A Day on Historic Commercial Street in Springfield, MO

With everything Historic C-Street has to offer, why not make a day of your photoshoot? If you’re unsure of where to start, keep reading! We’ve done our research and have designed the perfect day, built around your next session at Lightbox!

Enjoying a rosewater latte in front of Eurasia Coffee Co.

Hakaar's Bazarre:

First, take a trip to Hakaar’s Bazaar! Whether you seek a vintage outfit or a funky knick-knack to showcase in your photoshoot, this is the place for you! Even if you’re not looking to change up your wardrobe, swing in to Hakaar’s Bazaar for a fun, unique experience. As a business that specializes in items from the 1950s-1970s, Hakaar’s Bazaar offers an eclectic assemblage of retro finds. There is something for everyone, and the storefront encapsulates only a fraction of the shop’s character. Go see it for yourself!

217 W Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: closed
Thursday: 12pm-6pm
Friday: 12pm-6pm
Saturday: 11am-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm

Serendipity:

Next, mosey over to Serendipity. Fortunately, it’s next-door neighbors with Hakaar’s Bazaar! Inside, you’ll be greeted by a colorful collection of balloons, followed by a wall embellished in florals. The colors, scents, and artistry will quickly immerse you in good vibes and fun energy! Needless to say, you are sure to be inspired. Before you head out, grab some balloons or flowers (or both!) to use in your photoshoot - you’ll be glad you did! 

215 W Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 11am-6pm
Thursday: 11am-6pm
Friday: 11am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: closed

Coven Collective:

When planning a photoshoot, you have enough on your plate. Treat yourself to a good hair day at Coven Collective! Book an appointment for a styling service, and let the staff work their magic. Not only will you be able to unwind and relax, but you’ll leave your appointment looking and feeling your best! What more could you want before your photoshoot!? 

214 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Monday: closed
Tuesday: 9am-6pm
Wednesday: 9am-6pm
Thursday: 9am-6pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-3pm
Sunday: closed

Eurasia Coffee Co:

After your ultra-relaxing appointment at the Coven Collective, you might need to re-energize before heading to Lightbox. Good thing Eurasia Coffee Co is on your way! When you step inside, you’ll be met with the aroma of great coffee (among other delicious, non-caffeinated beverages). Eurasia also has a food menu, in case you need a bite to eat before your session. (Pro-tip: The homemade rice crispy treats are life-changing!) Grab a cup of joe to go, or hang out in the cozy and inviting atmosphere for a while - you’re in for a treat either way!

445 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Open 7am-5pm every day!

Lightbox:

It’s time! You’ve reached Lightbox, and are officially ready for your photoshoot! At the time of your appointment, head inside and start setting up! Staff will be there to greet you, and help with whatever you may need. After an eventful day on Commercial Street, feel free to freshen up, pick out your props, and make yourself at home. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for; now, let’s bring your vision to life!

600 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Monday: closed
Tuesday: 9am-6pm
Wednesday: 9am-6pm
Thursday: 9am-6pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm

Bonus - Cafe Cusco:

Bummed that your day on Commercial Street is coming to a close? Feeling a bit peckish after your photoshoot? Well, we have great news for you! Your day of exploring C-Street does not have to end; hop on over to Cafe Cusco! Boasting an ornately-decorated and enchanting atmosphere, Cafe Cusco is sure to astound in its charm alone. Additionally, the menu features traditional Peruvian food and cocktails, so there are options aplenty for those with dietary restrictions. Make sure to end your day the right way at this Commercial Street staple!

234 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Monday: 11am-9pm
Tuesday: 11am-9pm
Wednesday: 11am-9pm
Thursday: 11am-9pm
Friday: 11am-9pm
Saturday: 11am-9pm
Sunday: 11am-8pm

Written by Hannah L.

Year In Review | 2021

2021, you’ve been good to us!

Let’s take a trip down memory lane as we share some of our favorite events from this year!

