References for Zavod Studio UK

neilbarrettclicks

As ever, a great series of photoshoots at this wonderful studio.

This time, I had a very particular type of lighting that I wanted for my two shoots, and so I asked for lighting assistance as a part of my booking - and I am so glad that I did. Xenia helped me to come up with patterns and a feel for my photoshoot that was exactly as I'd envisaged it. I /might/ have produced the same lighting myself, given hours to play around - but Xenia was able to set things up perfectly straight off, guided by the moodboard that we had shared ahead of the shoot.

I can't recommend Xenia and Zavod Studios highly enough - honestly, you really won't be disappointed. Plus, Xenia makes great coffee!

Thanks again Xenia - and have a great Christmas

Neil

Matt Rose

Had another fabulous shoot at Zavod this past weekend shooting Sophia Gray. The studio was warm, inviting, had tons of lighting options and setups available as usual and the ever knowledgeable Xenia on hand to setup anything required. Would definitely recommend and look forward to my next visit.

Camelot Photography

My 2nd visit to Zavod in its current iteration was for a studio day with Sophia Gray. Pre-shoot comms with Xenia were, as always, very easy and professional. The studio itself is clean, tidy and warm. It has a good range of lights, modifiers, backdrops etc and Xenia is very helpful with setting lights to your requirements.

Happy to recommend.

JohnDuder

Studios run by women are, in my experience, good places to go. They tend to be clean, well-ordered, and with good equipment. Zavod follows my rule of thumb.

It's also a decent size, and is thoroughly adaptable - and the natural light in the changing room is quite wonderful - two walls with big windows.

Careful comms, a great welcome, and Xenia makes a really good cup of tea - the basis of much British creativity...

Well worth visiting!

Baldbraveandbeautiful

Can't believe I've not visited Zavod until now! A small yet great studio with a range of backdrops, lights and modifiers, aswell as ample natural light, especially in the changing room. Plenty of parking available nearby. Nice and warm despite being in a factory, with the lovely and friendly Xenia on hand to assist where needed... and Xenia makes a great cup of coffee! Oh and sweet treats provided...happy days! 😃

Lyra Rose

This is genuinely one of the best studios I've been to.

From a photographer's point of view, it's well stocked with various different lighting set ups and a vast array of backdrop colours. And Xenia is available to provide different suggestions or help with camera settings or work as an assistant photographer, while also not being too intrusive when help is not required.

From a model's perspective, the studio is warm and cosy and I felt incredibly safe working there. Everything has been thought of and the changing room is perfectly stocked with everything you could need, and it felt like my wellbeing was attended to the entire time.

Steve Gormley

I was lucky to receive a call from Xenia kindly offering me a spot with model Sin after someone had to unfortunately cancel.

Due to only having the one time slot I asked Xenia for her assistance as a lighting engineer in oder for us to move quickly from set to set. As I'm sure most of you will imagine she did the job admirably and to the highest standard, not only happy to follow my wishes but also injecting her advice and inspiration too.

I'd recommend any photographer to do this even the more experienced as it makes things flow so much better.

The studio as always immaculately prepared and ready for the shoot to start from the word go.

Thanks Xenia for another wonderful shoot and for your assistance.

The highest recommendation for not only the Studio but for Xenias lighting assistance. 10/10

neilbarrettclicks

My first time shooting at Zavod, and I couldn't have felt more welcomed. Xenia is a brilliant host with an amazing breadth of knowledge in setting studio lighting and working within the space. Xenia came up with some fantastic ideas in terms of light placement and modifiers, and was more than happy to turn my vague handwavings into concrete results.

