(photo courtesy of 75 New Street)

After four years of running my business from home I’m delighted announce that I’m moving into a beautiful studio! I’m thrilled to be taking on a lovely space in at 75 New Street, in Salisbury city centre which has been a space in for artists, jewellers and designers for years. I’ll be sharing the building with the uber talented and very lovely jewellers Helen Noakes and Eleanor Cambray. The office is dog friendly and so my gorgeous new puppy Dotty will be coming with me too. Number 75 also has a seriously gorgeous silver front door,  those who know me will know how much I love a good front door!

This really does feel like a massive departure and a huge milestone for Lydia Stamps Photography. The first bit of work I did starting my business was actually in Salisbury Hospice. I sat, by my Mum’s bedside gluing together my very first portfolio for my very first proper client meeting at silly o’clock and from there LSP was born. I continued to work strange hours, whenever I could grab a moment and wherever I could, to get the ball rolling and give my little business some legs. I answered emails in the early hours before work, edited in the staff room on my lunch hour at my day job, and did it all again into the early hours at home again, and after two years I was able to make this my full time career. I’m still so grateful for that.

I’ve spent the last two years taking LSP to the next step, being full time allowed me to improve my editing workflow, branding and most importantly go the extra mile with my customer service. It made my business more professional and duing this period I won awards, started to work internationally and became the most ‘liked’ and in demand wedding photographer in Salisbury.

Now, taking on the office allows me to go one step further. I’m looking forward to giving all the kit I’ve accumulated all over my home it’s own dedicated space, and getting my spare room back! (I think my husband is excited about this bit too!) And it’s going to give me a better work/life balance, having the walk to work to clear my head and gear up for the day, rather than spending some days working in my pjs (Guilty as charged!) or working until 3am and having a slow start the next day. I’ll be in the office from 9am-5.30pm like most normal people, and I can’t wait. The lure of going back to work after dinner has got tiring and I can’t wait to dedicate my evenings and down time to my family and friends.

So, what does this mean for you guys? Well, it means I’ll have a dedicated space for you to come and meet me, as well as viewing product samples and albums first hand. It’ll be a space for us to chat about your wedding plans over a cuppa (or something stronger!) and I can’t wait to welcome you to the office. I’m so excited about making it an inviting cosy and stylish space for my pre wedding consultations. It’s also around the corner from Salisbury’s Cathedral Close, so it’s going to be the perfect place to pop in for your consultation followed by an engagement shoot around the corner.

Having the studio also I’ll have a space to shoot in! When choosing an office, the most important thing to me was natural light- and you see that big bay window on the first floor- that’s my office! Look at the light people! I’m looking forward to using the space to shoot some more business headshots, which I’ve found myself in demand for over the last six months as well as launching my new-born business in the space. So you’ll be able to come to the studio with baby and relax while I photograph your brand new bundle of joy. If you’d like more information about new-born shoots, just get in touch. I’m currently offering an introductory rate!

So, here are the key details, the things you need to know- the office is at 75 New Street, right next door to Regent Tailoring, over the road from Jas Hair, if you want to stop by the closest car park is The Old George Mall multi-storey. Please drop me a line to make an appointment. I’ll be in the office from the 1^st April and working hours will be 9am – 5.30pm from Tuesday-Thursday. I’m usually out of the office on Fridays and Saturdays for weddings. After work appointments for pre-wedding consultations, engagement shoots and skype sessions will be available on Tuesday and Thursday evenings until 9pm on a first come first served basis. I can’t wait to welcome you to the studio!

Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to you. You’ve made this dream possible, all of you who’ve booked me to capture your wedding day, to share those most intimate and precious moments with you.  You’ve taken this from a glimmer of a dream in my spare room to a fully fledged international, award winning business based out of the most beautiful little period building in a city centre. I will always be grateful to you, thank you for being a part of the journey.