Sweenshots x Shay Monè Studios

This has been a long time coming, and I can’t even believe that we are actually doing this… we are opening a studio. When Ahmad and I first started this journey in 2010, I remember he proposed and gifted me a camera to start my blog. Of course I didn’t take it seriously at first, or for probably the first 5 years. I was more focused on building my retail management career, and Ahmad was taking my photos and we were uploading them as is. Fast forward to about 5 years ago, Ahmad decided to really take photography seriously, invest in a camera, and actually learn more about lighting etc. He taught himself how to use Lightroom and all of the editing tools, and has grown each year. We had to start somewhere, but if I can just say if you are doubting yourself, the first step is to START!

We knew we wanted to open a studio one day, and had several different ideas on what we would do with the space. Then after Ahmad lost his job due to covid, we contemplated if he would go back to corporate America, or was this the time to stand on faith, and go for our dreams of opening a studio. We already have 2 businesses, and what better way to combine our businesses and create a space for creatives. We threw the idea out there, prayed, and its like the next day our realtor was calling us with appointments to go look at spaces. It all happened so fast, but we are ready for the task at hand. We went with what I called the “whole in the wall” because it was stale and needed some loving. The thing I loved about it was the white walls, open space, loft ceilings, and the opportunity for me to make an instagrammable mock kitchen.

As soon as we found the space, I of course headed to Pinterest and started pulling all the pins up that I had been saving over the years. Putting a vision in place for the space was easy, and sourcing items of course was the hardest part. Ahmad agreed to let me splurge a little, but I still wanted to keep in mind that this was a space that was going to be used by people we don’t know, and I know how attached I get to certain things. I had to make sure each piece was durable, easy to clean and maintain, and can moved around the space for shoots if needed. Ahmad’s job in this project is more of the studio side, so lighting, equipment, and all the things that has to do with photography. Our small 1000 sq. ft. space may be tiny, but it will be mighty when we are done with it. We will also have the option for small, intimate events (under 25 people) which we are super excited about as well.

We are still about 2 months until everything is complete and we can’t wait for you all to see it, and come join us at our new space. Make sure to follow along to see weekly updates @sweenshotsstudios and you can watch our YOUTUBE videos HERE.