Basic checklist for permanent studio space.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE MUST HAVES WHEN LOOKING FOR PERMANENT STUDIO SPACE?

A: High ceilings. Twelve feet or higher. Fourteen feet and up is even better. At least 30 feet in length and 20–30 feet wide. You can get most things done in that space. Note that I’m talking about shooting space only. Not 30 feet with an office. Big windows or a roll up door is nice to have for available light, but you’ll want a way to block the light if needed. You need a good number of power outlets available. Preferably running on three or four different circuits so you can plug in steamers, lights, hair dryers, etc., without constantly blowing a breaker.

Parking! I was looking for a new space a few years ago and found a gorgeous studio. The problem with the space was parking. Meg and I drove by on a Friday and couldn’t find one open spot for three blocks. Need a client and a crew at your studio on a Friday afternoon? Better have some parking for that. Foot traffic is rarely a need for a photographer. Maybe if you’re a family portrait photographer, but then you have to have set hours and be there for all of those hours. Most folks aren’t just going to walk in and book a shoot. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it isn’t a deal breaker.

Have a creative space. You’re a photographer, damn it! I’ve seen studios with drop ceilings, fluorescent lights, and indoor/outdoor carpeting. Gads. Who in the hell wants to create work in a space like that? Burn the acoustic tiles; throw the carpet out the back door; punch a few holes in the wall; stick some beer cans under the couch; spill paint on the floor. Create art! You need a space you love walking into. Messy or clean, whatever your style is—get a place like that.

What is a studio? It’s a floor and some walls. That’s it. Any place can be turned into a studio. Why do I have a studio? The number one reason is so I can have a separate place for work and for home. I have a family of six and a dog. When I’m home I want to be home. When I’m at work I want to be at work. Having a separate studio allows me to do that. Now, the two mix. My kids regularly show up at the studio and hang out. I take a laptop home and do some work at the dining room table. Overall, though, work is at work and home is at home. That’s why I love having a studio space.

I’ve had tiny spaces. I’ve had huge spaces. I’ve had dirty, nasty, old spaces. I’ve had clean and slick new spaces. My current studio is about to become my favorite. I call it “The Lab.” I can clean it up or I can trash the place. I don’t care. It’s a box for me to create work in. I hang shit up on the walls. I spill stuff on the cement floors. I play my music loud. I smoke my pipe. The fridge has beer. There’s always a pot of coffee on. I can make the place dark. I can make it light. I can do whatever I want in the space. I love it. Of all the places I’ve had, it doesn’t have the best curb appeal, but it has plenty of parking and character and it’s cheap—and a mile from my house. Done.

There was a group of folks in Italy that had a site up called smallstudio.com. The site is no longer there, but I can’t tell you how amazing this site was. A photographer by the name of Eolo Perfido, along with stylists and hair and make-up artists and the like, shot fashion work in a one-and-a-half car garage. I was convicted by how little I was doing with my large space when I saw how much they did with their small space. They did more than I’ve done in a 3,500 square foot warehouse. It was amazing. The space I have now is larger than that, but not much. I’m still influenced by their work. If they did it in a garage, surely I can do something here.

Here’s my current studio, which we call “The Lab.” It’s not too small. Not too large. It’s just right. I wish it had a cyc wall but I’m living without it just fine right now. Wish there was some window light, but it sort of has a bunker feeling to it that I love. Rent is cheap. There’s a coffee pot. Close to home. Right now it’s perfect for me.