It's not that we wouldn't like a larger, more dedicated space for photography, but this works. Our living room is fairly large with plenty of room to shoot kids, individuals, couples and small families. It has a tall, vaulted ceiling that makes lighting easier and just enough depth for decent photos. We're usually pretty happy with the results. And, of course, it doesn't cost us anything extra per month to operate – a big plus when you're self-employed. But, it's still nice to dream.
Later in the morning, we did a photo session with a new family. Very nice people who apologized all over themselves for previously rescheduling and then running a tad late today. No biggie. We're pretty low-pressure around here. One of the kids just wasn't interested in taking pictures and had to be wrangled, bribed and generally coerced into sitting still for a few seconds at a time. They apologized for that too. Then, there were a couple of mishaps that could have easily happened around here on any day – whether we were shooting or not. More apologies. We assured them that it was fine, we were used to all this and simply didn't care. We were working for them and were very happy to do it.
As they were packing the kids up and talking with us about print options, both parents commented on previous experiences with other photographers. Mom told a story about how the last professional photos they had taken were at a “real studio” and how uneasy they were there. Dad mentioned the astronomical price they paid for the session and then commented on how comfortable they were coming to our home instead of a studio. He talked about how it really put them at ease and our easy-going attitude just made things that much better.
And that got me thinking...
If we had the dream studio we've talked about, would our clients be less comfortable? Would a big, open and organized environment really be better than our furniture-against-the-walls makeshift studio in the living room? It would certainly look more professional and might make me happier. I'm also fairly certain it would make Stacey happier too. But what about our clients?
When we started our photography business, our main goal was to make professional photography affordable for regular people like us. If we had the dream studio, someone would have to pay for the rent, utilities and extra equipment. That would mean a dramatic price increase, more rigid schedules and precious little extra time to spend with clients. In short, we would become like every other “pro” photographer.
I think we'll keep the living room studio... at least for now.
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