Non-Regular Member FAQs
For questions related to regular membership, see the membership page.
I’m not a professional photographer. Is this still a space I can use?
Yes! While this space is designed to be useful for professionals, we’ve also worked hard to make the space user-friendly, even for someone who just got a camera or will be using a smartphone. Come see us on Mondays or Wednesdays when Wade or Melissa will be available to answer any questions.
Do you allow boudoir?
We aren’t really designed for boudoir, but our Mood Room is boudoir-friendly for those who wish to use the space. Boudoir sessions must be designated as so at the time of booking (we’ll make sure you have privacy!). The room includes a locking door so everyone can feel comfortable inside. Extra check-out duties are required within your reservation time include wiping down hard seat surfaces and mirrors. By completing these tasks during your reservation, we are able to host boudoir sessions at no extra cost while keeping a hygienic space that everyone can feel safe in.
What changes if I get a membership?
Significantly lower price point per hour. Our typical reservations average out to anywhere between $40 and $75 per hour. For members, it comes out to as little as $16.25 per hour. We can offer this discount because we don’t require an owner or employee be present to supervise the reservation.
Increased studio use. With the lower price point, you can afford to use your hours in whatever way you like. Need to bring in a family to try on some outfits ahead of time? Go for it! Need to meet a client for in-person sales or use our wifi to edit and upload? Sure!
More flexibility. You have access to the master schedule and can make your own reservations. Rained out and need to make a last-minute reservation? Of course! Want to see if the studio is available to add an extra hour at the end of your reservation? Just look and see. Need to make a reservation on a day that we’re usually closed? You can do it!
Less stress. The more you come in, the more comfortable you will get in the space. We have SO MUCH in our prop area, and there are so many tricks and tips that you’ll learn as you use the space more.
Because hours are more affordable through a membership, our members can include more cushion and planning time in their reservations. Instead of attempting to cram the setup, clean up, and session for a cake smash in 1 hour, they can block off 2 or even 4 hours. This allows for plenty of time to plan, inflate balloons, and set up - all before their clients arrive. Less stress = better sessions = happier clients = more sales. It’s a huge win.
More housekeeping responsibility. There’s nobody there to help you with clean up or take down, and we ask our members to leave the studio better than they found it. That means a fresh vacuum and/or mop of the floors, even if you don’t think you’ve mad a mess. It means making sure that clients don’t bring dirty shoes in.
Added supervisory tasks. Even the best-behaved kids can wander off and break things, and clients that we least expect can end up in areas where they shouldn’t be. As a member, you are responsible for making sure that you supervise anyone you bring in the studio. Guests/clients should never be allowed to walk around or wait in other areas of the studio.
It is very important that you communicate this to clients ahead of time. Many of our members opt to stagger arrival (like start with a newborn/mom and have dad/siblings come 1 hour in). This helps a lot with supervisory responsibility, and the siblings do better when they aren’t fored to sit adn wait quietly for prolonged time periods.
Some photographers bring assistants to supervise client if they need to host a “wait” area for mini sessions. That’s totally fine!
Many of our members have personal property in the studio, and it’s a HUGE liability with equipment and safety. Violating this term even once will result in a cancellation of your membership and any reservations with no refund, even if no damage is done.
I need to photograph a family of 6, including a couple teens. Is this a good space for bigger families?
Our family spaces would be best suited for smaller families with young kids, not bigger groups or extended families. For bigger indoor family photo opportunities, we recommend the following:
Lightbox - a natural light photography studio with higher (and more aesthetic) eilings and more open space for families with older kids or smaller extended family sessions
Eurasia Coffee’s Fireside Gallery - a coffee shop with spaces available for private reservations. The Fireside Gallery has plenty of natural light, as well as couches and chairs for posing larger groups.
I’m new to taking pictures inside. What lens should I bring?
For a full frame camera, I’d recommend a 35mm (or one in that range) as your best bet. That focal length should allow you to get a small group picture as well as closeups. A 50mm should work just fine for sessions like individual children or headshots.
If you’re on a crop sensor camera, we’d recommend a 24mm or 35mm (or a lens in that range).
I shoot mostly outside. What’s the lighting like in the studio?
The lighting varies between rooms. The “Light Room” is natural light and bright, so it’s not much different than shooting outside. The “Mood Room” and Small Backdrop Room use artificial light, but both are very cool, daylight toned LED lights, so they tend to shoot cool/blue and are easy to work with. The center area backdrop space is a warmer area. If you choose not to bring your own lighting in that space and shoot with our overhead lights, you’ll want to adjust your white balance or cool down the picture when you edit. This area is also a bit darker than the other rooms.
