Melissa Ollison has some experience with blank slates. As a photographer, she got her professional start on archaeological digs in Italy. Now, she runs Studio Violet in Aberdeen, which is an open space, ready for people to create a vision. 

Ollison also runs a photography business called The Photo Brief, which she began with wedding photography, but since 2019 has branched out to other portrait photography. She and her husband, who is in the military, have moved around the country, and came here about six years ago. She hopes it’s for the long run.

“ We’ve loved it so much that we plan on settling here, so it was important to me to get more involved in the community, and this was another way to do it,” she said.

Originally she expected to operate the location, at 103 W. South Street, as a photography studio, but since she opened in October, she sees it as much more than that.

“I wanted to expand it and make it into what I call a collaborative creative space,” she said. “A space that encourages creativity, that encourages exploration.  I saw the potential for it to be a lot more than just photography in there.”

She sees the opportunity for musicians to shoot videos, artists to capture their work, events, workshops and more.

She and her studio manager, Hannah Roser, have begun some of that work with monthly opportunities for local business owners to come and make use of backdrops and ready-made sets themed around a specific color. They’ve also started what Ollison calls “creative co-works.” Those are open craft sessions centered around building community among creatives.

“ It’s a free time where we open the space and  give people the opportunity to work together,” said Ollison. “Because sometimes when you’re working on a project, it can be very isolating by yourself creating, and I think being around other people that are doing that is helpful.”

As part of her efforts to invite the community together, she has opened up one of the window displays in the studio to showcase local artists on a rotating schedule.

Due to her first concept, the studio is well-equipped for photo shoots, with full scale back drops, a projector, c-stands, some props and can accommodate much more, like lighting and other equipment, upon request. She said rental of the about 1,000-square-foot space is $85 for an hour. She said a typical booking is for two hours to allow for set-up and break-down around the shoot.

Ollison’s work as a professional photographer hasn’t narrowed her creativity. She wants to explore other mediums and find new outlets, but she recognizes the difficulty in learning a new craft as an adult with a full-time job and, recently, a young child. That is one reason why she wants to offer classes and workshops, but her main goal is to create a welcoming environment.

 ”Something that I’m really hoping to achieve with the studio is for it to be a bridge between people that are professional artists and people who are looking to kind of explore their creativity and you know come back to creating a little bit, but they’re not necessarily a professional artist,” she said.

“ We’ve only had a couple of events, but it’s been really cool to see people connecting and talking and giving each other pointers and feedback. I’m excited to see how people grow.”

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