Edgewater based 1,100 square foot creative studio rental owned by photographer Heather earns top recognition from The Maryland Small Business Examiner for its thoughtfully designed sets, full prop room access, and a space built around the creative control every Maryland photographer is asking for
EDGEWATER, MD. Jackalope Studio, the Edgewater based creative studio rental owned by Maryland photographer Heather, has been named the Best Photo Studio Rental in Maryland for 2026 by The Maryland Small Business Examiner as part of its annual Best of Maryland Small Business Awards program.
The recognition celebrates a small business that has filled a real and growing need in the Maryland creative community. Located at 69 Mayo Road, Suite 201 in Edgewater, just minutes from Annapolis, Jackalope Studio is a 1,100 square foot creative space thoughtfully designed for photographers, models, makeup artists, content creators, and anyone looking for a flexible, character driven studio rental in the heart of Anne Arundel County.
A Creative Studio Designed to Stand Out
What sets Jackalope Studio apart from cookie cutter studio rentals is the deliberate creative vision behind every inch of the space. As Heather describes the studio, “this is not a cookie cutter rental space. Our 1,100 square foot studio is thoughtfully designed for creators who want flexibility, character, and full creative control.”
That commitment to flexibility shows up everywhere. Renters have access to a collection of styled holiday sets that can be used as is or customized to fit a specific vision. For creators who prefer to start from scratch, the studio’s extensive prop room and assortment of backdrops give renters endless options to build their own look. Photographers and content creators are also welcome to bring their own equipment, décor, or specialty pieces to make the space entirely their own. As Heather puts it simply, the studio is meant to be transformed.
What Is Included in Every Rental
Jackalope Studio’s standard rental includes a 2 hour session with setup and breakdown time built in, full access to the prop room, a large private bathroom for the renter and their clients, and a private lockbox code with access instructions delivered within 24 hours of the session. The rental model is designed to give creators a complete, self contained experience with no surprises, no babysitting, and no rigid restrictions.
The studio supports the full range of session types, including newborns, milestones, cake smashes, family portraits, maternity, headshots, senior portraits, and boudoir, and works equally well for photographer workshops, in person sales galleries, and creative practice sessions. As the studio puts it, the options are endless here.
Owned and Run by Photographer Heather
Behind Jackalope Studio is Heather, a Maryland based photographer who began Jackalope Photography in 2016 and opened her first dedicated studio space in 2024 after dreaming about it for nearly a decade. Heather’s own photography work focuses on weddings, families, milestones, boudoir, and events, with a relaxed, modern approach that prioritizes real moments and genuine connection. She is also an approved United States Naval Academy photographer.
That photographer’s eye is exactly what makes Jackalope Studio different from a typical real estate or co working style space rental. The studio was designed by a working photographer who understands what other photographers actually need: clean light, flexible sets, well organized props, no rules that get in the way of creative work, and a space that flexes to a renter’s style instead of forcing the renter to flex to it.
A Studio Rental Built by a Working Photographer
Beyond the rental side, Heather continues to run Jackalope Photography out of the same Edgewater space, capturing weddings, families, milestones, boudoir, and events for clients across the DMV region. For Maryland photographers and content creators who want to learn from, work alongside, or share a creative space with a fellow working photographer, the dual identity of Jackalope Studio and Jackalope Photography offers something genuinely uncommon.
Recognition Earned Through Vision and Craft
“Jackalope Studio represents exactly what this award was created to recognize,” said a spokesperson for The Maryland Small Business Examiner. “A genuinely thoughtful creative studio rental, owned and run by a working photographer who built the space she always wished she had access to. Heather has turned a long held dream into a real working studio that serves the entire Maryland creative community, and her vision shows up in every detail. She has earned every bit of this recognition.”
Jackalope Studio was selected for the 2026 Best of Maryland Small Business Award in recognition of exceptional studio rental services, outstanding creative space design, and commitment to Maryland’s photography and creator community.
About Jackalope Studio
Jackalope Studio is a 1,100 square foot creative studio rental located at 69 Mayo Road, Suite 201, Edgewater, MD, just minutes from Annapolis. The studio offers 2 hour rental sessions with full prop room access, styled holiday sets, an assortment of backdrops and seamless paper rolls, a large private bathroom, and private lockbox access. Jackalope Studio is owned and operated by photographer Heather, who also runs Jackalope Photography from the same space, specializing in weddings, families, milestones, boudoir, and events across the DMV region.
For rental booking, photography inquiries, or general questions, visit www.jackalopephotostudio.com or www.jackalopephotography.com, email hello@jackalopephotography.com, or call 443.414.3775. Follow Jackalope Studio on Facebook and on Instagram @jackalope.photostudio.
About the Best of Maryland Small Business Awards
The Best of Maryland Small Business Awards, presented annually by The Maryland Small Business Examiner, recognize outstanding small businesses across the state for excellence in service, customer experience, and contribution to Maryland’s communities. Winners are selected through editorial review based on customer feedback, business reputation, longevity, and industry recognition.
For more information, visit mdsbexaminer.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: The Maryland Small Business Examiner 6340 Security Blvd, Ste 100 #1176 Baltimore, MD 21207 mdsbexaminer.com
