My studio is my happy place. The feelings I have in my heart are the true definition of the word passion.
It's never "just another day at the office" in this beautiful room that I've been so lucky to welcome many brand new babies, celebrated first birthdays, marvelled in the beauty of pregnancy and jumped about the room to get 2-year-olds to smile.
When the house is still, and I stand and look at this beautiful room of mine, I can't help but feel a wave of warmth rush over me. This. This is how I know I'm doing exactly what I was born to do. But I feel as though it's not just mine, but that every tiny little piece of it has been stitched together by the wonderful families who have made this dream a reality for myself and my business.
I take hours, sometimes days, putting together different sets and setting up the studio for sessions so that once clients arrive, it's ready to go without delay. I love customizing my little sign with personalized messages, to go that extra step to show my client that everything I do is with them in mind! I take so much joy in doing it, and I love the reactions and little "oohs" and "ahhs" I hear when people set foot in my studio.
There are no "Mondays" here. There are no "I don't want to be here" days. Truth is, I spend as much time in my studio as I can. Because it's here I'm in my element, and I love having the privilege and opportunity to welcome many beautiful families into my world here.
While it may not be perfect, there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. Everything is cleaned after each session so that it's ready for the next session. And while there are some small elements of my studio that make those with OCD squirm (a wrap out of place here, or colours not organized perfectly there), it is always tidy and ready at a moment's notice.
The majority of sessions hosted here are newborn sessions, there is no doubt. But that is not to say that cake hasn't been smeared on the floors during a cake smash session, or confetti litter the floor after an exciting gender reveal!
For many, my studio is the first big outing after having a baby. Comfort and functionality go hand in hand at my studio, where families are able to relax and make themselves at home while I go about my passion. Parents can browse through my props and pick the colours and styles they'd like to customize their baby's session, while older siblings can play in the playroom just around the corner and keep themselves entertained.
Many have fallen asleep on my sofa - I take it as a compliment! I take joy in knowing that my studio is a safe, comfortable and peaceful place for clients to come and enjoy their sessions, and take some time off their feet while they take in everything around them and observe the magic happening before their eyes.
It is also a place where the tune "Happy Birthday" has been sung many times, and where the smell of sugar-filled icing and contagious giggles have filled the room. Where Birthday Boys & Girls have splashed about in their bubble baths having the times of their lives while parents look on with joy in their eyes and love in their hearts.
My studio is in my home. And it has become a home of sorts to many and knowing that clients have enjoyed their time here brings comfort to me in knowing that I've made their experience an enjoyable one. Photographs are deeply tied to memories, and so it is one of my top priorities to ensure that there is a positive association between the experience along with the beautiful photographs my clients receive.
It's a humble little place. It has what it needs but aims to remain cute and pleasant. I like the idea of my studio being a place where people don't have to worry about putting down their things and not having to worry about a single little thing.
To me, it's where the rest of the outside world melts away. Where I can focus on what I love doing and getting to know all of the different and beautiful people who walk into the room. I get to lull babies to sleep and create works of art. It's where I can control how I want something to look, and display a whole new world through my own eyes while still creating portraits that mean the world to the families who will take them home.
I could ramble on for forever about how much I love this little room and how excited it makes me to share it with others. Over the years my studio has grown from plastic bins in my van to a full room in my house and I can't wait to see how it will continue to grow and evolve into bigger and better things.
To those who have been here, I hope to see you in here again! And to those who are just curiously taking a look, I hope that I am one day lucky enough to have you visit the studio for your own beautiful memories and wonderful studio experience with Hocus Focus Photography!
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