Accessibility information

Our studio is located in the center of Turku, at Hämeenkatu 28. There are paid parking spaces on the street. The parking lots are often full, so we cannot promise a free parking space. Unfortunately, there is no separate customer parking. Taxis can drive right in front of the studio to the courtyard. More detailed arrival instructions with pictures can be found below under “Autism-friendly instructions”.

Please let us know in advance if you need a ramp for the entrance, and we will prepare everything for you! The capacity of the ramp is 300 kg.
The width of the ramp is 76 cm, the width of the doorway is 96 cm. The width of the doorway to the living room is 84 cm, the 5 cm high threshold is stepped. The toilet door opening is 70 cm wide and has a ramp for a 6 cm high threshold. There are thresholds inside, but a small aluminum ramp can be moved to any door.

The toilet in the studio is small and cannot fit all the aids. It is possible to use the toilet if there is an assistant with you or if you can move with support. The floors in the studio are hard laminate. We don’t keep carpets on the floors during our shoot. At the studio, it is possible to photograph people moving with a rollator, a manual wheelchair or a small electric wheelchair.

Contents of the guide­lines

1. Studio location and entering
2. Photoshoot and sensory stimuli 
3. Booking the shoot, what happens during and after?
4. The photographers
5. Feedback form

Entrance

On weekdays, 8-16/17, the passage is from the gate on the right, right next to the house. At other times, from the left of the housing association’s main gate, which we open from the inside as agreed.

access through the main gate

If “our” gate is closed, the passage takes place through the larger gate on the left. We are not allowed to give the code to outsiders, so we will pick you up at the gate. Call / text when you get there. If the gate happens to be open, our house can be found on the right side of the yard, the passage through the courtyard parking area.

more accessible entering

Please let us know in advance if you need a ramp for the entrance, and we will prepare everything! The width of the ramp is 76 cm, the width of the doorway is 96 cm. The width of the doorway to the living room is 84 cm, the 5 cm high threshold is stepped.

Studio space

Studio’s interior design varies depending on the nature of our shoot. There’s always a couch and other kinds of seats. It’s minimalistic, but there are our personal belongings, like a working table and bookshelves. In addition there might be some kind of background for the photos. Almost every piece of furniture is moved during the photoshoot, by the photographer. We will show you where you can put your belongings. There’s always water available in the studio (a glass and a carafe). If you prefer a posline cup, let us know.

other considerations

The studio is located right next to the street and the big cars passing by (buses and trucks) shake the house somewhat. It may seem strange at first. If this bothers you, we can schedule the shoot outside of the worst peak times or you can find a different location that suits you better.

The lights and lighting in the studio

There will be no ceiling lights or floor lamps on during our shoot. Depending on the weather, the space will be either gloomy, neutral or bathing in bright sunlight.

If bright and / or flashing lights bother you, we can work with just natural light. We have to take this into account when scheduling the shoot. Let us know your wishes when you inquire, we will let you know what’s the perfect time.

If we use the flashlights, there will be a bright light for less than a second at a time. It’s not recommended to look straight into the flash. We usually place the lights in a way that you don’t need to stare at them. However, the light is really bright and harsh and might irritate easily. If this happens, let us know.

If you have epileptic symptoms of epilepsy, migraine or any other disorder that’s sensitive to light, let us know when you book, so we know not to use flash.

Assistants

You can come to the photoshoot with a personal assistant or for example assistance dog. You can take along a pet, friend or a loved one. During boudoir photoshoot we recommend that the other person stays in the other room, when you don’t need their help.

Dressing, changing and getting ready

There’s a private space with closed doors for you to change your clothes. There’s a seat for your clothes. If you want to do your makeup and hair at the studio, that’s possible. Let us know beforehand so that we can take that into account while scheduling your shoot.

Booking the photoshoot

You can contact me through this form (link). In your message, let me know what kind of photoshoot you would like to have (for example: boudoir, family). Include information about when you would like to have your photoshoot OR when you need to have the final products. You should give a few options for the date and time. You can also tell about your wishes for the photoshoot: do you have any special needs or ideas considering the photoshoot or the photos? 

Sonja will answer your message. They almost always reply within 24 hours, so if you don’t get an answer in that time, feel free to contact them again for example through Whatsapp (+358451477474). Sonja might ask you some additional questions and will agree on the date and time. Take your time going through the message, and let us know if you want to confirm the date and book your photoshoot. 

Next, we’ll send you a contract. You will get an email with a link through SignHero, it is an invitation to read and sign. Remember to download the signed contract to your own device. We get an announcement once you sign the contract, and will send you an invoice for the retainer and more info about planning and getting ready for the photoshoot. Paying the invoice will confirm your booking.

As a part of your planning, I’ll ask you to collect some visual references (photos that you like, from me and/or other photographers). You can do it in Pinterest or by downloading photos to your device and sharing them through Drive or a similar app. I’ll find inspiration from your references, but will never copy them.

During the photoshoot

When you arrive at the studio, your photographer will meet you at the door. Before the photoshoot starts, you will go through the process and discuss policies. It’s a great time to let the photographer know if you have any needs concerning the photoshoot that they don’t already know about. There is no hurry, you can take your time getting familiar with the space. We don’t need to start shooting right away.

Once the photoshoot starts, you will be given verbal instructions and the photographer or the assistant will also show you what to do. If something doesn’t feel right for you, you can just say – no one gets offended. We have at least three different kinds of “sets” during your photoshoot. With “set” I mean a combination of an outfit and location: for example a chair and a backdrop, a windowsill that you can sit on. You can change your outfit a few times during a photoshoot, if you want, but you don’t have to.

The photoshoot lasts approximately 2 hours. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous before and during the photoshoot, but you’ll get used to the camera quite quickly. The photographer will move around a lot during the photoshoot, to get you different angles and compositions. The photoshoot has no time limit, it will end when everyone feels that we are ready. After we stop photographing, you don’t need to hurry out. You can take your time packing and relaxing before heading out. After the photoshoot you will be told when you will get to see your photos.

After the photoshoot

If you choose to take the full gallery beforehand, post production will usually take up to two weeks from the photoshoot. You’ll get your final images via email link.

If you don’t want the whole gallery, we’ll email you the link to your Pixieset web gallery (where you can choose your final photos) within a week. You have two weeks to make your decisions, ask help if you need some. I will send you directions and the website also helps you forward. When you’ve picked your photos, let your photographer know! 

After you’ve selected your photos, post production will take approximately a week. The final images will be in the same gallery, but the photographer will let you know when they’re ready to be downloaded. You’ll get all of your photos in both full resolution and optimised for web use, in both colour and black and white versions. The gallery is available for six months, after that it’s in your responsibility to have backups of your photos. The photographer won’t share your photos without consent, they will ask you about it when you see your photos. You can give them permission to share all of the photos, choose the ones that you feel okay sharing, or deny it altogether.