About 9 years ago when I began this journey into photography as a business, I always had a desire in my heart to have a beautiful, inspiring, bright, warm and inviting space. I didn’t know exactly how it was going to come to be, but I did know that it was something I wanted for both myself and my clients.
I am a big believer in intentions and the power of thinking so I have held strong in the vision of this space for a long time now. I became very clear on my intentions and started to focus that energy on bringing this dream to life about a year and a half ago. Let me be clear here, this could never have been possible without my amazing fiancé, Dave.
Dave’s love, support and belief in me is the only way that this could have come to be. He owns and operates an incredible business, Savory Homes. While his personal encouragement is huge, it is his amazing eye, knowledge and support that has provided my clients this opportunity to experience full service photography. I am and will always be, so grateful for all he has given to this project.
I just found an old journal from the beginning of 2014. One of the first things I had written was the desire to have this studio space. It was in 2015 that I really took a look at things and recognized I had made leaps and bounds in my business and it was time to make the shift.
After some opportunities and circumstances that came about, the pieces fell together. I am beyond excited to share– the dream studio is open! We actually opened the doors in August but it was the height of our busy season so we didn’t get a chance to really share much about the process and the inside of the studio.
With the start of a new year and some time to reflect on the last few months, and just how amazing it has been, now was the perfect time to share this new chapter!
When we first purchased this property it was an old barn that had been a family farm stand for years. It hadn’t been in operation for years, so you can imagine it needed some work. (Turns out a lot more work than we originally anticipated!) After Dave created a vision, that worked for the space, he and his crew started the process.
Much like the process when Savory Homes invests in a new property, they addressed what was needed and created something amazing. The entire building has been rebuilt, systems have been put in, and the design is incredible. I would love to say that I made the decisions for these brilliant design choices, but it truly was all Dave!
Savory Homes takes homes that are in need of repair and renovation then renovates them into a product that is second to none. It is the expertise from Dave and his crew that brought this to life.
Without further ado, the Keri Jeanne Photography Studio:
Our lobby space is welcoming and inviting when clients step foot inside. They are greeted with sample work and a comfortable sitting area. Just past the sitting area is a bathroom. The bathroom includes a changing table and is stocked with anything parents might need for our newborn and infant clients!
With a turn to the left upon entering, clients travel upstairs to our shooting area and office space. This is where the magic happens! With 6 incredible sky-lights, natural light simply pours in illuminating beautiful light in the entire space!
When standing at the top of the stairs looking around the space, we have our office area and packaging area just to the left of the stairs. This gives us ample room to package our client orders and store our packing materials within arms reach. When we aren’t packaging orders, we also use this area for our client beverages – coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc.
The right side of the studio is typically where we photograph the most. The long open space lends itself to a lot of variety!
This is the client viewing area where our clients come in to view their images and place their orders! With beautiful furniture, our clients have said how comfortable and enjoyable the space is while enjoying the memories we created together on the big screen!
Our bookshelves are stocked with both props for sessions and toys to entertain our kiddos that come in! Books, toys, coloring are a few items we have to share! We also store prop blankets and items for easy access during sessions.
Everything in our studio is movable making it easy to create custom sessions for each family that comes in. This is also important for when we offer our photography workshops in the studio. It allows ample room for students but also flexible shooting demonstrations!
Our outdoor space is amazing and offers so much variety there too! We have a full side yard to create memories, which is ideal for sessions with just kids, high school seniors or corporate head-shots!
We are located at 18 Story Street in Essex, Massachusetts. Just next to the elementary school. We will still primarily shoot 90% of our signature sessions on location in the beautiful area we live in.
Our newborn clients will now have the option to come into the studio for a more posed style session, or the option to have me travel to them for a lifestyle session. In addition, one of the other biggest changes will be having our clients come into the studio to view and order their images rather than simply receiving a link online.
It is our greatest honor to be a full service photography studio and assist our clients in exactly what suits their family. We can do that far better in person and coach families through their ordering process, which is so important.
It is much easier to share ideas in person when offering samples, size comparisons, various finishes etc. We have been doing this on a small scale for the last few months and our clients have really loved the new process. I can’t wait to have all of our clients receive this attention for every signature session!
This process has been amazing. It has opened a tremendous amount of doors for both us and our clients. I am so grateful for all of our clients over the past 9 years and all the families that have trusted me with their family treasures!
I cannot wait to see familiar faces and meet new ones this year. 2015 was one for the books and we know amazing things are in store for 2016!
I would also like to thank the hard work and service from the crew and other businesses that worked on this project. We love supporting other local businesses when possible and this job was no exception! Thank you to the following for working on this project: Macaro Construction, Gangi Plumbing, DCM Sheet Metal, Reader Electrical, Scott DeWitt/Kobby Realty, North Shore Overhead Door, Mass Bay Paving, Dexter Doane Carpentry, Marble & Granite Pro, Primo Plasterers, Building Center, and Penny’s Signs!
Here’s to another amazing year!
In gratitude and love,
Keri