011, at the height of the sun-flare phase where you can't even see their faces". (Or any other trend, for that matter). I want my clients to have images that can hang on their walls for years, can be passed down through generations, if so desired, and will still be beautiful. The images must be 100% about the client, and 0% about me, the photographer, for this to happen. I want my client to be thrilled, I want them to love their images, and I want them to come back to me.
This is my why.

If you can use your knowledge, training, skills, experience, and equipment to the best of your ability, and then get yourself out of the way, it becomes all about the client, and they will love you for it. This client will tell their friends and family about you, will be a better source of advertisement than any you could buy, and return again and again, once you have the mindset that the photography is all about them, and nothing at all about you. 

Some people say that no good deed goes unpunished. I say every problem is an opportunity to grow. I guess it all depends on if you look at the glass as half empty or half full.

Right smack in the middle of moving in to the studio, my PC decided to commit suicide. Images and data were safe, everything is backed up, but oh, how inconvenient! Truthfully, if it had to happen, this is the best season, business wise. I had all but 2 clients wrapped up for the Holidays, and just a few sessions to do in the month of December, none of them needing prints until after the Holidays. So, I limped through the 2 clients that still hadn't finalized their Holiday orders by utilizing a crummy laptop and relying on my wonderful local lab to aide me where I had fallen short.

Then...on to making a purchasing decision. To stay PC or go MAC, this was the dilemma. For years I had been wanting to switch to a MAC, but there was no reason to justify the purchase until now. The problem with going MAC is that I have a ton of expensive software, all windows based. Not to mention I had a pretty solid workflow set up. If I went PC, all of my software would still be usable, and my externals would be plug and play. If I went MAC, I would need to repurchase necessary software for the MAC.

Decisions, decisions.

Asking for opinions on this is like asking the masses if I should cut my hair. 50/50 either way. Most people presented valid arguments in support of their preference. So, it was my decision, alone, to make.

I went MAC.

I won't tell you here how much I love my iMac, or all the reasons why, but I am very happy that I switched. The initial investment was pricey, and then purchasing necessary software was expensive, as well. I am holding off purchasing any software that I don't absolutely *have* to have right now. There are a few PC only programs that I miss a good deal, but I am confident that I can find a MAC equivalent or better, if I am patient and continue searching.

Now, the learning curve begins...all the while business must go on. Conducting it on a 27 inch screen has a way of making the transition a bit less painful.

Candace Lemarr is contributing articles to www.zone-10.com on the continuing efforts to convert this space into an effective studio as well as writing other articles about the business of photography. She is based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

I am happy to have the good fortune of having a maternity session for my first session at this location. My client and her husband wanted outdoor images as well as more intimate studio shots. We began with the outdoor images, and finished up at the studio. My client has graciously given her permission for me to share an image here, so I have selected a studio shot, as this space is mainly about the new studio.

It was very nice and helpful to have a location set up and ready to go for these more intimate, moody images. It was helpful to have backdrops at the ready, easily changed, and lights set up and on. The rest of the adventure was more an exercise in mild controlled confusion as I tried to figure out how to maneuver in my small space, and be sharply reminded of my limitations as to working distance between my subject and myself, and my subject to the backdrop. I did feel like I was going in circles more than once. Fortunately, I couldn't have asked for more easy going clients for the first studio session, and they were patient and kind as I paused to think things through. When they laughed, they made it seem like they were laughing with me and not at me, which is always appreciated.

It was warm in the studio, and even with the windows open, we still ended up turning on a fan. All in all, the temperature wasn't as bad as I had feared. The session went well, but I confess to breathing a sigh of relief at having that first in-studio session behind me. I learned that I must be careful in moving about the space, as there are hazards everywhere to trip over, bump into, knock over, etc.  I am used to having more freedom to move my foot-zoom and to change my angle of view. Studio photography (at least in my little space) doesn't quite work that way. There also seems to be a gap in my creative flow while working in the studio and I am hopeful that this will improve as I become more accustomed to working in this small space. This session was a good session to cut my studio teeth on. If I think this session was cramped, it should be interesting when I shoot an upcoming session with eight children ages 8 and under.

