From the Grounds Up: Building the Future of Coldbrewed Creative

I've had an idea bouncing around in my head for a while. I want to build a photography studio.

I know, I know … shocker. That's probably not particularly surprising coming from a photographer. But the more I've thought about it, the less interested I've become in simply having a room where I can put some lights, hang a backdrop and take pictures. I want to build something a little different. I want to build a creative space (yes, this is intentionally vague), and I've decided it's time to stop just thinking about it and start figuring out how to make it happen.

More Than a Photography Studio

When I picture Coldbrewed Creative having a physical home someday, I don't picture four walls, a few rolls of seamless paper and some lights. Well...there will probably be all of those things, but I also have all that in my garage already, and I want it to be more than that.

I want room to build sets. Change them. Tear them apart. Build something completely different. I want spaces where I can experiment with lighting, backgrounds, props and all of the other things that occasionally turn a relatively simple photo idea into a project that's much more complicated than it probably needs to be. Basically, I want to build a creative playground (kinda like I already have in my garage), but I don't want it to only be mine.

I'd love for other photographers, models, artists and creatives around Phoenix to be able to use the space too.

Maybe you're a photographer with an idea for a shoot but don't have room to build the set. Maybe you're a model who wants to create something completely different for your portfolio. Maybe you're an artist who needs a place to bring an idea to life. Or maybe a few creative people just want to get together in a room and see what happens.

That's the kind of place I'd like Coldbrewed Creative to become.

So...How Am I Going to Do This?

Excellent question.

I don't entirely know yet.

Commercial space isn't cheap. Neither is photography equipment. Or lumber. Or furniture. Or insurance. And since we're talking about Phoenix, I'm going to go ahead and put air conditioning pretty high on the priority list (I don’t have that in my garage).

What I do know is that I don't want to wait until every detail is figured out before I start. So I'm starting with something I already know how to do.

I'm going to take pictures.

I've expanded the photo sessions available through Coldbrewed Creative, and from this point forward, the money I make from those sessions is going toward making this studio, this concept, this crazy idea a reality.

One portrait at a time.

One family session at a time.

One headshot at a time.

One ridiculous creative idea at a time.

I'm going to save. I'm going to learn what this actually costs. I'm going to build things along the way. I'm going to figure out what kind of space makes sense and what other local creatives would actually want from it.

And I'm going to document the process.

This Isn't a Fundraiser

I want to make an important distinction. I'm not asking people to give me money so I can build a photography studio. I'm basically building a photography business. If you book a session with Coldbrewed Creative, you're paying me to create photographs for you. You're getting my time, my experience, my editing, my creativity and hopefully some photographs you absolutely love. I'm simply deciding what I want the money Coldbrewed Creative earns to build next.

And I think this is worth building.

Of course, if you like the idea and want to be part of the journey, booking a session is a pretty great way to do it. You get photographs. I get one step closer to the studio.

Seems like a pretty good arrangement.

Why "From the Grounds Up?"

Besides the fact that I apparently can't resist working coffee into everything?

It’s exactly what this is. There isn't a studio waiting for me. There isn't a giant pile of money sitting in an account ready to make it happen.

There's an idea.

There's a camera.

There's Coldbrewed Creative.

And there's a willingness to start.

I'm going to build this from where I am right now and see where it goes.

From the grounds up.

I Have No Idea How Long This Will Take

Months?

A year?

A few years?

No idea.

There are going to be things I haven't thought about yet. Things that cost more than I expected. Ideas that don't work. Plans that change. Probably at least one moment where I look at everything and wonder what the hell I was thinking. That's actually part of why I want to document it.

Most of the time we see creative businesses after they're finished. We see the polished studio. The finished website. The beautiful sets. The perfect photographs. We don't see nearly as much of the part where somebody is sitting at a kitchen table with a cup of coffee, a calculator and an idea that may or may not be completely ridiculous. I want to show that part too.

The good ideas.

The bad ideas.

The photo sessions.

The progress.

The mistakes.

The things I learn.

The sets I experiment with along the way.

And hopefully, eventually, the day I unlock the door to an actual Coldbrewed Creative studio.

From the Grounds Up

I'm going to share the journey as I go. Some updates will probably be significant.

Finding a potential space.

Building a set.

Reaching a goal.

Making a big decision.

Others might simply be another photo session and another small step closer. That's kind of the point. Big ideas don't usually happen all at once.

You start with what you have.

Do the work.

Make a little progress.

Then you do it again.

And eventually, hopefully, you look around and realize you've built something.

So this is Day Zero. The idea is out there. The website is updated. The camera is ready.

I should probably get some coffee.

Tomorrow we start From the Grounds Up — Day One.

Let's see where this goes.

— Tony
The Coldbrewed Creative