In Pursuit of the Inspirational Studio Space

Nobody ever told me that the hardest part of becoming a professional photographer was going to be finding the ideal studio space. I realize that here in the Portland metro area there are dozens of commercial and retail spaces available, all of which I can afford but I am a romantic. As such, my studio is going to have to call out to me in some aesthetic way. I won't settle for some mall looking, mass-production photo studio space. No, I need something that is both practical and a little artsy. I would prefer to find a space in an older building with some character, not in some strip mall. Also, it needs to be in an area that clients would feel comfortable coming to. I have had to cross several nice locations off my list because they were located in either out of the way or too industrialized areas that people might not want to venture into.

There is a location near the downtown area, in the Modish Building which has caught my eye. The location is fairly ideal and the space itself is large and affordable. The building mainly houses musicians but I don't see this as a negative. I'm hoping to find some time next week to go and check it out in person and if all goes well I'll be laying down the deposit. So I'm pretty jazzed as well as a little frightened about turning to photography as my sole means of income but I remain confident that I will succeed.

If not, I can always pawn my camera gear and computers to pay for rent and food!

Here are a couple of images of the Modish Building space I am interested in.