A VIEW INSIDE THE LIFE OF A FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER

MY STARTUP STUDIO WAS JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH!

First of all, I'd like to say that I am the luckiest girl in the world!  I am so fortunate to be able to pursue a career in a field that gives me so much joy.  There's never a dull moment and although running a small business means you have to wear a gazillion hats, I absolutely LOVE what I do and especially love sharing it with you.  

A few years ago, when I first started my business, I did what most start-up businesses do --- I worked out of a room in my house. My matted and framed prints were spilling out into the dining room and over-taking my house! After preparing for my first art show, I quickly realized that I needed a larger space to print, mat, frame and store all of my art, supplies and booth setup.  

TIME TO FIND A LARGER SPACE

In January 2019, We started reconstruction of what would become my new studio and gallery --- the vacant, gutted, 2nd floor of a circa 1860's carriage house.  I labored over a floor-plan that needed to include an office area, matting & framing work tables, space for photo gear and large format printer, storage for framing, printing, office art show booth and other supplies, as well as a gallery area to display my framed prints. EASY PEASY, right?!  

WELCOME TO MY NEW STUDIO & GALLERY!

Six months later, and voila! My studio & gallery are up and running and business is moving forward. Thanks to my amazing construction team, Ed Pietro Construction and my good friend and incredibly talented interior designer, Julie Estes of Carlisle Designs, I am all moved in and open for business.  I'm so excited to have this wonderful space to not only work in, but also to display my art and share it with you!

If you aren't already, please be sure to SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST to stay up to date on all the studio and gallery happenings, like my Gallery Open House Series.

SO WHAT IS A "NORMAL" DAY LIKE FOR ME?

That's a tough question to answer, because no two days are alike.  Some days I spend out in the field, shooting and hoping to capture images that I can use create fine art.  Some days I work on editing images, uploading them to my website and posting new art on social media.  Some days are all about finances, taxes, and all the boring stuff.  When I'm prepping for an art show, I may spend all day in the studio printing, matting and framing --- and then loading the car and trailer for the show.  Other than art shows, when I can, I try to expand my creative and technical knowledge and attend workshops or conventions. One of the most beneficial things I gain from these experiences is renewed energy and motivation to be more creative in my work.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, WHAT'S MY BASIC WORKFLOW?

If I could make a list showing, from start to finish, the process that it takes for an image to become ready to purchase, I guess the list would look something like this:

1. Grab my camera and go somewhere in search of cool things to photograph.

2. Back in the studio, upload my images into Lightroom, my photo editing program.

3. Review and select the images I want to edit.

4. Edit the images (depending on what I want the final outcome to be, this may take hours, days or even weeks to complete)

5. Once the image is edited to my satisfaction, I save the files as hi-res for printing and lo-res for posting on my site or social media.

6. Upload the images to my website for the world to see and hopefully purchase, and post the images on my social media channels.

7. Decide on a title!  This one may take awhile for some, but sometimes I just know right away.

8. PRINT the images in various sizes (I usually run several test prints and make edits to the image if necessary until the print looks the way I want it to).

9. MAT and FRAME the images. (Usually I need several sizes of matted only and matted/framed prints so that I have enough to display in my gallery and also take to art shows.)

10. For Matted prints, add hand-written image title and my signature, then package matted prints and greeting cards in plastic sleeves/add price tags. For framed art, create title/price cards for each print. 

WHEW!  Take a deep breath and start all over :)

                     Framed and ready to display