Well, at long last, it's done. I signed the lease on my commercial space about an hour ago. ArtSmith Photography (and Su Casa Studio) will be located at 504 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201. I should havve the key tomorrow!

Now I get to stat a whole new phase of hurry up and wait. This time, though, I'll have more people to wait on (architect, contractor, city licesing & inspection, utilities, alarm system, etc., etc., etc.) so I can probaby keep busy. And just think -- I'll get to spend LOTS of money now -- great since I'm about to stop woking at a job that brings in a reguar paycheck.

Still, I'm excited. This is going to be a wild and crazy time!!!!!! I'll post some pictures soon, I promise.

Woot!

Wow. I'm about to turn in my letter of resignation. 17 years (almost) I've been working here at the MU Vet School. That's a long long time. And at the end of this month, it'll be over. No more regular paycheck -- instead I'll have to earn $42k/year just to pay the rent on the commercial space.

It's exciting. It's terrifying. It's sad. I'm feeling so many emotions right now, I can't belive it. Friday August 29 will be my last day here. Then the next day we drive to Delaware to get my son moved into his college dorm (freshman at the Univ. of Delaware), drive home and then I start full time in my new space. Wow.

Oh, and as for that new space -- it's not a done deal yet. But it's really, really close. (How long have I been saying that now? ) The only issue remaining is the air conditioning, and tomorrow morning I'm meeting with the property owners (just us, no real estate brokers, no lawyers, no e-mail, no phones -- just us meeting in the space we're talking about), and we're going to work this out. We all understand each other's positions now, we all want to make the other happy, it's just figuring out the best way to do it. Once that's settled, we'll get the lease signed and move on.

Then I get to start REALLY spending money -- just in time for the paycheck to go away. Ok, so I'm nuts. Tell me something I DON'T know!

I just want to simultaneously celebrate, panic, cry, and just generally have a meltdown.

Wheee!!!!

Things are getting closer! We have a lease from their lawyer now, and it doesn't have any huge surprises in it. It's not quite where we want it, but it's darn close. At this point we have just a little negotiation to do, a few hoops to jump through (insurance (in process) and documenting the changes needed (a little tough until I get in there and have my contractor with me and discuss things with him)). Then I'll be in my space!!! ArtSmith Photography and Su Casa Studio is closer to becoming a tangible reality!!

504 East Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201 -- remember that address!!

I'll update more when I know more....

Grrrr!

I hate dealing with adversarial relationships. After orally agreeing on the lease terms, the landlord now comes back with a counter proposal? WTF? That's bullshit! Nothing is a deal-breaker, but it's just fucking irritating. We told them we're done negotiating on proposals. Draw up an actual lease document and we'll negotiate from that. Everything from here on out is going to be in the "final wording" form. I'm also lighting a fire under their ass -- we need to see the lease by Wednesday (hopefully). I want to have this deal settled by the end of next week at the latest. I'm tired of dicking around with this, and I can't afford to wait any longer. I've got momentum going on the business and I need to close this so I can move forward, or I'm going to lose that momentum.

I still think it's going to happen, but this has really put a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think the landlord is being nefarious (though at this point I can't say I trust them either), but I'm sure their realtor is. I'm probably naive, but I expected them to negotiate in good faith and honor their oral commitments. Why cant' we all play nice?

Oh well. Things ARE moving forward. I'm continuing to draw up plans for how to best use the space, and am pricing things out. I'm super-excited about having a huge (25' wide, 14' high) cyclorama and a 25' x 6' "fisher light" (basically a giant softbox with 23 individual halogen lights -- about 5,000 Watts worth). That's how they get the beautiful highlights on professional car shots.

Wowee!!

It looks like I'm going to get the space I wanted for the studio!!! At less than we hoped for, too. They basically accepted our low-ball proposal with just a token counter (raising the rent in the optional second 5 year lease renewal)!! Unbelievable. I'll be paying about $7/sq. ft./year for PRIME downtown space. They're putting in the air conditioning we asked for -- i'll pay the rest of the required renovations. And the rent doesn't start until 60 days after I sign the lease (so I'm not paying rent while I'm rennovating). Unbefuckinglievable!

I should have the lease ready to sign sometime next week. Then the wild times begin -- lots of stuff to get rolling now. Oy veh! It really is happening.

Stay tuned for more about ArtSmith Photography and Su Casa Studio in downtown Columbia, MO!

I keep hoping I'm going to have BIG NEWS to report here, so I've been putting off updating....but so far I'm still waiting. So I just decided I'd update anyway and maybe that'll bring the news!

I've got a lease proposal out on commercial space for the studio, and just waiting to hear the response back from the property owner. Hopefully in a week or so I'll have a lease in hand!! This space is FANTASTIC! It's right downtown (504 East Broadway, between the Carharts store and the new billiard hall, for those of you who know Columbia, MO), which is exactly where I wanted to be, and it's fucking enormous!

Seriously, it's got almost 6,000 square feet plus another 3,000 or so in basement storage & parking area (access from the alley). The main floor has both a great retail entrance with lots of storefront glass AND a garage door entrance into the really big space in back. Yep, that's right. I'll be able to bring CARS in to shoot! I'm already making plans to build a 20' or so cyclorama and a home-built fisher-light (basically a 6' x 25' 5000W softbox!) to use there. I'll be getting more light and lots of props, sets, backdrops, etc., too.

