We Asked 5 Members 4 Questions…
We’re curious, you’re curious, let’s just dive right in…
Thank you to David Huff (DH), Vinya Jadore (VJ), Justin Taylor (JT), Laura Lewis (LL), and Keim Williams (KW) for sitting down with us.
I. What’s your favorite thing about being a member?
DH:You know, Wonderland is a very special place. I think I've never seen anything like it in any city I've lived in. I think it combines this incredible beauty and inviting creative energy that really I think is so unique and one-of-a-kind and something I've been looking for honestly a lot in my life and I feel so thankful to finally have found it.
VJ: My favorite thing about being a member here, I would say is the flexibility. Since creatives don't thrive in linear environments I feel like it's a lot of scenery here, a lot of visuals for you to work with to co-create.
JT:I really love the community that Wonderland Studios has. Everybody is super helpful and supportive, especially Claire and the staff.
It's really nice for me to have a space where I don't have to worry about the upkeep, and I don't have to worry about keeping the look fresh. The fact that they come in and change [the set] every few months is really helpful for me so all my photos don't look the same.
II. IS IT WORTH THE COST OF MEMBERSHIP?
LL: Absolutely- super worth the money.
KW:Oh yeah, it's most definitely worth the money. Other business and other studios, you're paying $150, like for a session, for that one day. But here at Wonderland Studios, you're only paying $150 a month.
JT: It's absolutely worth the cost of membership. For the last several years before I found Wonderland, I was spending $1,200 on a studio across town. And the way that the property rates and stuff have gone, it's just outrageous in the overhead to have your own studio.
So to have a space like this, like I said, where somebody's coming in to clean at night, and they're kind of taking care of all the ins and outs- it's priceless.
DH:I mean, I kind of don't want to say this out loud because this is the most insane value I've ever seen in my life. Most photography studios, you're looking at about $200 to $300 per photo shoot and to be honest as a creative that's always been something that's prevented me from getting into the art more often and to be able to execute some of the visions and dreams that I have of making things…
Wonderland is such a good value. It allows me to have a space to go create whenever I feel like it and it absolutely does not break the bank. So, thank you so much for doing that.
III. How do your clients feel about the space?
VJ: My clients are absolutely stunned when they come in the space, like they can't believe that it looks like this… When they do walk in, they're just amazed, they're excited, and they're just ready to get to work as soon as we get in here.
JT: All of my clients have loved the space so far. I mean, the light is amazing. I think that's one thing that they're really impressed by. And then the size of it- to have multiple rooms where you're kind of moving in and out… I can have clients come in and do hair and makeup in one space while I'm working in another.
The lounge area upstairs is really nice to have those one-on-one meetings with clients. They can come in and do their image review, they can pick out their products in a really relaxed area.
KW: They told me they feel like home, like it makes them cozy and they love it here.
IV. Is it better to be a part of a co-working community?
JT: Yeah… Savannah is a really lucky town to have such a tight-knit group of photographers. They all kind of know each other and can interact with one another and I think Wonderland is a key piece of that community that's been built here.
VJ: Yes… because we have a lot of run-ins, so it might be a time where I'm meeting another photographer on my way from leaving one shoot, which is always good because you're always going to be passing other creatives to connect and actually network with them because you might need them.
JH: Yeah, I mean for me, I've always wanted to be a part of a creative group just in general and to be surrounded by it. I feel like I took a much more traditional path and kind of was doing the, you know, more business corporate world and it always felt difficult for some reason after kind of high school/college to tap into a creative community and to meet other like-minded people that just wanted to make stuff… and bring what's in our minds into the real world.
I, for the first time in a very long time, I found that. Just the other day, I was able to do this co-creating photo shoot and it was absolutely incredible. It was just people bringing all this energy from all these different spaces and ideas and makeup artists and stylists and set designers and everybody coming together and just making stuff, which was such an awesome thing to be a part of.
Thinking about joining Savannah’s only co-creative studio? We’d love to have you in the Society! Explore membership offerings here.