Cat Thrasher Photography

There’s a feeling in the air around these parts that the warehouse might be nearing the end of its lifespan.

I just got finished chatting with the building’s owner about what the place was like in the very beginning, when, as part of Vinegar Hill, the property extended into what is now the parking lot for Staples. At the time, the plot of land was surrounded by shanties and run-down houses, many with no electricity and no plumbing. It was also mostly African American. When, in the 1960′s, Charlottesville City had the whole neighborhood razed as part of urban renewal, it seemed like there were grand plans for the area. Today, a simple drive down McIntire makes it clear that there’s not a whole lot of life or culture that took the place of the old Vinegar Hill, and the whole story makes you take a big ‘ol depressed sigh.

Enter the warehouse, which was an Oldsmobile dealership at the time of the razing. While well within the bounds of Vinegar Hill, the dealership was allowed to stay, which is why I am lucky enough to have a studio today. For a time lapse of the razing, click on “Aerial Timeline” at the top of this page. The studio is at the very bottom and just to the left of center in the time lapse photos.

Back in 2009, when I first discovered the empty warehouse, West Main was a virtual no-man’s land. When I first starting reclaiming the section of the warehouse that would become my studio and Sweethaus, another tenant also began exploring the place for a potential bookstore. Ryan Deramus, pictured below, has since made an authentic and poetic setting out of the space next door. His place is so inspiring, that a year after we both moved in, my husband and I held our wedding reception in his space. There’s no doubt that Random Row Books has contributed to a bit of organic urban rejuvenation on West Main Street, along with the rest of the businesses in our little section of West Main.

The pictures below were taken with a Hasselblad 500C, rented from Pro Camera. Shot on Fuji 400 Pro H film.

A few of these frames have made it onto the blog before, but I recently renewed their purpose a bit and wanted to share the results!

I have a horrible habit of over-buying second hand pieces with the intention of re-doing them in some way. I’ve been re-doing furniture for years, but when I discovered Design Sponge a couple years ago, it unleashed my hidden inner design demon, and I began acquiring on obscene amount of items with the intention of making them more beautiful.

However, last month I had to make some quick decisions involving the use of the warehouse, and had to rapidly get rid of most of my projects in order to make room for SweetHaus to move into the front of the studio. And it was a joyous event, this purging! Not only do I now have less stuff, but the few things I did keep got immediate attention. For instance, the oversized frame below, left, got an immediate coat of white paint amidst the move.

Besides an overabundance of old junk, my studio has had another chronic problem of late: none of my work has been on display! What in the world is wrong with me, not sharing my work in my own studio? I have no idea why this was so. But nevermind – the problem has been remedied: the frames needed pictures, and the pictures needed frames. It was an easy decision to make!

My goal with these pieces was to allow the photographs to look like old paintings. This was inspired by the farm house where I used to live: the stone walls of the place were adorned with old paintings that were framed in wood frames. I loved how all that created the presentation was a canvas attached to a frame, which was then hung on the wall – no glass, no mat, no back board. Just picture and frame.

I was especially excited about the classic bridal portraits (above), each taken the day of the wedding, just before the bride put on her wedding dress. As part of a build-out from SweetHaus, I was lucky enough to get a wall of reclaimed doors to use as a backdrop for these classic formal portraits.

These pictures were taken as part of my project to explore film while documenting the warehouse, but this post is really about two things that I enjoy in Charlottesville: second hand furniture and local flowers!

Often, on my way into the studio, I pass through Main Street Market and drop by Hedge Fine Blooms. It feels so luxurious to stop by there and gather a few flowers.  It’s impossible not to get sucked into the sea of fresh colors, textures, and sweet smells emanating from their flower table. They let you gather your own bunch of flowers or do it for you, and I love that! It’s like you’re in a garden picking and choosing what to mix together for your freshly cut bouquet.

Likewise, scouting for second hand furniture in Charlottesville and central Virginia is one of my favorite things to do. I tend to favor antique furniture as well as the rugged,  handmade type, and central Virginia is full of both genres of furniture. Antiques are often on sale after being discovered in someone’s shed or attic, practically untouched and in perfect condition. Handmade furniture is all over the place as well, as the area is rich with both professional and amateur woodworkers. If you scout hard enough, you can also find some amazing deals.

These pictures feature an antique chair and crystal vase found at a local second hand sale,  and flowers from Hedge. These photos were taken in the studio on one roll of film, then scanned by Richard Photo Lab. The film: Kodak Portra 400. The Camera: Canon Elan with a Canon 35mm 1.4L lens.