What happens if I arrive early or go past my reservation time?
You may may not enter the studio until 2 minutes prior to their reservation. You are welcome to unload any items outside by the door while you wait. Because we book clients back to back, previous clients need to be able to complete their sessions without interruption.
It is important that you plan for all take-down and clean-up to occur during your reservation time. All areas must be tidy, arranged as they were at check-in, and vacant of people and belongings at the end of the reservation window. Occasionally, if a session is not scheduled directly after your reservation, we may permit you to extend your reservation at an extra cost. However, we cannot guarantee this opportunity will be available, so it’s important that all clients and their guests plan ahead for a timely session.
If you are a photographer, I recommend allowing a small window for preparation and check-out. For example, if your reservation time begins at 3:30 but you need to set things up before they arrive, you could have the client wait to arrive until 3:40. If you need extra time to clean up at the end, I recommend allowing a cushion at the end, too. If your reservation ends at 4:25 you could finish and dismiss your client at 4:15 so you have time to focus on check-out.
Will the staff be around while I use the studio?
Our members come in and use the studio without support. We are rarely around for member reservations.
For reservations on Monday or Wednesday, an owner will let you in, show you around, and then let you do your thing while we stick to the “employees only” portion of the studio. We will pop out periodically to see if you need help and offer anything we think might be useful unless asked to stay out.
We want this to be a space in which you can be comfortable without feeling like someone is hovering over you (that’s awkward), so don’t be afraid to communicate with us!
For boudoir sessions, we’ll give a knock at the door to check in and make sure you have what you need. We will never enter the room during a boudiour session.
We are a non-profit. Do we need to pay your full reservation fee?
We are happy to offer discounts for non-profits. Email us - melissa@studioshare417.com - with information about your non-profit and its need to use the studio space.
I’m a photographer, and I’d like to meet a client to try on dresses ahead of my session. Can I make an appointment for this?
We automatically add an extra 5 minutes to any session using the wardrobe or prop closet, so you’ll have a little extra wiggle room on the day of your session to try on things and get ready. If you want to come on a separate day, you can do so, but it will be at the same price as a normal reservation.
Because the hourly rate for members is so much lower, many of our members reserve time for try-ons.
Can I bring my pet?
Pets are approved on a case-by-case basis. Please email your request prior to booking if bringing a pet is a deal-breaker for you. Clients who do bring approved pets are responsible for any pet hair or messes, and if pets are being photographed on beds or furniture, the client must bring their own bedding to place over ours as a precaution for those with allergies. Pets should be held or crated any time they aren’t being photographed - we don’t allow them to walk around the studio.
I like to have music playing during a session. Can I bring a speaker?
We actually have Amazon Echos in the studio, so you can ask Alexa to play a specific song, artist, or genre for you! We ask that the music be played at a low or moderate volume in order to minimize disruption to neighboring businesses, particularly during weekdays. You can also ask Alexa to play white or brown noise for a newborn session. It can really help keep those sleepy babies sleepy!
Will you take behind-the-scenes pictures of me while I’m there?
Sure, if you want us to! Behind the scenes pictures are really fun to capture and share on social media, and it’s also a cool way to get a shoutout to your business handle if that’s something you’re interested in. However, we will only do this at your request or consent. It’s totally fine to say “no” if we ask. For members who enter with their own keys, we aren’t usually present to obtain bts footage, so plan to ask someone in your party to help with it.
Do you have an inventory of all the props and outfits you have?
Well… we tried for the first year we were opened. Unfortunately, we found it was too much to keep up with. It was a full-time job to inventory each piece and keep things updated. Did we succeed? Big nope.
We are constantly buying new items and getting rid of unused ones. Even for items we plan to keep, pieces get rotated in and out constantly for repairs or cleaning. If you have a question about whether we have items for a specific holiday or birthday theme, please email us and we will let you know what we have!
If you’re ever relying very heavily on a specific item, we strongly recommend you plan to bring a backup that will fulfill that need and/or message us a couple days to verify that we haven’t gotten rid of something you’re counting on.
Is this a good space to host an event or party?
Our space is not designed to accommodate non-photography events like baby showers, parties, etc. Our studio isn’t very big, and each space has furniture, props, and equipment for photographers that wouldn’t be ideal for an event. For event spaces, we recommend the following:
Budget friendly (but largely unstyled) spaces:
Styled Spaces: