Say goodbye to boom arms and lights hanging over the dining room table! 
Two years of scouting for a studio location paid off in July when a great startup location became available, right here in town. After some interior construction and a few test shoots, Grand Opening was on Cranbury Day in September. I’m still tuning the interior layout somewhat as I get used what works best for different sessions, but I thought it’s about time for a tour….
View from the parking lo
We’re right off Main Street (visible from the street as you cross the intersection) in the center of town. For the locals, we’re around the corner from Teddy’s and behind Cranbury Pizza. For the not so local, we’re here at 21 Park Place West, Cranbury NJ.
The shooting area is the first floor of the main building, and the extension on the right holds a small office/waiting area plus storage. From left to right is about 30 feet, so I’ve got ample depth, and plenty of room to control the placement of clients, backgrounds and me for the effect I want.
Width-wise, we’ve got 15′. I’d prefer a little wider, but the depth was more important. So far this is working out well, though there’s typically a fair amount of swapping of props, lights and people during a session.
We’re still designing the sign, which will hang on that white post toward the right, so til then I usually put out a marker board and large sample print to get some eye traffic.
Here’s the view when you walk in:
Come on in...
...and turn right
In an ideal world, you’d see the reception area first, not the shooting room - but there are surprisingly few spaces in town that are configured for the way I shoot, so it’s a worthwhile compromise.
There’s certainly no doubt that you’re in the right place for portraiture… most people immediately start going through all the props and backgrounds when they come in.
I bought the tall stucco at right used from my mentor, Ron Kramer (in Michigan) - you can’t beat that pedigree! Lit properly, it’s got great color and texture, and let’s me do something a little different from standard Senior Portraits. It also works for a relaxed, but more “grown up” look for children.
Shooting view
Walk all the way to the office extension, do an about face, and this is my typical view into the room as I shoot, though not so cramped as the wide angle lens on my point-and-shoot makes it appear.
The rolls near the ceiling are a mix of seamless paper, and several hand painted canvas backgrounds - I’ve been waiting years to be able to hang them permanently! And of course, more prop storage along the wall - the entire perimeter is used for storage.
My typical portraiture setup is just that large softbox, the hairlight hanging from the boom, and often a reflector. But for more specialized looks, musicians, fashion etc there’s room for additional stands and strobes - it can get a little tight, though, so I try to plan the sequence ahead of time.
The extension was originally just packed with items in storage, but that left me with no area for parents to wait comfortably during their children’s sessions, and no space to display my work or do pre-shoot consultations. So, my assistant Dani and I came in to do a brutal review of what was being used effectively, cut the storage requirement in half, and opened up an 8×8 space for reception and sales:
Office / Reception
We’ve got wireless internet, and cable (to the right of the desk) so folks who aren’t shooting can relax. (For music during the shoot, clients can plug their iPods etc into a small stereo - else they can suffer through my playlist, which would risk an encounter with Bluegrass, Big Band, Zydeco and Mozart).
Those gold chairs are a new addition, purchased from David Wells Antiques next door. I like the varied curves on the backs, I think they’ll be really good props as well - all furniture has to serve multiple roles here.
There’s a open wall area for print display above the desk, (out of view here) and to the right, so I get alot out of my 8×8 space
So, that’s the tour, please stop by if you’re in the area - even if it’s just to take a look. I’m still not tired of showing it off
