If you’re a follower of our work, you already know how often we shoot at The Lumen Room – alll the time, constantly! Not only is this space my personal favorite, but it will be yours too. Here’s why The Lumen Room is my most requested shooting location. Honestly, I could write a full calendar year of “reasons why the Lumen Room rocks” but I’ll save that for another day.

THE PEOPLE

First and foremost, the owners of the Lumen Room, Xavier + Hilary, are the kind of partners & business owners that you WANT to support. I firmly believe that it’s the passionate people of this city that make Dallas thriving and beautiful, and it’s our job as part of this community to take the time to support one another in business and life. Xavier + Hilary have a business and spirit that I’m proud to collaborate with! They are a dream to work with and simply awesome people. They’ve orchestrated a, dare I say, perfect shooting space while maintaining integrity for both their business and yours simultaneously. I’m so grateful for their hearts of service and kindness!!

ORIGIN STORY

The idea was born in 2016 when Hilary was forced to take an 8-week break from her own photography business after having surgery. The original Lumen Room already existed as her studio, so during her downtime, they decided to rent the space to other photographers which is when they learned they “absolutely loved hosting a wide variety of artists and seeing their work come to life.” When I asked them what they loved the most about being a studio owner they replied: “meeting a wide variety of creatives and helping them curate the perfect shoot”. 

Their future aspirations for the Lumen Room? “We hope to grow and facilitate a creative community here in DFW while coaching photographers in other cities the ability to open their own Lumen Rooms!” Be on the lookout for a brand-new Plano location this fall.

THE LIGHT

You’ll have to bare with me as I completely nerd out about the lighting here. It is so perfect that I can’t find the right adjective that will quite do it justice. After 10 years of shooting, it feels almost as if I have a light meter in my mind, always evaluating the qualities of the light in my environment. How we choose to use the light is what makes us all unique as photographers! This is something Xavier and Hillary understood from the very beginning by providing a wide-open space with large windows and white walls. This creates the most pristine natural light anywhere to be found. This type of crisp lighting creates the most photogenic environment for all skin tones, which can be especially awesome for mixed-race couples or families who might tend to have a hard time flattering everyone when taking photos.

ESCAPE THE ELEMENTS

If you have spent more than 2 days in Dallas then you also know that the weather has an intense personality all of its own! Which brings me to another Lumen Room bonus: climate controlled *slow clap*! We can say “A-D-I-O-S” to windblown or frizzy hair attacked by the Texas humidity. My clients love the freedom to schedule without the stress of extreme summer and winter weather.

PROPS

Hilary and Xavier are always updating their prop inventory to keep things fresh and fun with a variety of items to match your style. You can check out the available props unique to each space on their website, which is conveniently updated each time they remove, add, or rotate pieces. This is a great space to bring your own props as well, the opportunities are endless!

BONUS POINTS

One fundamental reason I love this place is for its versatility; we can easily accommodate larger groups, such as extended families and professional teams, and simultaneously provide privacy (great for an intimate boudoir or engagement sessions.) There’s a private changing space in each room and bathrooms across the hall. The spaces are calming and non-stimulating for our littlest clients, who may want to run around and play during their shoots, this is totally okay and encouraged here! Again, the light is so great, it’s the perfect place to let the babies crawl, run, play, and get naturally beautiful images of them in action. It truly is an all-encompassing space – I’m afraid if I keep it up I’m only a few steps away from that daily Lumen Room calendar…

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

Needless to say, I love spending time at The Lumen Room. Once or twice a year we schedule Lumen Room mini sessions for a discounted rate, want to be the first to know next time? Send me your info below!