We had the good fortune of connecting with Lan DeSoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
​I think the thought process behind starting a business is one that will resonate with many. It’s July of 2020- we had been quarantined for the better part of a year. Right before the shelter in place was announced, my best friend and I had been playing around with some studio lighting equipment a friend had let us borrow. I did the makeup and she shot the photos , our other friend Allison, modeled. It was fun , it was easy, and it felt good to be creating again. Fast forward to that July of 2020. We both desperately missed making art. Studios were closed. I had been laid off. There was some time to rethink things. We played around with the idea of starting a business together, at first kind of just joking around. But then we thought, “why not be serious about this?”. The next week we had our first meeting. A couple weeks later, Acid Smile Studios was born.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

​As a new business, I think a lot of what keeps me busy is teaching myself to have the discipline and drive to keep moving forward, even when progress seems minimal. Our studio is operated by only myself and my creative partner, Salima Allen. So the two of us do a lot of behind the curtains work to keep things running smoothly. Our business model aims to reject a lot of the typical capitalistic practices of a modern business and we prioritize providing to those with lower incomes or who are often marginalized in spaces and ignored. We offer payment plans and artistic trades – we call all our shoots collaborations as that is how we truly see them. Our client is an integral part of the art process and together we create something that feels unique to them. This happens through a series of steps; First a gentle zoom introduction to go over expectations, ideas, and gauge each other’s over all auras. Then we present a series of mood boards with inspiration, color palettes, poses, anything to help guide us on the shoot day. Lastly we work together to choose a date that is comfortable and convenient for everyone who will be on set. We send check in emails with reminders and details of the future shoot ahead. Once a photoshoot is finished, the work is not done! Salima and I go through a process together, editing down images and making folders of the best ones. One of us will then edit the images before delivering the finals to our client. And even once delivered, we make accommodations for any details we might of missed or concerns one might have.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a resident of Koreatown, I know the assumption is that I would suggest Korean BBQ, but we are going to switch it up and suggest ya’ll try my favorite noodle and dumpling spot- Olympic Noodle. The Kalguksu (Korean knife cut noodles) soup with tender pieces of chicken and kimchi on the side is like heaven in my tummy. If it’s a Saturday Night, we could head to R Bar to watch some locals sing karaoke and enjoy a few cocktails. I love the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown, admission is free and the gift shop is a really good time for fellow art book lovers and knick-knack collectors. If you’re hungry I suggest a walk through little Tokyo, visit the Japanese Book store, and make a stop at Rice & Nori for some yummy hand Roll snacks and a lychee lemonade! I’ll end this mini tour by suggesting a stroll in one of my favorite LA parks, Vista Hermosa Park. It is quaint in size and there is almost always parking, but I think what truly sells this park is the sickening view of Downtown Los Angeles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
​Oh this is a very easy question. My Shoutout is to Salima Allen, my creative partner, best friend, and all around inspiring human being! She is my other half of the Acid Smile Studios business. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders and I too am her number one fan. We met in college through a mutual close friend and had always admired each others artwork. I think she would agree when I say that we felt we had very similar art styles. After graduating, we worked in an art store together and became much closer. Now we create wonderful visions together! I am so thankful for her.

Website: lanidesoto.com

Instagram: @quietgrump

Other: acidsmilestudios.com – for my photo studio business

Image Credits
Images taken by Me and owned by Acid Smile Studios people in photos: Salima Allen, Maura McNamara, Sanyu Estelle, Onyi Love

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