Monday, April 30, 2007

The Studio

I don't think I've ever shown you a picture of my studio. It is almost 2 years old now but we recently added the ledges you see above the desks so I can put up images that are framed or images that I'm working on and looking at to see if they stand the time test. Our walls are plaster so you can't go moving pictures around. The ledge makes it easy to put up some pictures for a time and then change them out. And when you are working on images you need somewhere to just stick them on the wall and look. Do you still like them the next day? What needs to be changed? And do you like them in a month? Sometimes you just want to see how one image looks beside the other, and another. So my picture ledge was something I was going to do from the beginning but somehow it kept getting delayed.

The big "thing" in the right side of the image, covered with plastic is the printer. I try to protect it as much as possible from dust. On Saturday we cleaned the studio and it is amazing how much dust we have here. I'm surprised that all of the other equipment survives. My plan was that I would only set up the folding table when I needed it from time to time but I seem to need it all of the time. I have to fight myself to keep it cleared off. It is an easy landing spot for stuff but I really need it for changing camera lenses, going through negative binders, sorting through images, etc, etc. This is looking from the desk side of the room. We have space for a couple of chairs, a long cabinet (which you can't see) with bookshelves above it. It is great to have my photography library in the studio except, of course, for the 5 boxes of photography books that I didn't bring down. A good place to read or do research. One of these days we might add a TV up here. You can't see the open 8 foot nook where I have a file cabinet and chrome shelving that stores photo stuff.

I'm really happy with my Mexican Studio

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please don't add a TV. Yor cretivity would suffer a lot and your productivity would go to 0.

Islagringo said...

You should be happy. It is a lovely room and workspace. I would trade you the dust for the all invasive salt that we get here on the island anyday though. I am on my third laptop in as many years. I won't even start on what it does to hinges and gate latches!

Nancy said...

I love your studio. It's serene - I imagine you can feel very creative and inspired in it.

Your photographs are amazing - it must be wonderful to have them all around you like that.

judilyn said...

Love your picture shelf . . . for all the same reasons you note. Curious about which printer you have chosen. We are in the evaluation process for purchase next fall. Would love to have your input.

Virtual hugs,


Judie

Billie Mercer said...

WOW...never thought I'd get comments on the Studio. I should of put the camera on a tripod and done a better job on the pictures. But I thank all of you.

Anon, while the kitchen was being remodeled we used the studio as studio, sala and dining room...had the TV in it. Somehow it didn't interfer. If I'm working I tune out all the other stuff and most of the time I don't even hear anything hubbie says to me. So if we do decide to put a TV in the studio, it wouldn't be used much.

Wayne, the salt and humidity would be worse. So far I've lost more to the inconsistencies in electricity than to the dust but the low humidity and dust does affect the printer.

Nancy, thanks. The room CAN look peaceful when it isn't cluttered and I'm a clutter bug. I'll let stuff accumulate, then beat it back down and vow to keep it that way but my real nature seems to come through.

Judie, the printer is the Epson 4000. It will print 17" wide. Big dog...basically a 36x30 footprint. If I were buying today and needed larger prints, I'd look at the Epson 3800. But if you don't really need prints 16x20 or so, there are other models...I'm not following them so I can't tell you which ones. Buying a printer for photos is complicated now because HP and Canon have entered the market with some good machines. So good luck with your research.

Anonymous said...

OK here is my beef: I preface it with the fact that I am a big fan of the Billie Blog and more particularly Billie.

But, I get disappointed when you have GREAT photos and only have one that can be enlarged. I assume you do this as a conservation measure but darn I want to see that second studio photo BIG!

Juan

Billie Mercer said...

Juan, This is a blogger thing but I'll look into it again and see if I can find an easy way around it. Sorry.