What Can you do in one little Minneapolis Apartment?
In Short, A lot more then you might think.
January 2017 I moved into my new home. A corner studio apartment in a brownstone in the Elliot Park neighborhood of Minneapolis.
To say I fell in love right away is an understatement. This little apartment is everything I was hoping for. To starter it’s old; built back in the 1920's, I love old things. In my honest opinion, most of the modern studios that I was looking at were crap.
Small white-walled cubes with no character or heart that looked like the perfect place to never visit. Not a warm friendly place where you would want to invite clients to be photographed.
A character, is the best way to describe my little space, from the original wood and high ceilings to the breakfast nook and the Murphy bed this studio has a heart. Not to mention it also has a clawfoot tub, which is a constant crowd pleaser and I also fit in it! Being 6'3 you can imagine how excited I was when I found that out.
I also love what this space lacks. It is a studio after all so space is limited. And for me that is perfect. I have always found that more can lead to less. More choices mean's more to consider, more possibilities and all those possibilities can be overwhelming and distracting.
For me the restriction breeds creativity. I can't just add another light or take another step back when shooting so I have to make it work. Those limitations also have really helped me build my style.
I love dramatic, moody photographs that are engaging and pull the viewer into the world that has been created in that image. Working in my home studio has helped me understand how to do that better. By limiting the light and playing with the tools I have at hand I have seen my work grow by leaps and bounds over the past year and I owe it all to my little studio.
There is an old saying, I forget who came up with it but the saying goes, "Photography is 20% taking photos and 80% moving furniture. Working in my little space I have found that to be absolutely true!
Do you need headshots or portraits? No problem! We can throw up a backdrop and bring out the lights. Do you want to do a sultry Fine Art Boudoir session? Can do! We can shoot on the Murphy bed, or put the mattress on the floor next to the windows. Want to get bloody in a tub? I got you. Want to give the impression of a lazy Sunday at home in your comfy clothes? Done, grab a seat in the breakfast nook.
Who would have thought 1 little studio apartment in Minneapolis would give a person so many options?
That is really why I love my studio so much. It has everything I need and nothing I don't, it is unique, classic and strong without being excessive or tacky. It has unquestionably shaped the tone of my work and helped me move my craft forward in the direction I want it to go.
I look forward to creating and capturing more stories while I am here and I hope that you get to experience this little rooms magic for yourself in your own photo session.
And now, some examples of what I have created in my little corner spot in Minneapolis.