Photo by: Rhianon Brown Photography

VISION BOARD PARTY:

Our first event of the year is also one of our favorite events of the year- the Vision Board Party! But we cannot do this event alone! Our good friend, Madi Miller guides you through an interactive activity helping you gain clarity on what this next year will look like. Our team is gearing up for the next Vision Board Party which is on January 2, 2022! If you're interested in attending, click here: VISION BOARD PARTY 2022 TICKETS

GALENTINE’S PARTY:

Galentine's is one of our biggest and most loved events at Lightbox! Every year, we transform Lightbox into a selfie museum with fun and colorful photo-op installations! For the 2nd annual Galentine's party, we had 8 different sets including a confetti wall, a disco set, and a gorgeous floral installation from Ash Floral Co! Galentine's Day is always a hit and we are so looking forward to the 2022 TWO DAY event! Stay tuned for tickets, it's going to be a blast!

COZY COTTAGE SHOOT OUT:

The first photographer's shoot-out of 2021 was a new one for the books! Remember when we had all just binge watched Bridgerton? Well, The Cozy Cottage shoot-out was inspired by all things dreamy & cottage core-esque. This shoot-out was a first in many ways for Lightbox. Instead of using the Loft, we had our morning sessions on the ground level of Lightbox, and the afternoon session was at an off-site location. Attendees had the opportunity to photograph a couple, portrait, and/or mommy and me session!

For the studio portion of the shoot-out, we opened the west facing windows on the ground level of Lightbox and encouraged each photographer to shoot from outside the building looking in the windows! This allowed the photographers to capture the beautiful stone walls and a cascading floral arrangement hung above the original windows from when Lightbox was built in the early 1900's.

Photo by: Taylor Jean Photographs

For the second portion of the shoot-out we headed to Fellows Lake for a quick picnic with hot tea and cookies before three sunset photo sessions! Photographers rotated between a dreamy picnic couples session with rose wine and fruit, a maternity session, and a portrait session. Photos below by: Leigh Smith Photography

We loved having the opportunity to slow down and chat a bit between shoots with the photographers, which is something we hadn't done on shoot-out days before! The Cozy Cottage shoot-out was the perfect way to ring in the spring season and we loved seeing all of the finished images that we previously shared on The Box Blog here: VIEW COZY COTTAGE BLOG

STARTING A YOUTUBE:

One of our goals at Lightbox in 2021 was to start a Youtube channel! We had three full content days this year where Justin from Storied Dreams came in to film photographer's challenges, testimonials, Q & A's and more! These video shoots have definitely been new territory for our team here at Lightbox but we are excited to continue growing and putting out content in 2022! VIEW OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

MODERN MALE SHOOT-OUT:

It's no secret that sometimes photographers find it challenging to photograph their male clients. Photographers tend to put more focus on the female in a couple's session or simply run out of poses for men after the first few photos. This shoot-out was designed to help photographers practice and get more comfortable posing men. The final images from this shoot-out were TOP NOTCH. View the portfolio here: VIEW PORTFOLIO

Photo by: Illuminate Photography 417

NEW T-SHIRTS & ASANTAE JOINED THE TEAM:

This year we added Asantae to the Lightbox team. She is a studio assistant and helps with our social media. You can read more about Asantae here: ASANTAE'S BIO

Each year, we put out a new t-shirt design and this year, we worked with Skylar Grace Co to create this fun and colorful design. Oh you love the shirt too? Well, grab yourself one right here: SHOP MERCH

POP UP PHOTO-OPS!

In August we had a super cute cloud & rainbow balloon installation by Dreamy and Darling in The Loft! Pop-up events are super fun because you don't need to be a professional photographer, you can just come in and take photos on your cell phone! We had 25 minute time slots throughout the day and saw lots of kiddos, a mother-daughter duo and best friends come to take pictures! Definitely the perfect way to cap off summer of 2021!