In addition to the commercial photography business I hope to be doing (see my website for that), I'm also going to be running it as a rental studio. My plan is to make it THE one-stop shop for people wanting family pictures, senior portraits, wedding photography, etc. -- where people can come and look at several photographers' portfolios and marketing materials, decide who they want to work with, etc. Why chase down the freelancers when they can go to a downtown storefront and pick amongst several? And the photographers will have their stuff shown without having to be there, and will have access to the best studio in 100 miles any direction. What's not to love?

I'll also be doing the odd class/workshop/seminar type thing, too. Probably hosting a local photography club. Who knows what all else. Might even shoot an SG set or two every now and then.

So... lots of plans. Lots of money to spend, wih no guaranteed paycheck, so lots of anxiety(!!). But lots of excitement, too. Now I'm just DYING to know I've got the space, and to get a date when I can open so I can really start getting my ducks in a row.

I hate waiting.

So... think lucky thoughts my way. I'll post again as soon as I know what's happening. And start making your plans to come down to Columbia, MO and check out ArtSmit Photography and Su Casa Sudio!

Gah! Why can't life be simple?

Good enough is good enough, things don't have to be perfect. Why is that so hard for some folks to understand? Why do I have to feel bad about a good choicce that's maybe not the best choice? At what point am I allowed to say " yes, I could do better, but this is what I'm doing"?

I don't want to be stupid. But sometimes you have to just fish or cut bait, right?

Holy fucking mother of god!

Things may be moving faster than I could have thought imaginable on the photogaphy front. It seems that a local and really excellent portrait photographer (senior pictures, weddings, etc.) has decided after 20 years that it's just not fun any more and he's looking to get out of the business. He's got a 4,000 sq. ft. studio (2 big shooting rooms, office space, changing rooms, etc.), probably $150,000 in props, sets and backrops, lots and lots of studio lights with softboxes and an overhead grid system, etc. He's looking to sell all the contents of the building and have someone take over the (incredibly cheap!) lease payments on the building. There's about 12 dedicated parking spaces, it's in a reasonably good section of town, just about everything is where I'd only dreamed of being in like 10 years.

He's selling the contents for $175,000 Man that's a shit pile of money. But it's far less than the stuff is worth. God, I'm so torn!!! I think though, if I can get the cash I'm gonna do it. My wife is in favor of it, too,which is essential. Damn damn damn damn damn!! It's like all the planets have aligned. I'm absolutely thrilld, and equally absolutely terrified. Somebody pinch me and see if I wake up.

Sweet fucking Jesus -- am I nuts?
Anybody wanna bet on which one of those ^^ are me in a year?

Things are continuing to move forward for the photography business. It's slower than I'd like, but at least it's still moving forward. I'm busy folding brochures at this point -- I'll be sending out 1,000 of these suckers, and each one needs four VERY precise folds, so it's taking a lot longer than I'd like (all told, it'll probably be like 20 hours of folding and envelope stuffing!) Hopefully these will start bringing in some business!

The website is really shaping up nicely. Y'all should go check it out: www.artsmithphotography.com. There's pictures, and and a blog (two entries so far) as well as a couple how-to's and the like. The "Photographer's Journal" portion will be an ongoing project. Let me know what you think, especially if you see anything wrong or have any helpful suggestions!

We're going to be making a whirlwind trip to Delaware in a couple weeks -- Mike has to be there for a one-day orientation/guidance type thing, so we'll be driving out there Saturday & Sunday, he'll be there Monday, and we'll leave when he's done and get home late on Tuesday. Whee!

Hmmm... Guess I didn't have as much to talk about as I thought. I hope y'all are out having fun, whatever you're doing. Go give a stranger a hug!

I'll leave you all with a picture of me and my son in kilts.

Ok, fans, I need your help here. Freelz.

I'm gettin' REALLY close to deciding it's time to switch careers here, and start doing photography full time. (In my "real life" I'm a computer programer for a University). Assuming I can find enough market, I'm going to be doing primarily commercial photography (photography for ads, brochures, websites, reports, billboards, etc.). If I do it, I'l be getting some commercial space for a real studio, and then also running that as a rental studio for other photographers and videographers, and also holding classes, seminars and the like there. Ideally it'll be the hang-out place for local photographers! The plan is that the rental and teaching and such covers my overhead, and the commercial work is pure salary. That's the theory, anyway.

So, I'm spending about 80% of my time tremendously excited, and the other 20% absolutely terrified. What the fuck am I doing? Giving up a good steady paycheck for this? With a son about to start college (even if he did get a whopping great scholarship!)? What makes me think I'm good enough to do this? What do I know about running a small business? Blah blah blah.

What I need you guys to do, especially those of you with some experience (on either side of the deal) with commercial photographers, is t take a look at my portfolio and give me lots of criticism. Seriously -- tell me what's wrong with it. I know there's plenty of room for improvement,and I'd sure rather hear it from you than from prospective clients! I promise I won't argue with you or take it personally (well, except in a good way). If I AM crazy to do this, I want to know now, before I quit my "day job." Not after I'm saddled with a commercial lease and all that blech.

It's not officially "up" yet, and the pricing stuff is going to get a complete overhaul here in the next few days, but you can sneak preview it at: my commercial site. The more specific and helpful your criticism, the more I'll love you. Freelz. Big wet sloppy kisses love you. Or at least buy you a PBR.

Thanks, friends!



P.S., there'll be more shots coming. I'm going to be doing some aerial photography this weekend (Saturday or Sunday), and some food & drink photography on Monday, so by the end of the week or so there should be more shots for you to critique. I'll update here (at the top) when the new shots are up. THANKS!!!!