The Atelier
The greenhouse studio. Soft north light, rotating seasonal sets, prop wall.
from $150 / hour
San Marcos, Texas · Photo studio · Gallery stays
An artists’ estate, opened for portraits
A glass-house studio, botanical courts and a wooded path, on the grounds two art professors spent decades shaping. Book an hour for your clients, an afternoon for your family, or a night in the gallery suites.
$150per hour, photographers
$5002-hour family block
3bookable areas
The house
Built by two teachers who filled it with art
For decades this was the home of the Lehmanns, who taught art at Texas State: one in interior design, one in fiber arts. Students and friends knew the house well. It was featured in a home and architecture magazine, and the owners called the wooded walk to the front door Hansel and Gretel’s Path.
Today the front galleries are overnight suites, and the greenhouse out back is a natural-light studio, the Atelier. The grounds are open for portraits by the hour.
Draft copy, to verify: spellings, dates, the magazine’s name and issue, and permission from the family before their names go public.
Hansel and Gretel’s Path
The walk in is part of the shoot
A flagstone path runs under live oaks and ivy from the drive to the Atelier. Families get their first frames before they reach the door.
Now booking · Christmas set
White trees, red velvet, candlelight
Two flocked trees, velvet stockings on a brass rail, faux-fur throws and a crystal chandelier under the timber roof.
The spaces
Book one area, or the whole estate
Each area has its own calendar, so a family can shoot in the Atelier while guests sleep in the gallery suites.
Botanical Courts & Path
Garden rooms, old trees and the wooded walk the owners called Hansel and Gretel’s Path.
included with studio rental
The Gallery Suites
Overnight stays in the front galleries. Book here or on Airbnb and VRBO.
nightly · see calendar
The Whole Estate
Every area, one party. For brand shoots, small retreats and workshops.
by quote
The year in sets
A new set every season
Holiday sets book out early. Join the waitlist to hear when each one opens.
JAN – FEB
Valentine’s
Couples, maternity, galentines.
MAR – APR
Easter & spring
Bunny minis, bluebonnet season.
FEB – MAY
Seniors & grads
Cap and gown, Texas State grads.
MAY – AUG
Summer garden
Early and late slots; the glass gets hot.
SEP – OCT
Pumpkins & fall
Hay bales, harvest set, back to school.
NOV – DEC
Christmas minis
15-minute minis, one-hour photographer blocks.
Three ways to book
Pick the way that fits you
I’m a photographer
- Rent one-hour blocks and run your own minis
- Christmas set, props and grounds included
- We can fill your open slots from our waitlist
I’m a family
- Rent the Atelier in 2-hour blocks
- Bring your own photographer
- Gift cards for grandparents
I want to stay
- Gallery suites by the night
- Add a studio hour during your stay
- Same calendar as Airbnb and VRBO
Book
Select your session
Choose a space below to see open times and reserve. Demo Sample availability; nothing is charged.
Christmas minis · photographer blocks
One-hour blocks in the Atelier with the Christmas set. You run your own 15-minute minis and charge your clients directly. The 4 PM golden-hour block costs a little more.
Two-hour blocks in the Atelier and on the grounds. Bring your own photographer. Pick a date, then one or more blocks.
Gallery Suites
Booking here costs less than the listing sites because there is no platform fee. The same calendar feeds Airbnb and VRBO, so dates shown taken are taken everywhere.
Good to know: photo sessions may take place on the grounds during your stay. The Gallery Suites and their patio stay private to you.
View on Airbnb · View on VRBO (real listing links to come)
The whole estate
Every area is held for you, so we close the studio and the suites to everyone else. We quote each request.
For photographers
Bring your clients to a set that’s already built
The Atelier is a working studio: sets change with the season, props stay on site, and the grounds give you a second look without moving cars.
Studio rates
| Session | Length | December | Slow season |
|---|
Prices follow the season: lower in slow months, full price at Christmas, Easter, fall and graduation.
Partner program
| You bring | How it works |
|---|---|
| Your own clients | Pay the studio rate. Keep 100% of your session fees. |
| Open slots | List leftover minis on our booking page. We market them to our waitlist and keep 30% of each slot we fill. |
| Just your camera | Be a featured photographer. We book the families; you are paid per hour. |
Every partner needs proof of liability insurance on file and agrees to tag the estate in what they post.
Apprentice program
Learn on a working set
In the spirit of the house’s teachers, photography students can assist our featured photographer during holiday weekends and build a portfolio. Idea
Visit
Before you come
| Where | San Marcos, Texas. The exact address and gate code are sent 24 hours before your booking. |
|---|---|
| Parking | On-site parking for 4 cars. Please don’t park on the street or block neighbors’ driveways. |
| Arrival | Arrive no more than 10 minutes early. The next family may still be shooting. |
| Restroom | Guest restroom by the studio. Changing area with a mirror in the Atelier. |
| Not allowed | Confetti, glitter, open flame, smoke or fog machines, drones without permission. |
| Pets | Leashed dogs are welcome in studio sessions. Ask about overnight stays. |
Contact
Questions
Common questions
What if it rains?
The Atelier works in any weather. Outdoor-only sessions can move to another date at no charge.
Can I cancel?
Full refund 14 days out. Inside 14 days, your deposit moves to another date once.
Does it get hot in the greenhouse?
In summer, yes. We book mornings and evenings from May to September and keep fans running.
Who answers my messages?
Our AI assistant answers right away, day or night. Anything it can’t solve goes straight to the owner.
Owner console · Stacie
This week at the estate
$3,840booked this week
19studio hours sold
2need you now
31questions the AI answered
Needs you
Fix
Double booking: Gallery Suites, Sat Nov 21
Airbnb and VRBO both booked that night. VRBO’s calendar hadn’t synced yet. Contact the VRBO guest and cancel or move them.
Waiting 6 min
Guest says the gate code isn’t working
The assistant sent the code twice. It escalated because the guest sounded upset.
Handled
Guest notice sent for studio sessions Sat 1–5 PM
The overnight guests were told a shoot is on the grounds; their patio stays private.
All calendars, one view
AirbnbVRBOBooked on our siteSession appConflict
Rules: two overnight stays can’t overlap. Studio sessions can overlap a stay (guests get a notice). A whole-estate booking blocks everything.
Messages
Admin · The Artistry Estate
Run the estate
Type a new price and press Save to website. “Lowest” and “highest” keep smart pricing from going too far. Turn a session off to hide it from the booking page. Put a web address in Booking link (for example your Session booking page) and that session’s Book button opens it instead of the booking form here.
| Show | Session | Length | Price | Lowest | Highest | Smart pricing | Booking link (optional) |
|---|
Like Airbnb’s Smart Pricing: prices go down in slow seasons and up in busy ones, within the lowest and highest you set for each session. Your typed price is the regular price.
Seasons
Weekdays
Last minute
See the effect
Saturday price through the year
Top of the website
Contact information
Booking rules
What guests see
Pick the logo the website uses. These are first drafts drawn to match the Atelier logo; ask Claude for changes.