OPEN HOUSE • 4/28 • Denver Photo Studio

[JustSomeDude]

I'm hosting an Open House for my soon-to-be-open-and-as-yet-unnamed photo studio on Saturday, April 28. Formal invites will be sent out via eVite. If you are a local photographer, considering future studio work and interested in attending - please PM me your email address and I'll add you to the guest list.



Questions/Discussion:

I'm considering operating this space as either A) a studio co-op, of B) a straight hourly rental photo studio. I'm looking for feedback from photographers on both options.

Option A) Studio Co-Op This arrangement would likely limit members at 20-25, because after a certain point there simply isn't enough available time in the week to make it accessible to everyone. Rates will be on the order of $120-$150/month for 4-5 hours of studio time. As a Co-Op I would hope to build a tighter community of photographers - who are more interested in the long term care/sustainability of the space. Membership would include access to the entire space, three paper seamless backgrounds, a lighting kit, radio poppers, and a smattering of flags and modifiers. I envision us also holding regular classes/workshops to share our knowledge/recently learned tricks, etc., with each other. As a co-op, we can also use the space as a gallery to promote our own works - and participate in the RiNO neighborhood's First Friday Art Walks. I'm leaning in this direction - but open to arguments to Option B.

Option B) Hourly Rental This would be a straight up hourly rental studio. Rates would be on the order of $20-$25/hr for access to the entire studio and a light kit. The up side is, there will be no other members to have to work around regarding schedule, but studio time may be even more limited on an open market. The down side to this option is, I probably will not be using the space as an open gallery - except for my own pieces.

Any thoughts? I'm very open to input/suggestions/ideas at this early stage, so please sound off. I would ultimately like to grow this into a larger community studio space (long term goal) - so participation and feedback from the Denver photography community is critical.

[salsashark]

1st off, congrats on getting your space up and running! Very cool.

2nd, I think you'd be much better off with option A. People don't give a rip about anything that they aren't personally invested in. How many times have you heard about people and their rental car stories? Get people in there who want to make it better and I would think you would have a much better product all the way around...

[Vance]

JSD,

I'd have to vote for Option B.

As a part time semi-pro I don't have the income coming in to afford a monthly fee / co-op option - but would greatly appreciate a relatively low cost but private facility option with lighting included... and that option sounds perfect for my needs.

Maybe online booking, security code-based door system for rental times, something like that... but definitely a better option for us non-full-time photogs who just need it for the occasional specific studio shoot need.

[Mother Goose]

^^^ What Vance said. But I can see the benefits to Option A for others.

If you created a group on Meetup.com, you could post the classes and GTGs that you might have at the spot.

[asp_125]

Option A would be great in the longer term. You could build a collective group that you have better control of who gets use of what when. There are benefits to more established photogs who regularly need studio space. Gallery space would be high on my list.

I don't have the client base to warrant regular monthly use of a studio at this time, nor do I do a lot of indoor work. But I would certainly be open to renting studio time occasionally for projects. So for now I am in camp B.

[JonnyD]

Little of column a, little of column b? Not that I have a need for this (and just throwing out ideas) but would it be possible to have set days/times be for co-op stuff, then a few hours a week for hourly rental? I'm not sure what the more popular times for co-op type would be, but I would offer those good times to encourage more co-op times, then have a set schedule on hourly rentals for other less popular times. I would think that would satisfy all camps - coop, hourly, and would also encourage any of those hourly renters that coop would be the way to go with better times

[ghostrider_9]

I like both options. I am interested to see how things come together. If I can help with anything please let me know.

[Cat118!]

I like plan B with Vance

[geeky]

I like both options. I am interested to see how things come together. If I can help with anything please let me know.

I would agree with ghostrider. If you could run co-ops and then hourly times where individuals can book openings I feel that would be most beneficial in a business aspect and I would love to personally check out the studio, too.

[JustSomeDude]

UPDATE:

The eVite has gone out for this event. If you had sent me your email address, but have not received an invite - please resend your email in a new PM! I tried to go through my inbox and get as many as I could, but I think I may have missed a couple.

[Mother Goose]

Got mine, Kris and I will be there. If you need any help with anything, just let me know.

[Suki]

Agree with Vance and others on Opt B. Things are picking up a "tad" but not much, having a studio to take clients to instead of my house is a nice perk and I'm sure Alan and the kids would appreciate not being kicked out on the weekends, lol!

Do we need to bring anything to the open house?

[JustSomeDude]

OK - based on the feedback I've received from a wide range of photographers, I'm doing both a co-op and hourly rental setup. Rates will be as follows:

$30/hr
$110 for a 4-hr block (must be used at one time)
$210 day rate (anything over 9 hours)

Co-op memberships: $280 a month for 14 hours of use (hours can be divided as needed)

Scheduling will be done via the studio website. Hourly renters will get an access code for the keyless entry system. The code will become active 5-minutes prior to scheduled time, and expire 10-minutes after scheduled time.

Co-op members will get a permanent monthly door code.

Studio deadbolt will engage at 10pm every night, and unlock at 7am, unless a 24-hour rental is booked.

I'm still hashing out the details, but this will be the pricing at opening.