I know that all images a client commissions me to take are priceless to them, but for me, maternity sessions are just that much more special. For some people it was a long journey to get there, and let's face it, no one knows if they will be blessed to travel that road again. These images are some of my favorite to make, and I am hopeful that comes across in the finished prints for my clients. But, mostly, I am just extremely honored that my clients entrust the taking of these once in a lifetime precious images to me. 

Candace Lemarr is contributing articles to www.zone-10.com on the continuing efforts to convert this space into an effective studio as well as writing other articles about the business of photography. She is based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

When we signed our lease, the building was tan. Was.

I arrive at the studio to prepare for my first session in the new space the following day, only to find that...voila, our building is now half Apricot. What? Apricot of all colors, and half done. OK, moving on, I've got a set to prep and gear to lug inside. Except the person painting is right in my doorway, on all 4's, painting the trim an even darker shade of Apricot. Super wonderful. He assures me he won't be painting tomorrow and all will be on hold until the next week.

Heading on into the studio with my gear that I brought this time (I try not to store anything of real value in this location) I realize that it's an unseasonably warm day and the studio is heating up nicely. This is fine for me, I am almost always cold, but tomorrow I will be shooting a maternity session, the client is in her 35th or so week of pregnancy, and I know from past personal experience that she will be hotter than hot, downright melting, and miserable. This does not make for beautiful images. So, I think to myself, time to open up these windows. Good idea, right? Wrong. The windows have all been painted shut. Not wonderful. The lady who owns the hair salon next to me and I spend about a half an hour trying to get the windows open, after I'd spent about a half hour on my own. We finally get them to at least "vent" a little, thankfully, but by that time both of us are hot and miserable.

I decide to go into the manager's office to see if there is anyone who can come help us and if they even knew that the windows are painted shut, and of course, the reply I get is: "Yes, we know the windows are painted shut. We will come back and scrape the paint off after the entire building is done." When will that be? Well, it *is* Colorado, and it is winter, so...that depends on the weather. Joyous news. And not an option. I have to have windows that will open and ventilate for my clients. Newborns like it hot, but they are about the only subjects that do.

Back I go, armed with a screwdriver and my mini-Leatherman, I trim away what I can so that the windows will swing more freely. I still require help getting them shut, but at least they are workable. My client doesn't know it yet, but she will be thankful for this tomorrow! (Now, a hammer, screwdriver, and a few other key tools reside at the studio permanently).

And now, to text my client and let her know that the building is not tan, but half Apricot. Obviously, the addresses and signage has been removed for painting. So...look for the half Apricot building. With the windows painted shut. 

Candace Lemarr is contributing articles to www.zone-10.com on the continuing efforts to convert this space into an effective studio as well as writing other articles about the business of photography. She is based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The next week finds me in the studio, cleaning, making sure all backdrops are hung, pressed if necessary, props are properly stored, shelves are put in place, and the storage closet is utilized in the best possible way for quick and easy access to anything I might need during a session. the challenge is that the storage closet is not in my studio, but next door, in the hair salon that adjoins my room. The objective here is to have everything stored in a logical method, i.e., boy baby props on one shelf, girl baby props on another, boxes, hats, blankets on another, seasonal taking up the rest.

Prior to my sessions, I grab a large decorative basket that can also be used as a prop, and fill it with whatever items I may need from the storage closet and bring those into the studio to have on hand. After the session, those items are restocked, or taken home to be cleaned before restocking. This was my amazing colleague's idea, I'm not sure I would have thought of the basket until a few sessions down the road.

Large items, such as chairs, cubes, tree stumps, high chairs, crates, and trunks, are all stored at the opposite end of the studio space. Some chairs are hung from the walls, and all bows, headbands, hats, and neckties, are also hung from the walls at that end of the studio. It would be so wonderful to have more space, it is cramped already, but it is just not in the budget right now.

Also at that end of the studio is a small cabinet/shelf that we use to hold our separate business items. When I am in the studio, my business cards, brochures, etc, are out. When my colleague is in the studio, my items are put away and her information is out. Unless we both forget, then all of our stuff is out all of the time. Which happens. More on this later.