Great fun - and I already have several return visits booked and ready! :-)

Thank you so much, Xenia

Neil

Nick Lee

I think it speaks volumes that I am not even home yet and I’m already leaving a review for this studio. Today I visited the “new” Zavod studio and it’s such a wonderful space. Located 15 min walk from the station, I decided to use public transport (got to reduce that carbon footprint where you can). Having been to the “old” studio I thought that this might be slightly bigger but it’s not, it’s actually quite a lot bigger. I was able to set up two settings within the main studio, at the same time which meant that I could get a different look and feel really quickly. Not being particular confident with studio lighting I used Xenia’s (owner) expertise to set up the lighting and it is something that I would highly recommend if you also need the assistance. Xenia helps in a way that doesn’t make you feel stupid and she creates such a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that one side is completely windows which lets in quite a lot of natural light. This meant that I had a natural light setting on one side and a “studio light” set on the other side. Of course the icing on the cake is “Xenia” herself who is the most helpful host and always has a smile.

Steve Gormley

Running a little late with this one sorry Xenia.

This was a special shoot for me and the first one calling in the assistance of a stylist. We shot 3 sets styled by the amazing Tatiana Gladkiha (@areilastyle on insta) We had also called in the wonderfully talented Alona Dmytranko as the HMUA who also did an amazing job.

Xenia was on hand as always lending her expertise and lifting and shifting lights and props and she did an amazing job doing so.

The studio as always was immaculately prepared and everything you would need for a superb and successful shoot was on hand.

Xenia is just the best host, mentor and inspiration any photographer would wish for running a studio.

Always the highest recommendation from me.

Big thanks to a wonderful team, Xenia, Alona and Tatiana

Joanna Rose

Zavod studio is just as amazing as I expected! I had my first visit here today shooting with the lovely Xenia who owns the studio. I couldn’t have expected the day to go better! The studio offers a great amount of space, fab selection of backdrops, lighting equipment, kitchen facilities, parking and a lovely dressing room with plenty of props etc.

It’s perfect for any model or photographer for what they need as pretty much any look can be achieved at this studio. Xenia does a brilliant job at running and maintaining the studio, communication prior to the shoot and arrival is more than clear.

I’ve had a fab day at Zavod and I cannot wait to shoot here again!

Thank you Zavod studio!

Ben H Photography

I had an absolutely blast shooting at Zavod yesterday. Managed to create 3 stunning sets of photos that I can't wait edit. Big thanks to Xenia for being a great host. Her brilliant modelling that is second to none, her great technical knowledge that really elevated this shoot to such a high quality. The New Zavod studio was a perfect work environment for creativity, making it a delight to shoot there with its great lighting equipment and wonderful interior design. All making for another great shoot where I learnt a lot as well as coming a way with a great amount of high quality images while having a wonderful time doing it. Xenia managed to balance the responsibilities of studio owner and model with ease, making for an incredibly high quality experience in terms of results and overall experience. It was a pleasure to shoot there, And I'm sure I will do so again.

10/10 would highly recommend to anyone.

Jon Howson

How did I not know about Zavod Studios? It is a great studio hidden in the centre of Sheffield making it easily accessible to anyone travelling to it. Xenia is so friendly and welcoming from the very first moment. The studio is well equipped, with plenty of choice for backgrounds, lighting, and accessories. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a studio.

Mark Searle Photography

This was my first shoot at this lovely little studio in the back streets of downtown Sheffield, but don't let that put you off it really is a gem.

loads of natural light, although sadly not today. a wide range of backgrounds, props, lights and modifiers, and the studio owner Xenia is a fun and very experienced model and photographer who knows jus how to get the best out of her space.

The studio is immaculate and very well run, this is space that is well worth visiting.

Andy Houghton Photography

It's always a pleasure to do a photoshoot at Zavod Studio, and on this occasion I took part in a studio day with the brilliant Saida. Xenia's organisation and pre-shoot communications are second to none, and it's always a lot of fun to work at this welcoming studio. The studio is well-equipped with all the lighting and backdrops you could need, and there's also lovely natural light available through the large windows too. It's a great space, and a lot of my best photography has been done here. I recommend the studio highly, and look forward to my next shoot there.

