Charles Martin · Maple Grove, MN

Birthdays, fashion and family portraits, shaped with studio light.

A woman with very long dark hair in a red jacket and white skirt, holding a black handbag with a gold handle and looking back over her shoulder against a red-orange backdrop.

Fashion session · speedlight · red-orange seamless

Selected work

Light that fits the person.

Every session starts with the light: a speedlight, the right modifier, and a backdrop chosen for you.

A young girl in a cream knit cardigan with pearl trim making a heart with her hands against a red backdrop.
Family session · Heart handsSpeedlight · red seamless
Charles Martin in a black hoodie, seated in front of a deep red backdrop, holding a camera lens.

Behind the camera

I build the light first. Then I wait for you.

I'm Charles Martin, the photographer behind The Corner Photo Studio, a private portrait studio in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Most of my work happens in the studio with speedlights and light modifiers: softboxes, grids and reflectors, set up before you arrive so the session can be about you, not the gear. Birthdays get the full treatment, and families leave with a holiday card worth sending.

Studio
Maple Grove, MN · by appointment
Light
Speedlights, softboxes, grids, colored seamless
Serving
The Twin Cities, with location sessions on request

Services

Sessions & packages.

Pick a package, or tell me the idea and I'll put one together for you.

  • 01

    Birthday shoots

    Your day, your look. Studio birthday sessions with styled backdrops, color and light built around you. Bring the cake, the crown and the balloons.Solo · Milestone birthdays · GlamFrom $225

    Mini$225
    • 30 minutes
    • 1 outfit, 1 backdrop
    • 10 edited photos
    RecommendedClassic$375
    • 1 hour
    • 2 outfits, 2 backdrops
    • 25 edited photos
    Signature$550
    • 90 minutes
    • 3 outfits, incl. a color-gel set
    • 40 edited photos
  • 02

    Fashion & portfolio

    Model tests, portfolio updates and lookbooks. Hard light, soft light or bold color, planned around the clothes.Models · Creatives · BoutiquesFrom $295

    Test shoot$295
    • 1 hour
    • 2 looks
    • 8 fully retouched photos
    RecommendedEditorial$475
    • 2 hours
    • 3–4 looks, gel lighting
    • 15 fully retouched photos
    Brand & lookbookfrom$750
    • Half day
    • For boutiques and designers
    • Quoted to the brief
  • 03

    Family & holiday

    Holiday cards and family portraits in a warm studio set. Quick, playful and easy on the little ones.Holiday minis · Whole family · SiblingsFrom $250

    RecommendedHoliday mini$250
    • 20 minutes, holiday set
    • Up to 5 people
    • 15 edited photos
    Family classic$395
    • 45 minutes, 2 backdrops
    • Up to 6 people
    • 35 edited photos

    Extra family members $40 each. Holiday minis run November through December.

  • 04

    Graduates

    Cap and gown portraits in the studio, with an outfit change for the grad party wall.High school · CollegeFrom $175

    Cap & gown mini$175
    • 30 minutes
    • 1 outfit
    • 12 edited photos
    Grad session$375
    • 1 hour
    • 2 outfits
    • 30 edited photos

Every session includes studio time and a private online gallery to pick your favorites. A $50 deposit holds your date and goes toward your package. Extra edited photos are $25 each ($45 for fully retouched fashion photos). Prints are available on request and priced separately.

  1. 01 · Book

    Pick a package

    Send a date and the package you like, or just the idea. A $50 deposit locks in your date.

  2. 02 · Shoot

    Come to the studio

    The lights are set before you arrive. Bring outfits; I'll guide the posing.

  3. 03 · Choose

    Pick your favorites

    Proofs arrive in a private online gallery. Heart the ones you love, leave notes, and approve.

Client proofing

Your gallery is waiting.

Open your private gallery with the passcode from your invite. Heart your favorites, leave notes on any frame, and approve your picks when you're ready.

Open your gallery

Book a session

Let's make something good.

Tell me the package you like, or just a rough idea. I'll confirm the date and details.

  • Studio time with lighting set for you
  • Private online proofing gallery
  • Retouched finals for web; prints on request
  • $50 deposit holds your date, credited to your package
Type of session
Charles replies within two working days.