When Hour Space Ends Up Infront Of The Camera
Okay so here's the thing: We didn't just build this place for people to work and coffee. We wanted a space that is "photography worthy" as well as comfortable for working. And every now and then, we see it happening right in front of our eyes, and it's turned into one of our favourite unexpected parts of running Hour Space.
The Sarah Jane Dias Shoot:
We had Sarah Jane Dias, actress & former Miss India. She came in for a shoot, and it was genuinely nice seeing the space used that way. Members carried on with their workday as usual, and the shoot happened quietly in its own corner, without disrupting anyone. Two very different things going on side by side, both working just fine.
It's very interesting to watch a proper shoot come together in a space you walk through every day without a second thought. Reflectors angled perfectly, someone checking the monitor after every few shots, a whole team moving carefully around the corners.
Then Zouk Shot Their Campaign
Zouk shot their brand campaign here too. If you haven't heard of them ( which we doubt ) , they're a homegrown bags label, handcrafted, Ikat prints, Kutch embroidery, fully vegan, built around celebrating Indian craft. Their team walked in, took a good look around, and got started fairly quickly, which we took as a good sign.
It made sense once we thought about it. Zouk's whole identity is rooted in Indian craft and local materials, and Hour Space sits right in the middle of old Colaba, with a kind of worn-in, lived-in charm that's hard to manufacture. The two just seemed to fit.
Why the Light Keeps Winning People Over
Honestly, we think a lot of it comes down to the light, especially the in the courtyard. Mornings in the courtyard are soft and forgiving. By afternoon it turns warmer, a little gold. We never designed the space mostly for working and not photography in mind, we just wanted somewhere pleasant to sit with a coffee. But it turns out what makes a spot nice to sit in often makes it nice to shoot in too.
Photographers tend to notice this before anyone points it out. More than one crew has walked in, taken a quick look around, and gone straight for the corner that they like on their own.
More Than Just The Courtyard:
Most of the time, the courtyard is exactly what it looks like. People take calls there, eat lunch, sit outside for ten minutes when they need a break from their screens. The desks, the solo work pods, the cabins and even the little in between spaces have ended up in front of the camera at some point, in one shoot or another.
Every part of Hour Space was meant to hold up whether someone's sitting there, working or setting up a shot. It's nice knowing the space works both ways, wherever you're standing in it.
PS// Thinking of Shooting Here?
If you're planning a shoot and want somewhere with a bit more character than a plain studio, come take a look at the courtyard, or any other corner of the space that catches your eye. Get in touch and we'll help you plan it out.
