Welcome to the Annapolis Studio! I had the pleasure of shooting here – after having it on my bucket list for a looong time – and it was everything I hoped it would be (maybe aside from the music…heehee, see below for why). Overall, it was an amazing place to shoot when winter is raging outside!
As I mentioned in my post about Rawlings Conservatory, I am *not* a fan of shooting outside in the winter. I have eyes that water when the merest wind blows and you want a photographer who is locked in on capturing your precious moments, not one who is spending her time groping around for a tissue to wipe her streaming face holes. That’s why I spent some time over the winter researching indoor photoshoot locations and one of the locations I “learned” about is the Annapolis Studio. (“Learned” in quotes because I’ve known about the Annapolis Studio for some time but hadn’t actively suggested it — why?? — until this winter.)
The Annapolis Studio is an “artificial, ‘natural light’ studio” which means that there are “windows” created out of daylight temperature LEDs and framed by gorgeous sheer white curtains. This ensures the beautiful look of daylight streaming it at any hour of the day! No more cancellations due to weather or narrow shooting windows thanks to early sunsets! This is the same set-up that I have in my own home studio but it’s not quite ready for maternity photos just yet (but stay tuned because that’s coming down the pike!).
The Annapolis Studio has carefully curated furnishings, props and backdrops, all of which are changed out periodically throughout the year to keep the space fresh and inviting. When we visited, it was decked out for February and Valentine’s Day. My client wasn’t feeling the pink so much but that was an easy fix…we brought a white comforter and moved the pink pillows which neutralized the space a little more. We also switched out the pink bench for a cream colored option (there’s a storage room with a number of different seating choices) and got the neutral photos of my client’s dreams!
One of the amazing parts about the Annapolis Studio is how economical it is to rent. At the time of this blog, the pricing is Two Hours – $95 ||| Four Hours – $185 ||| Eight Hours – $350 ||| Full Day – $475. That’s pretty incredible for all that you’re getting.
Booking is incredibly easy. From the main webpage, there’s a “Book Now” button in the top right corner and you can have your time reserved within minutes. The studio is available 7 days a week from 7am – 7pm.
The stock photos on the website show views of the space from every angle, also allowing a peek at all the different furnishings that are available at any given time. There’s a private entrance and a private bathroom so it’s really accessible in all the ways.
As mentioned above, I had the pleasure of visiting the Annapolis Studio in January for a maternity session. My clients requested privacy so I am unable to share the STUNNING photos we got from their session but the owner of the studio and fellow MD photographer, Jennifer Casey, kindly provides stock photos on her website which are used all throughout this blog post.
The studio was warm and inviting. We had wifi at our disposal and there was an Alexa available to play to music if we wanted (funny aside: we asked Alexa for Ed Sheeran and she’d play ONE song and then go silent 😜 I’m sure it was total user error but we giggled all through the session as we playfully verbally berated Alexa for failing us – a session with me is NEVER boring). When I got in my car, I had to text my client because, as I started the engine, who blared out over my own radio speakers?? You guessed it. Ed Sheeran himself! It was like the Universe was feeling sorry for me 🤣
Liz Viernes Photography is based near Chevy Chase, Maryland, and specializes in maternity, fresh 48, posed and lifestyle newborns and first year milestone portraits.
leave a comment