Then it's on to setting the floors into place along with backdrops and taking some test shots to get the lighting as close to right as I can, and see exactly what amount of room I have to navigate in. It's not much. The end of the week will see me shooting my first session in the studio, and I want to be as comfortable as possible. It's a little like moving into a new house and having to prepare a gourmet meal the next night. Sure, you can do it, and you have all the stuff, but nothing's where you're used to it being, so it seems like every little thing takes that much longer. 

Candace Lemarr is contributing articles to www.zone-10.com on the continuing efforts to convert this space into an effective studio as well as writing other articles about the business of photography. She is based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

So, the carpet issue in the studio is a problem. The carpet is ugly, really ugly, and not something I can envision ever wanting to show in my images.

On the advice of a friend and Mentor, I looked into Zack Arias' White Seamless Tutorial, located here: http://www.zarias.com/white-seamless-tutorial-part-1-gear-space/ and found some very valuable information for my small space.

After reading the article thoroughly and taking some measurements, I headed down to my local Lowe's and the tile board area. I picked up 2 4X8 white tile boards for about $12.00 each, then looked at what else they had that I could make work in the small studio space. I decided on some brick-looking tile boards, same size, but at a much higher cost. They were about $38.00 each. I also grabbed a smaller size single sheet of tile board that looks like beaded pine, painted white, for small tight area shots which would be mainly newborns. That piece was roughly 3x4 and cost about $11.50.

After looking at the tile board for a while and thinking about the soft-ish carpet that would be underneath it, I knew I was going to need a firm surface for the tile board to lay on top of, to lessen the likelihood of damage to the tile board from being stepped on. I added 2 sheets of the heaviest OSB subflooring that Lowe's had in stock. Hoping that the heavy subfloor would not slide around on the carpet like plywood would. I also grabbed a plastic baseboard (which I am not too certain of, more on that later), some cleaning supplies, trash can, and tape. The hardest part of that trip was getting it all to the register, then the vehicle, then into the studio. But we made it!

Once in the studio, the "flooring" will lay against the backdrop wall, until it is needed for use, at which time I simply flip it down, overlapping the one in the front over the one in the back, just as the tutorial suggests. If I forget to overlap the front board like this, I just have a line that I have to edit out of all of my images. If I overlap it, the line is usually not seen in the images, providing my lighting is correct. This system works very well, it's just a bit awkward to manipulate, especially by oneself. The space is small, so it requires some delicate maneuvering. It is best to not have to change the flooring during a session. Although it can be done.

Now I need to remember a swiffer or something like it to quickly get the little dust particles and thread, fuzzies, etc off of the floor before shooting. Seems like the backdrops or people's clothing are always shedding drastically on my floor.

A bonus of this flooring, besides the obvious benefit of it being a low cost, space saving fix, is that it holds up rather well, better than expected, and is super easy to clean. For the most part, it stays put once it's down. It's not like anyone's doing gymnastics on it...yet.

Zone-10 welcomes a new contributing writer/photographer, Candace Lemarr, to this webspace. Along with myself, and Michel Szulc Krzyzanowski, she will be writing articles as often as her hectic life as a wife, mother and professional photographer allows. Based in Grand Junction, Colorado, she is in the midst of some of the most beautiful places to photograph in the USA.

I've known Candace for several years and have grown to appreciate her own unique blend of honesty, transparency and humility all the while just impressing us with her talent and ability to pull expressions out of people that only come when photographer and photographee develop a trust and bond. Recently, she has stepped up her photography business as her children are growing and allowing her a few extra minutes in the day to devote to her photography. I asked Candace to write for Zone-10 as she represents so many of the readers of this website--those who are part-time portrait photographers interested in expanding their business.

In her first article for Zone-10, The Dream - A Studio Space, Candace writes about acquiring an official studio space. There will be some who will instantly cringe at the sight of this studio as it is small and full of challenges. But the old adage about where to place a business is "location, location, location." Being where her customers are or are willing to find her is important. The studio space isn't intended for EVERY type of project or customer requirement, but it is large enough and complete enough for the bread and butter of her business and that is of individual portraits and family pictures. The studio size and type of location is very typical for home-town photographers. Never large enough, but affordable enough to do what we need. Where the studio space itself is limited in size, she does have other location venues available to her. Best of all, she has been able to remove the lightstands and umbrellas from the living room of her house allowing the couch to be positioned back where it's supposed to be. For this, I'm sure her husband and kids are grateful.

