One of the most common comments we get online is, "One day I'll create when I have a studio."
So David and I decided to challenge that idea. Over the next 100 days, we are building 25 photo sets inside our attic.
And yes, I mean our actual attic. Technically it used to be our bedroom. We live in a Cape Cod house, so the top story is more like a half story than a full upstairs. The previous owners converted the space before we moved in, so when we bought the house we simply kept using it that way.
But recently we started looking at the room differently. At the end of the day, it really is just an attic with carpet. What if it didn't need to be a bedroom anymore? What if it could become a place to make art?
That question became the beginning of what we now call The Attic Series: 25 sets, 100 days, all built inside a space that is very much not a studio. The goal is simple — we want to prove that you don't need the perfect space to create great photos. Sometimes you just need to start with what you have.
Why Constraints Can Make You More Creative
One of the biggest creative myths is that limitations hold you back. In reality, they often do the opposite. When everything is possible, it can actually make it harder to decide what to create. But when you introduce constraints, your brain starts looking for solutions. That is where creativity lives.
Instead of thinking, "I can't do that because I don't have the space," you start asking, "What can I create with the space I have?" Our attic forces us to think this way. The ceilings are only about 82 inches high, which means most traditional studio setups simply will not fit — our flats are actually taller than the room. So for our very first set, we literally had to take a circular saw and cut the bottoms off our flats just to make them fit. Not exactly the ideal studio setup. But those limitations forced us to approach the set differently, and that is exactly the point.
The First Set: Starting Before You're Ready
The funny thing about Set 1 is that the real victory wasn't the final images — it was simply getting started. Before we could build anything, we had to completely transform the space. Our entire bedroom had to be moved downstairs, and we pulled up all the carpet so the attic could function as a shoot space. It was way more work than we expected. By the time we finished prepping the room, most of the time we had planned for building the first set was already gone.
So we had to work with what we had. We grabbed a pair of flats from our storage unit, trimmed them down to fit the ceiling, and built a simple box-style set. Nothing overly complicated — just a small room painted in a bold blue. Sometimes the most important step of a project isn't creating something elaborate. It's simply creating something.
When the Concept Evolves on Set
We styled the shoot with a bright red dress to contrast against the yellow set, and we intentionally picked one that was too small for our model — a nod to the fact that the space we were shooting in is too small for us, too. But we are making it work anyway, creating something entirely new by using the space differently.
During the shoot, we leaned into that idea and had our model start cutting and reshaping the dress, slowly transforming it into something entirely new. What began as a simple styling choice turned into the concept of the shoot itself: the idea of modifying something that doesn't quite work until it becomes something better. That moment ended up capturing the spirit of the entire project. You take what you have, you modify it, you experiment, and you create something new.
The Lesson for Photographers
A lot of photographers hold themselves back because they feel limited by their environment — no studio, not enough space, not the right location. But those limitations don't have to stop you from creating. In many cases, they can actually become the thing that pushes your ideas further. Instead of seeing constraints as barriers, you can treat them as creative parameters. A small room, low ceilings, limited materials — those parameters force you to think differently. They push you to experiment, adapt, and solve problems you wouldn't encounter in a perfect studio. And that is often where the most interesting work happens.
Three Practical Takeaways for Photographers
If there is one thing this project has reinforced for us, it is that creativity often comes from working within limits. Here are a few things photographers can apply to their own work.
1. Stop Waiting for the Perfect Space
It is easy to believe you need a large studio or ideal location to start creating, but waiting for the perfect setup often means waiting forever. Start with the space you already have. A spare room, a garage, a corner of your living room, or even a backyard can become a shoot location with a little creativity.
2. Treat Limitations as Creative Parameters
Instead of seeing limitations as problems, try treating them as design parameters. Small space? Create tighter compositions. Low ceilings? Focus on seated poses or close framing. Limited materials? Build simpler sets. Constraints give your creativity direction.
3. Let the Process Influence the Concept
Not every idea has to be fully planned before the shoot begins — sometimes the most interesting ideas emerge during the process. For our first set, the concept evolved on set when we started modifying the dress during the shoot, and that unexpected moment became the story of the images. Leave room for experimentation. You might discover something better than your original plan.
If you want to develop your creative eye across a variety of environments and genres, The Well-Rounded Photographer: 8 Instructors Teach 8 Genres of Photography is a great resource for expanding your shooting versatility.
Three Sets In... and It Has Already Been Wild
We are only three sets into the Attic Series so far, and honestly it has already been one of the most fun creative challenges we have taken on. Every set pushes the space a little further — some will be simple, some will get a little wild — but all of them are built with the same philosophy: use what you have, start before you are ready, and make the art anyway.
You can watch the full behind-the-scenes video from Set 1 above to see exactly how we built and photographed the first set.
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