I'd like to share updates from the studio. 12 months ago if you told me how much work goes into furnishing and flipping a space this size, I might have changed my mind about moving in! There are other great spaces in Tacoma, but this studio is a nugget of surprises.
Studio 10 is a great daylight space with scruffy hardwoods and 9 large windows. The beveled glass and old school architecture give it a funky vibe, check out this link of how it looked before a facelift. The color pallette was ketchup and mustard. Today it feels more casual and airy, several windows actually open (shock) and the breeze to the 2nd floor is heavenly in the summertime. The windows face South and West. The size can accomodate all kinds of photo shoots, parties and and even yoga classes. Originally my goal was to work here in the space, but I wanted to open it to photographers anytime day or night, because I travel quite frequently and don't always use it.
I snapped these on my way out the other day, the light was so pretty I couldn't resist. The space is 1300 sqft, it is available for rent on a daily basis, weekly, and partner structure. Lighting, extra gear, stands are on-site and available for rent. There is an extensive library of lighting books and basic lighting setup assistance if needed. If interested, be sure to email me here: april@aprilgreer.com
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| This particular spot is surrounded by wispy curtains and drapery. The pocket of soft light comes through this window throughout the day. Its amazing how gentle the light is! This indoor studio has been amazing to use during the 10 months it rains here. You won't find props, patterened backdrops, or feather boas here, its is a genuinely unique open space.
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It just occurred to me that you haven't seen pictures of our new meathead, SCULLY! These are 2 boxer rescues from Tacoma. Bruiser was adopted in 2009, you may have seen pictures of him already. We fell head over heels for this guy but quickly realized he needed companionship. We stopped into the Tacoma Humane Society 3 months ago and found him a female companion, Scully. While Bruiser was abandoned and comes with a lot of emotional baggage like separation anxiety, general mopiness without Ray, and hardships with socialization, Scully, was seized by the city. Her previous owner was arrested and Scully was transferred to adoptions. We had a rough time getting her home because of the paperwork involved and waiting for the jail, etc, but after a long wait we brought her home!
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I watching them run around the yard. Dogs are awesome entertainment. Boxers in particular are busy dogs, there's always something to guard, or bark at, or eat. Bruiser and Scully dig holes, eat grass, and share in the blame when things go wrong.
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| Scully is a cutie pie. She is a licker, a lover, a sweetie, and most importantly, a trash digger! Lucky us!
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| Here they are getting lectured about "running around the house."
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Bruiser still doesn't appreciate her all the time, the first couple of weeks were rough.
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Its too bad they can't have puppies because both are fixed, who wouldn't want to see little puppies from this face??
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| She's curious but not adventurous like Bruiser.
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| They both require a daunting amount of patience, love, and training! We are excited being boxer parents, it is never a dull moment. We're down 2 lunch boxes, 4 pillows, 3 sets of blinds, and a couple pairs of panties.
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| I had the pleasure of visiting Forks, Washington for my 30th birthday. Three decades, it was a hard one to swallow. Forks, the town, is TINY and naturally the dogs were driving us bananas to go on walks. All that can be seen of Forks is finished in under 30 minutes. I went there, didn't see Edward or Jacob, and jumped back in the car. A few miles from Forks lies one of my favorite places in the Northwest, Ruby Beach. It was Scully and Bruiser's first walk at Ruby Beach, which is darn near the northern most part of the state. If you can imagine a beautiful, uninhibited beach to wash away your worries, here you go. It was one of the most memorable birthdays ever. I fell in a tidepool up to my thighs. Scully and Bruiser played "bite the waves" and we made jokes about Vampire Burgers, Twilight firewood, and spent 3.5 hours driving through gorgeous tree farms. Thank you to my husband and two dogs who love walking and adventures. It was a great experience!
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SFO airport! This place stole my heart overnight. It was the first time I've been able to dig my heels in to the city.
Who knew there was a restaurant called The Tipsy Pig in Cow's Hollow with delicious Watermelon salad covered in saffron? Honey Lavendar ice cream and Margherita pizza made my taste buds sizzle to infinity. What's the best flavor? I wanted to taste them all. Would have loved to shoot the gay pride parade, but we left the night before. Pooh! Enjoy this little snapshot from the hip from a lovely airport.
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| Returned from vacation with only a handful of images. Vacation is truly a time to relax and put the camera down. I don't shoot unless something jumps out at me. I love visiting the island with Ray and I'm missing the rice and beans already!
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| Over my first visit to Puerto Rico the camera was glued to my face. I couldn't stop shooting. It wasn't until later that Ray asked me not to shoot the obvious poverty. With any place on the earth there is always some shirtless guy sitting in front of a doorway with his roof falling in. It was arrogant of me to stop and take pictures like a tourist of these poor people and their ways. I realize it now, they were probably cursing under their breath! I guess there's a fine line between a documentary picture and exploiting someone who doesn't really approve of having their picture taken. I carry a small point and shoot now and take my "real" camera to different places. I will not shoot pictures of kids barefoot in third world countries, just not my thing. It sends a message, but I'm not sure that message is really what I'm after. End of rant! I will leave the soapbox speeches to politicians! Hope you enjoy these little tidbits.
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More travel talk here! Is this helpful info for you? I hope so! Four tips that saved me time and money are listed below. Photography is a brutally competitive industry. Finding ways to save time and money can help you get the job. The clients will love you for being considerate of their budget. Since the burst of the economic bubble, travel smart people still manage to travel because they have adapted to change. Because destination photography, vacations and travel are a huge part of our married life, I choose to do a few things differently. For instance....
1. Buy gum in bulk. Buy 2 packs at an airport or 10 at Costco. SAME PRICE.
2. Water Bottle. $10 buys you a hard plastic bottle. $2-4 buys you a single use flimsy bottle at airport kiosk. If you buy 1 bottle each way and fly 7 times, you spend between $25-49 on water.
3. Undies. For those of you with undie paranoia, keep your undies in a sock! It prevents TSA from seeing your Hanky Pankies!
4. Black mask. If I'm flying to a place with a different time zone, these help me get to sleep right away. $8 at Target.
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HOTELS
I've tried Priceline, Orbitz, Hotwire, Cheap Tickets and lots of others. My top picks are Orbitz and Hotwire. I like the ability to select hotels based on their amenities. Price is second to amenities. A good workout and good art surrounding me are VERY important when traveling for business. Second only to new pillowtop beds. If you have doubts, call the hotels, ask for renovation info. Boutique hotels inspire me to a HUGE degree and definately impact my artistic mood. Boutiques are always first pick. Use Tripadvisor to locate Boutique hotels close to your destination. Hotels such as the Hyatt and MOTEL 6 also recently updated their decor to suit the modern taste of today's hip traveler!
My favorite LA hotel, close to LAX. Great service, awesome price. Super breakfast. My favorite Boutique hotel in CA!
http://www.customhotel.com/
My favorite Portland hotel Has access to local GYM 24 hours a day!
http://www.hotelmodera.com
An awesome San Francisco hotel Great access to the city!
http://www.hoteltriton.com
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Let's party like rockstars into 2010! Big hugs from my family to yours!
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