On the weekend of Halloween, the Loft was transformed into two spooky sets for mini session time-slots! Children in their costumes, families, and groups of friends all visited the studio to take photos of themselves in front of the backdrops! The Fall themed set consisted of bright colored pumpkins, an array of leaves, and cozy furniture items for a classic fall photo look. The “Boo” set was created using the moveable wall that is painted black in the Loft with balloons and bats that were added for the perfect background. Themed holiday props are always a favorite at the studio!

ELOPEMENTS IN THE STUDIO:

Lightbox stood as an elopement venue several couples this year! This is a new territory for us but we are gearing up for even more elopements/intimate weddings for 2022! We are honored to be such a special part of your big day! If you or know someone who is looking for a small wedding venue in Springfield, MO, please set up a tour to see Lightbox and check out our elopement package here: ELOPEMENT PACKAGE

Photo by Grace Bunch

THE EDISON HOLIDAY SET

The Edison is one of our two rental spaces and is located on the ground floor at Lightbox! Fun fact, the brick walls in this room are part of the original structure and are over 100 years old! In late October of 2021 we set up a classic Christmas set in The Edison designed for individuals to be able to come in and take their Christmas card photos. Everyone LOVED this set and it saw over 100 families between Halloween and Christmas! How cool is that? We look forward to having a photo set up in the Edison year-round starting in 2022!

PROPOSALS AT LIGHTBOX:

In light of engagement season, Lightbox had three proposals happen over the past few months in the Edison! The proposals were a part of a planned Christmas session with a photographer, and during the shoot each of the gentlemen dropped to one knee to surprise their girlfriends with a ring!

Friends and family also gathered to celebrate Justin and Holly with an engagement party that was held in the Edison! It was an evening full of smiles, delicious food, and champagne to celebrate this special moment in their life! Chris Killingsworth photographed the event to provide them with images that they will cherish forever! We snapped several clips from this evening! View the video here: ENGAGEMENT PARTY VIDEO

And just like that…2021 has come to an end!

What better way to ring in the new year than with giant marquee letters and balloons? Thank you, Alpha-Lit Springfield for making our last pop up of the year a great one!

Looking forward to seeing each and everyone of you in 2022!

Written by the Lightbox team.

Lightbox First Year Recap

Lightbox is ONE!

To say we have had a crazy, fun, and exciting year is a bit of an understatement. Lightbox has had the privilege to host over 350 reservations in addition to the MANY other events hosted at Lightbox! Let's take a look back at all that has happened this year! Cue the confetti!

Lightbox Grand Opening-

To kick off the opening of Lightbox we hosted our grand opening event at the very end of September 2019! We celebrated with our friends, family, and some future clients as well! We had live music, yard games, a giveaway, and of course snacks! It was a great way to get things kicked off here at the studio.

Innovative Dental-

We love hosting other businesses here at Lightbox! One local business that frequents the studio is Innovative Dental. They use our space to shoot their client testimonial videos. We love to see the space used for videos as well as photos!

Vintage Rental Company Holiday Minis- 

In November, the Vintage Rental Company hosted their holiday minis at Lightbox! Each set was unique and created an opportunity for multiple photographers to use the space at once. With winter weather, indoor photos are always a safe option!

Thomas Creative using one of the three holiday sets provided by The Vintage Rental Company.

Tis the Season Craft Fair-

Back in December, a seasonal craft fair was held at Lightbox by Sonnel Essentials. 18 local vendors of all sorts, ranging from clothing and jewelry to home decor and baked goods, had the opportunity to meet new customers and sell their beautiful creations. It is important to us to support other small businesses in the local community! Who else thinks that small businesses make the word go around?

Galentines Party-

Grab your gal pals! It’s time to PARTY! Galentines was our first themed selfie pop-up event at the studio! We had 9 different selfie sets such as our heart wall, confetti station, XOXO backdrop, and the colorful paper chain set. Rove Coffee provided yummy iced strawberry mochas and we had a raffle with over $800.00 worth of goodies from local small businesses! We are already looking for Galentines 2021!

