Westside Studio
Communication Arts
A unique business model allows thirteen of Canada’s top photographers to work side-by-side and thrive.
By Tiffany Meyers
During the early 1980s, Sandi Wall had a job with a Canadian photography studio, where she handled everything from wardrobes to props, casting to billing. So, too, did she find herself frequently clearing cigarette butts and banana peels off her desk in the morning.
An astute businessperson with an organized mind, Wall wasn’t exactly enthralled with all the creative disarray. But as the kind of work environment on which entrepreneurial dreams are built, it did sow the seeds for the future.
“I had this vision of a big, gleaming white studio,” she says. “It would be this dream situation, where I would manage a group of photographers, rather than just doing their locations or props. They could come, they could grow–and they could do their craft without having to worry about day-to-day operations.”
In order to make the idea work, Wall knew she’d need a photographer partner, someone who could be a creative liaison to the other photographers while she focused on the business. Enter George Simhoni….
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The complete article, in CA’s 2008 May/June Issue, is subscription only. For more information, visit Communication Arts.
