May 8, 2017

Meet Steve Ewert of Greenhouse Loft and Steve Ewert Photography in Logan Square

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Ewert.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I opened my first photo studio in 1974 in Old Town. My first big break came when I started to shoot ads and fashion layouts for Playboy. I made enough money from my Playboy assignments to buy a loft building in the West Loop in 1981. I shot ads for Huggies, Quaker, McDonald’s and many more for the next 20 years in my West Loop studio. In 2000 I posted a website for my space, thinking that other photographers would like to rent my space by the day. As soon as the site was up I got calls from brides asking if they could get married in my photo studio. I still did commercial photography, but the event business grew steadily over the next 10 years.

In 2010 I got a call from the developer (David Baum) of The Green Exchange building in Logan Square, asking me if I would like to design and build an event space in his building. It was a great opportunity for me to have an event space and photo studio exactly liked I wanted it to be. In 2012 I had my first event in my new space Greenhouse Loft. My space is probably the greenest event space in Chicago

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Over the years I have had to change my business model as the market changed. I have gone from my primary business being photography to hosting events in my space. I now have a full time person devoted to weddings and a full time person devoted to corp meeting. The biggest problem I have had is finding the right people to help me grow my business.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Greenhouse Loft and Steve Ewert Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
Steve Ewert Photography primarily shoots portraits of professionals for their websites.

Greenhouse Loft hosts creative corp events that are looking for innovative ideas and weddings for people who want to be in a unique creative loft space to have their reception. I also shoot portraits during weddings

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Being in the right place at the right time is critical. When I first started out I had tried to get an appointment to show my work to Playboy and I never could get in. I shot a little fashion piece for a clothing store on the north side that same year. One of the models in that shoot took the brochure with my shots to Playboy. The art director at Playboy loved the fashion piece I had shot and he gave me a call. I owe a lot to that pushy model from the work I did for Playboy I launched by career as an advertising photographer.

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