Gather Midwest-

In early February, Gather Midwest hosted their second event at Lightbox. “At Gather we find that our attention and creativity is our most brilliant commodity as entrepreneurs, and we aim to show up for you so you can show up in your business in a way that FEELS good, sustains you and pays the bills.” - Gather Midwest

This event included guest speakers from Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis, dining and guided conversations, networking, guided meditation by Jayme Sweere and more! Photos by: Elise Abigail Photography

Vision Board Party

In January we hosted a vision board party, and it was a hit! We had multiple different sessions where we the guests were able to interact and there was guided discussion as well! We also had a giveaway and snacks/beverages. 

Quarantine 

Sadly, from mid March to mid May we were shut down due to COVID-19. We still stayed busy from home working on different marketing strategies, staying in contact with our amazing Lightbox family, and we even launched our own line of presets called The Lightbox Collection! A special THANK YOU to each person who purchased our “Lights On” tees, a sticker or a preset pack to keep us afloat during the shut down! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Photographers shoot outs

At the beginning of 2020 we decided to start hosting Photographers Shoot Outs, which are creative styled photo shoots for photographers of any experience level. So far we have done a femine/elegant set, the Pantone of the year [Classic Blue] set, and an up cycled set. A special thanks to Wasteless Apparel for creating all up cycled pieces for our models! We couldn’t have done this without you!

“Even before the studio opened, the idea of collaboration was key to making this space a reality. I knew that there needed to be a space where photographers and other creatives could come together and work on their craft alongside others. We need to be each others’ cheerleaders. The more we build up our photography community, the more opportunities we will receive. I have learned so much about each photographer who has attended a shoot out and it is beautiful to see each one move out of their comfort zone and grow artistically.” - Hannah | Founder of Lightbox

McKenna Joining the Team- 

In July we added to our Lightbox team! McKenna, is our studio assistant and works weekends and after hour events. She is quiet natured and has a kind soul. You will always be greeted with a smile from McKenna! Oh, and she also has some really cool tattoos!

Levity Plant Pop Up-

In August, Levity Plants hosted a plant pop up at the studio! This was their first ever pop-up and we were so excited they decided to host it at Lightbox. There was a wide range of plants, a plant bar, and plant care items as well. She created the cutest selfie station and around 100 people came through that day!

Miss Mo USA-

Megan Renee Kelly, Miss Missouri USA, has used the Loft several times this past year for her Miss Missouri USA interviews and photo shoots and other promo materials. Megan is passionate about educating others on the effects of endometriosis and has been involved with disaster relief throughout her entire life. Help us cheer her on as she competes for the title of MISS USA!!!!

View Megan’s latest video HERE!

Photo by: Ozark Mtn Images

Serendipity Workshop-

Hosted by Abigail Derrek Photography and Belle Brooke Photography, the Serendipity Workshop was the first official workshop at the studio. 9 photographers from all over the midwest came to learn from two of the very best in their fields of work! They took advantage of the whole studio and had three sets for the participants to work on posing and creating an authentic connection between their clients.

Parking lot/ Advancements of the studio- 

Lightbox has evolved and improved so much over the past year! In the Loft we have had multiple different styled set-ups, including our current one that is designed by Homestead Collective Co.! We also added a faux greenery wall, improved the prop closet, painted the backside of our moving back drop, and created an addition to our backdrop so that it can be seamless. In the Edison and lobby we have transformed the space into a cozier hangout area. In the Lower Studio we have added more plants… like a lot of plants, and we painted the backdrop a fun peach color! Our biggest addition this year is by far the new parking lot — about time!

We are so excited to see what this upcoming year has in store! We can’t wait for you, year 2! If you’re interested in hosting an event at Lightbox, please contact us!

Written by Jaylee Miller

Lightbox Community Relations Coordinator