Inside My Photography Studio
One of the things I was most excited about with our move to Portugal was a new studio space. I loved my last studio in Cardiff and was very happy there for four years. I passed it on to Nick Morrish just before the move and he seems to be enjoying it as much as I did, while also still running f/36 studio.
I found the new studio space in the outskirts of Porto, Portugal, in a small shopping arcade-type building with a few cafes and independent shops. The building is light pink with lots of plants 💚 and, as to be expected in Portugal, everyone is so friendly and helpful.
The space itself needed lots of TLC. It had old carpet, leaky windows and a broken toilet, just to name a few problems. But the size was perfect and I could see the potential so it was all hands on deck to transform it into my new photography studio.
I have to give credit to my dad for doing so much work on it and my boyfriend for helping out. We…
- fitted a new floor
- painted the walls, ceiling and skirting boards
- fitted new lights, light switches and wall sockets
- cleaned and sealed all the windows
- fixed damaged wall around the windows
- replaced the toilet and turned on the water mains for the first time since 1999!
- Emptied the letterbox that was about to burst with junk mail
- Moved everything in and celebrated with tasty burgers from the cafe downstairs
A creative space
This was never meant to be a traditional photography studio. It’s a comfortable but flexible creative space that can work in many different ways. There is a comfy chill out zone that works well for client meetings, coffee breaks and even after work movie nights. It also works well for lifestyle shoots as the natural light from the windows floods the space so nicely.
Photoshoots
The shooting area is spacious and everything is easy to move. My shooting table was donated to me by the building’s cleaner D. Glória who very kindly offered it to me when we were renovating the studio. The desk in the corner is handy for spreading out the products and props while shooting, but it also doubles up as my own desk for computer work.
Practicalities
One of my favourite purchases for the new studio is this adjustable standing desk on wheels. I use it for my laptop while shooting tethered. No more bending over to see the screen and it’s so easy to move it around.
My dad also made me this wooden rack for my card and vinyl backdrops. It keeps everything flat but still easy to browse and take what you need.
Prop shelves
My props are now easy to access on open shelves. This is something I couldn’t have in my old studio so I was very keen to make it happen. The shelves sometimes need a little reshuffling as I add new props, which I love.
Plants, lots of plants
Of course the studio wouldn’t be complete without a healthy amount of plants. They look great in the space and also make very good props for photoshoots. It also proven that plants increase productivity and reduce stress so the more the better, in my opinion!
Open for bookings
New studio but some things never change! I am still available for remote product photoshoots worldwide from my studio here in Porto, Portugal. I have been receiving products for photoshoots in the post from small businesses in the UK and EU. If you are not sure how my remote service works you can find out more here or contact me via my website or instagram.
If you are local to the Porto area or are happy to travel and you would like to attend the photoshoot you would be absolutely more than welcome! I’ll have a cup of tea/coffee ready for you 🙂.
