Yes, you read that right! It's just a matter of perspective. We all are on a journey through life and for me, obtaining a new job in a different part of the area where I live meant I could relocate out of the city. The neighborhood here is changing and I'm getting older so it was time to move on. However, you have to live reasonably near where you work.
That changed in December 2010 when the economy caught up to me and I was laid off. Finding another job wasn't too difficult since I work in Information Technology but finding a job doesn't always mean you can find a GOOD job. I bounced around for a while and finally started a great new job last April 30. Because of the location, I jumped at the opportunity to find a new place to live.
It didn't take long; perhaps less than two weeks and it was only the fourth property I looked at. Though it is a modest home the house is in a perfect location. However, a previous owner used to run a business there so there is an addition to the garage. The extra "room" to the garage has 650 square feet of space (650 square feet!!!) and a 10 foot high ceiling.
Rapture!
One of the criteria I had for house hunting was to have a house with a large room for photography but when I saw this garage I practically peed in my pants. I might have bought the house just because it had everything else I wanted and I was just stunned when I saw the addition to the garage.
I have lots of work to do yet, I just started moving and need to clean up the old house to get it ready to sell and the "studio" needs a lot of scrubbing and painting before it's ready for shooting. I've already been scouring through the thrift stores and buying props. :-)
I figure the earliest I will be able to start working in my new studio will be in about a month though I won't be surprised if it will take longer. Either way, my ability to shoot stock has greatly increased. Many of you know what it's like to try shooting stock on a kitchen table or in a room with the furniture pushed to one side.
650 square feet of studio space! And it came with a house! (Well, a mortgage comes with it too, but let's not talk about that!) :-)
