A Peek Inside My Natural Light Photo Studio in Richmond, VA
“Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”
I’ve always thought of photography as a form of painting—only instead of a brush, I work with light. I let the light shape my subjects in a way that complements the story I want to tell. You could say that any of my shoot locations are the “canvas” to my work, but to be totally honest, my absolute favorite location is my natural light studio. It feels like the truest for of a blank canvas. Tucked away near Scott’s Addition, it’s a space I’m deeply grateful for—a place to create whatever my heart imagines.
The light shifts from morning to evening and winter to summer, and I’m continually finding something beautiful in a spot I’ve walked past a hundred times. I love the simplicity of the space and how much possibility it holds. I love watching the light move through it, softening a corner or stretching across the floor, making something new out of a space I know so well.
As much as I love the studio, it’s my incredible clients who give it meaning. Before I even pick up the camera, my focus is on my client, the energy in which they walked in, helping them get settled, and feeling grounded before we even start the creative collaboration. I may be the one with the camera, but creating the artwork that I do requires true give and take— a collaborative relationship based on trust and communication. Yes, this studio space holds so much room for possibility and creativity but my clients something to it that the light alone never could.