Steve Gormley

Yet another fantastic shoot at Zavod Studio on this occasion with the beautiful Meg Modelling.

Xenia's energy knows no end and is more than willing to get as involved as you wish her to. Her assistance in setting up for you and with you is so helpful. Of course Xenia is great to have modelling with you but she also runs the studio so professionally, it's always immaculate and so well organised. The studios props and backdrops continues to grow and there are just so many choices. As well as superb natural light the choice of lighting is more than you could wish for.

I just can't rate the studio highly enough. Thank you Xenia for another great shoot with you at Zavod.

Simon Carter

I ran a small group lighting workshop at Zavod recently. I hadn't visited before so I didn't know quite what to expect.

Zavod had everything I needed to cover a huge range of topics. High ceilings, plenty of width and length, great natural light with blackout curtains, all the essential modifiers, reflectors, flags and the rest.

Xenia and Dajana were fab hosts too: knowledgeable, organised, super helpful but not intrusive. Totally recommended!

Tmul

I attended a lighting workshop, jointly hosted by Simon Carter and XeniaModel at Xenia's Zavod Studio.

Its tucked away in a side street in Sheffield, but don't let that fool you, this is a fantastic studio, well equipped and most definitely very welcoming.

On the day we were greeted with a smile and the offer of tea / coffee and the obligatory biscuits and this was the pattern for the whole day. Studio owner Xenia and her assistant Diana were fantastic and nothing was too much trouble for them, making sure all of the workshop attendees had everything at hand that would have been required. Xenia was also our model for the full day but that didn't stop her jumping in to assist Diana or Simon, I guess that's what she's used to doing and she never missed a thing throughout the whole day.

I mentioned the studio was well equipped and it was, from good quality flash heads, to large boom stand, loads of reflectors, modifiers, plenty of background options and some lovely natural light.

The studio is well laid out and I was greatly surprised at how much variety we achieved throughout the day.

Zavod is a great option for a studio shoot if you're in the Sheffield area and I would 100% recommend it and Xenia.

Ana Maria V

I have been waiting for ages to work with the fabulous Xenia who runs the studio Zavod and oh my god... It was definitely worth the wait let me tell you that. She is such an amazing woman to work with.

She always made sure I had everything I need and that I was comfortable with what we was shooting. The creative flow was great, we worked together very well. I think we were both definitely excited for this shoot as we had so many amazing ideas. I liked that Xenia wanted to even experiment and try something new together. She was super fast when it came to setting up the lights and backdrops, like a ninja haha. I had so much fun working together, what a fantastic woman to get along with. Xenia gave me amazing directions but also let me express myself too the way I wanted.

I was so blown away by the pictures when she sent them over, and it was super fast as well. I CANNOT wait to work wit her again in the future. If you would like some fantastic images for your portfolio I suggest you book her now as she is quite busy!!! You won't regret it. 100% recommend Zavod Studio run by the one and only Xenia, what a queen!

Jon Downs

Wow, what a day!

My latest shoot at Zavod Studio in Sheffield was nothing short of extraordinary. This was my third time shooting at Zavod, and each visit surpasses the last. The studio, now in its third stunning incarnation, has once again proven to be a creative sanctuary where magic happens.

Working with Xenia—who is not only the mastermind behind Zavod but also a phenomenal model—was an absolute thrill. We shot three sets, and each one was more incredible than the last. Xenia’s intuitive understanding of both the creative and technical aspects of photography elevates every moment in the studio.

The studio itself continues to evolve, offering an ever-expanding array of possibilities that inspire and challenge photographers to push their creative boundaries. From the immaculate setup to the vibrant energy that permeates the space, Zavod Studio is a playground for imagination.

I can’t recommend Zavod Studio and Xenia enough. If you’re a photographer looking for a space that not only provides top-tier facilities but also fosters a sense of community and creative freedom, Zavod is the place to be.

Each visit is an adventure, and I can’t wait to return for the next one!