Commercial Photography · Aerial Photography · Studio Rental · Classes 504 East Broadway, Columbia, Missouri · (573) 424-8486

May 30, 2008: Getting Started

Ok, here we go! I hope to be doing at least one entry every week now — we'll see how well I do. I'll be honest here, I'm doing this to keep you coming back to my web page. Hopefully you'll find these entries entertaining, or educational, or even amusing. However you feel about them, I hope you'll drop me a line and let me know. You can e-mail me directly at art@artsmithphotography.com. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. And let me know if I can quote you (with or without attribution)!

As some of you may know, this has been a part-time business for me for several years. I'm hoping that will change in the next few months. I'm looking to make commercial and aerial photography my full time job. I plan to open a studio in downtown Columbia (in “The District”) which will allow me to accomodate more opportunities than are now possible in my smaller in-home studio. It will also make me more convenient to my clients. I have a couple other ideas in mind for the studio, too.

In addition to it being my studio, I want it to be your studio, too! I'll be running a second business there called Su Casa Studio. This will be a rental studio for other photographers and videographers to use. In addition to the space, you'll be able to rent backdrops, lights and other equipment. Rentals can be by the hour, half-day or day. Rental studios are common on the East and West Coasts, but they're virtually unknown here in the Midwest. As near as I can tell, there are only two in all of Missouri, Studio Altius in Maplewood (near St. Louis), and Digital Labrador in Kansas City. That's a long way to go for those of us in Central Missouri. Hopefully this can be a resource for lots of photographers and videographers, professional and amateur alike. In addition to private rentals, I'll be bringing in models from time to time and having “open shoots” there, too. Please drop me a line if you're interested in this venture, and I'll be sure to let you know when it opens.

I also hope to be using the space to offer classes, seminars and trade shows for local photographers. Some of the classes I'll teach myself, others will be taught by other local pro's, and hopefully we'll get some of the nationally touring classes there, too. I'll also bring in vendors to do their “dog and pony shows” (and hopefully hand out some great door prizes). We might see if we can get a Columbia area photographers group together for informal meetings once a month, too. Just a chance to share our work and experiences, network a little, and enjoy each other's company. Sound like fun?

It's a lot to put together, and, of course, it's taking a lot longer than I'd wish, but so far it continues to move forward. Hopefullly I'll be able to give you an address sometime soon. Stay tuned! Now, back to work!

Happy shooting!
-Art

Back to The Photographer's Journal