Renee Bullock

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

My name is Renee, and I’m originally from a small town in southern West Virginia. I now live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, where I work full-time while also growing my photography business, Park and Vine Studio.

Photography has become a way for me to combine my love of historic homes, interiors, and the stories found within them. Much of my work focuses on spaces with history and character, and I’m especially drawn to the details that show the passage of time rather than trying to make everything feel perfect.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now?

As a child, my family would vacation in the Outer Banks, so I developed a love for North Carolina at an early age. As an adult, I had the opportunity to move to the Raleigh area, and I’ve called it home since 1997. One of the things I love most about living here is the location. We’re within a few hours of both the coast and the mountains, so there is always somewhere beautiful to explore without having to travel too far.

Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?

Park and Vine Studio is an interior photography business specializing in historic homes and spaces with character. My approach is more editorial and intentional, with a focus on the architecture, design details, and elements that make a space feel unique.

My interest in photography actually began about 12 years ago when I purchased my first DSLR to photograph DIY projects. I’m completely self-taught, and over the years photography gradually became much more than a hobby. In 2017, my husband and I purchased a historic home that needed a significant amount of renovation. As we worked on the house, I began spending more time photographing and styling our interiors for social media, and that was really where my love for interior photography began.

I eventually decided to turn that interest into a business and started Park and Vine at the age of 49. Over time, I’ve become increasingly drawn to historic homes and older spaces—the craftsmanship, imperfections, and details that tell you something about where a place has been.

For my clients, my goal is to create images that thoughtfully represent their work or property without making the space feel like something it isn’t. Whether I’m photographing for a designer, architect, builder, real estate professional, or historic property, I want the photographs to highlight the design and details while staying true to the character of the space.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

As a creative, I’ve learned that the business side doesn’t always come naturally. You may love the work you do, but running a business requires you to learn an entirely different set of skills. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is the importance of setting boundaries early and having contracts in place that clearly outline expectations for both you and your client.

I also think it’s important to understand the value of your time and your work. It can be easy, especially when you’re starting out, to say yes to everything or price yourself too low just to get the experience. There is certainly a time for learning and building your portfolio, but eventually you have to make decisions based on what is sustainable for your business.

And don’t wait until you feel like you know everything before you start. You won’t. I’m still learning as I go. Some of the most valuable lessons have come from actually doing the work, making mistakes, and figuring out what I want my business to look like along the way.

What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?

One piece of feedback that has always stayed with me came from a client who mentioned that I cleaned up after our session. Of all the kind things she said, that small detail stood out to me because it reflects something that is really important to me. When someone invites me into their home or space, I want to be respectful of it. Photography sessions can involve moving furniture, styling, lighting equipment, and quite a bit of rearranging, so I always try to leave a space as I found it—or even a little better. I want my clients to have a good experience working with me, not just be happy with the final photographs.

Where do you see your company in the future?

In the future, I would love for Park and Vine Studio to grow into something I can pursue full-time. I currently work a full-time corporate job while building my photography business, so that is a long-term goal of mine.

I would also like to continue narrowing my work toward what I’m most passionate about: photographing historic homes, interiors, and spaces with character. I’ve learned that building a business takes time, and there are definitely moments when the growth feels slower than I would like. But I’m trying to stay focused on creating work that feels true to me and building the business in a way that is sustainable long-term.

Ultimately, I would love to reach a point where photography is my full-time career and I can devote my time to the kind of work that inspired me to start Park and Vine in the first place.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about interior photography is how much time goes into creating a single image. There is so much more happening behind the scenes than simply showing up and taking photographs.

Before a session, there may be scouting visits, planning, and conversations about the spaces we want to photograph. Once on site, there is styling, moving furniture and accessories, setting up lighting, composing the image, and making adjustments until everything comes together. Depending on the space, it can sometimes take close to an hour to finalize just one composition. And then, of course, there is the editing that happens afterward.

I think clients are sometimes surprised by how slow and intentional the process can be. They see the finished photograph, but there is a lot of work behind that image that they may never see.

What has been one of your biggest struggle building your business and how did you deal with it?

One of my biggest struggles has been getting started in an already saturated market. I’m surrounded by so many talented photographers who have years of experience, and when you’re just beginning, it can be difficult not to compare where you are to where someone else is in their career.

I started my business at 49, so there were times when I felt like I was getting a late start and had a lot of catching up to do. I’ve had to learn not to measure my progress against photographers who may have been building their careers for many years. Instead, I’ve tried to focus on developing my own style, improving my work, and finding the type of photography that feels most like me.

I’m still building and learning, but finding a more specific direction for my work has helped me focus less on what everyone else is doing and more on what I want Park and Vine Studio to become.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

This is a hard one because I don’t know that I really had a favorite! I listened to a lot of country music, so I would probably say Tim McGraw. I also played tennis growing up, so Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were two of my favorite athletes to watch.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

Kyle Szef of Szef Photo and Armando and Nikki Vara of Armando Vara Photography have all been incredibly supportive and encouraging as I’ve found my way in the industry. As someone who is still relatively new to professional photography, their encouragement and willingness to share advice along the way has meant a lot to me.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Website: parkandvinestudio.com. Instagram: @parkandvinestudio. Facebook: Park and Vine Studio.