I’d been waiting for a studio spot at Noblesville Creates for a long time when Aili reached out about a photography space they were taking over. She asked me to stop by and share a few ideas for how it might be used, but I didn’t expect it to turn into anything more than that.
When I visited the space on August 1st, I knew half of it was already spoken for, neatly divided by a blackout curtain. Still, the idea of having my own working area started to pull at me as we talked about a shared setup. I asked if the space might be available for me to rent on my own, and the answer was yes. I mulled it over on my walk home, and before I even made it back, I’d decided to go for it. It wasn’t a logical choice. I didn’t have a plan or even a clear reason why. I just knew I needed a place that was mine, a place to work, make a mess, and see what might come of it.
Once I got the key, I cleared out the old props and sorted through the donated lighting gear left behind. Bit by bit, I started bringing in my own things and making the space mine.
It’s still evolving, but it already feels like home. The studio isn’t just where I make photographs. It’s where I reset, learn, and start again. The first real test would come a few weeks later, when I finally set up the Toyo and began making prints.
]
My first look at the space
Getting it cleared out
First purchase, sitting chair
