I left my 18th Street office, in April of 2020. It had gotten quiet in the building when the lockdown started, and production business was questionable. Having an office when there’s little money to be made had me a bit frantic. After one mid-March evening of deliberation, staying the night at the office to help find my answer, I decided it was time to go home.
As challenging as those ten months were, they were the most important 10-months of my creative and personal journey. Working from home and having the world forcing us all to isolate, strengthened my relationships with the kids, forced me to honestly assess the physical state of my house (it’s falling apart) and allowed me to connect better with my dog. The kids weren’t traveling to school, so we were all home, getting on each other’s nerves and trying to make it work. Erica and I worked together, so we saw each other, the majority of the time, each day. It was a struggle to stay focused on the business side of life and stay out of the kitchen which was right next to my new edit-bay (the dining room table). I packed on about 25 pounds working from home and not riding my bike to the office every day.
Late 2020, a creative partner asked if I’d be interested in a studio space downtown. We weren’t looking at all, but I convinced Erica to at least come and view the space… for the sake of being positive and seeing all the possibilties. It was a half-block from the Portrait Gallery. No way we could pass on checking it out, right? We loved what we saw and began talking about what it would take to get in that space.
I was geeked because if I landed this space, I’d finally have a dedicated shooting space. It would be awesome to be able to shoot an ice-cube dropping into a glass of soda in super-slow-motion in between an edit. Or have a client come in and pose for a portrait (I will be learning portraiture ogre the next two months). So I did everything in my power to make this space happen. The universe answered and it has happened.
Phase One: create a fully functioning space by April 1st. I already have a ton of gear and can pretty much start shooting immediately, however there are a few things I need to do to get it to that sweet-spot. I’ll need about four new desks (alll standing capable), some sound treatment (there’s a slight echo), basic furniture and office-life items (refrigerator, coffee-maker, etc).
Phase Two: this will round out any of the production based edges that I know we can’t afford in the Phase One. We need more clients and a serious contract or two to do a Phase Two. This phase will be purchasing more technical items, like a few more lights, cabling, batteries and audio equipment. We wanna be green-screen, podcast and small-set ready.
Phase Three: this will be a longterm strategy, filling in the inspirational side of the place with books, art items and things that will help set the mood. I’ve already went to Esty to see what the world is offering up. I’m on my third cart already. Ten more to go. I saw an Erector Set from the late sixties..
923 F Street, NW. Once we’re up and running, please come by and say hello!