Candace has established herself within the Grand Junction community and has a respectable portfolio as well as a solid client base. I recently wrote The Business and Economics of Being a Professional Photographer. Candace has been one to carefully consider these economic factors and the decision to expand her business was not taken lightly.

Her adventures in expanding the business and putting down roots in a space devoted to the enterprise will be of tremendous interest to others. There will be mistakes made, no doubt. She will be writing about what worked and what didn't. Some of what she will be dealing with will be specific to the market forces in the Grand Junction area, but other issues are quite universal. I fully expect a number of things to be "what in the world was she thinking" for those who already went through those same mistakes, but just maybe the rest of us can learn with her. Due to scheduling and organizational issues, the first several articles won't be quite in "real-time" as we were unable to publish the articles while they were happening, but after the first three, we should be caught up.

I especially welcome Candace to Zone-10 as she will provide a nice counterpoint to my technology-centric writings and Michel's artist-centric writings. Between the three of us, we should have something of interest for everybody.

Ken Norton

www.zone-10.com

So many wonderful things begin with a dream. Not a mushy, hazy, feel good dream, but a dream with feet, a vision.

I've been photographing people for many years, but only turned that hobby into a business just over 7 years ago. Even this was not by my own desire to do so, but at the frequent insistent urging of my friends and family. Starting up a photography business, and running it as a business, is not a simple task. I began slowly, and purchased supplies, lenses, lighting, backdrops, and props slowly over the course of years. I offered On Location photography only, and used my home as a studio when necessary, but this is far from ideal. I do live in an area of the U.S. that is particularly beautiful, but when one shoots mainly outdoors, one is at the mercy of the ever changing weather, and often I need a back-up plan and location. Inviting friends who are clients into my home for pictures is one thing, but scheduling photo sessions with complete strangers is an entirely different matter.

Hence, the dream of having a studio space of some sort came into my mind. This dream has been percolating in my brain for many long years, sometimes popping up violently, at other times teasing me with a potential possibility. Over the course of these years, this dream has turned into a real need, but how to make it work financially and logistically? A close colleague and I have often joked about sharing a studio space, but we never put any feet to those thoughts, we never began the legwork of mapping out just how that would work, and the costs of doing so. Until recently.

Dream and Need, meet Opportunity:

A couple of months ago a local photographer posted in a local photography forum that she would be relocating her business to a larger city. Consequently, she had a small studio space and a lease she needed out of. I jokingly sent the post to my colleague, and she replied "You should DO IT!!" To which I replied, "Not without you". And then the conversation began. The dream was rekindled, the need was reevaluated, and the opportunity was ripe for the picking. We had many late night phone conversations, 2 visits to look the place over, phone calls to insurance companies, and husbands and families to consult. I am a wife and mother, first and always, so anything I do for my photography business is 3rd on the priority list.

Renting this space, and opening up a studio had to fall in line with those priorities. I would have to move slowly, use gear and equipment I already own, and purchase only the supplies that were absolutely necessary to running the studio. Those expenses include the tracking on the ceiling to hang backdrops, shelving for prop storage, a few quality portraits to hang on the walls, insurance, monthly rent, and a sign for the outside of the studio. So far, I have the tracking for the ceiling. I did take some "sample shots" with the existing lighting, because one key factor that excited me about this location is the fact that there are 3 large windows, and natural light shooting is a very real possibility. Yes!

Last week, I made my first rent payment, that felt very weird...and risky. Risky can be fun. I made a few trips hauling props, backdrops, light stands, hair bows, tu-tus, fabric wraps, chairs, baskets, buckets, and various other small items to the studio. Now the studio is a mess, but I have rediscovered an entire room in my house! This week will see me working on getting the studio space completely ready for photo sessions, as I have scheduled some for the week after next.

Insurance is still pending, the sign is being designed, shelving has been donated, hooray, and needs to be picked up. I still have not settled on which portraits to print and hang in the studio. Oh...and I need to do something about the floor. Another expense. The carpet is the worst carpet you could ever imagine having in pictures.

Candace Lemarr is contributing articles to www.zone-10.com on the continuing efforts to convert this space into an effective studio as well as writing other articles about the business of photography. She is based in Grand Junction, Colorado.