“Just the basics,” said Peters, a Grand Ledge resident.

She watched as Beltran moved lighting equipment around the stark white Studio B of Perspective2, 319 E. Grand River Ave., as she fiddled with the Nikon D200 she’d be using to photograph dolls.

Peters, who works for a heating and air-conditioning company, uses this studio monthly and alternates between practicing with dolls and photographing live people. She’s one of the most dedicated members of Perspective2, founder and CEO Lynne Brown said.

Perspective2 is a membership-based studio space that opened last fall in Lansing’s Old Town.

“This (business) model is not a brand new model, but it’s a model that’s typically only seen in large cities like Chicago and New York,” Brown said. “We’re trying to bring some of the metropolitan, big city (feeling) into Lansing.”

There are 20 member photographers, said Brown, who also owns Media Graphics Inc., a graphic design company she runs out of the building. Peters found out about Perspective2 on somebody’s blog, she said and was interested in learning more about digital photography.

“You know how some technical people look down on you if you have a funky old camera or whatever? The attitude (at Perspective2) was just so cool. It seemed like something I could try, and they’ve made it really a good thing,” she said.

A basic Perspective2 membership costs $35 a month and includes two hours of studio time and light kit use each month. Membership is not required for studio space rental.

Although Perspective2’s two studios were designed for photographic use, the space also is used for dance lessons, theater and small business events, Brown said.

Peppermint Creek Theatre Company is one of the groups that rents Perspective2 regularly. “Rabbit Hole” director Louis Balestra said he fell in love with the place because of its set design flexibility and Lansing location.

“For the work that we do, this location, as far as Old Town goes, is right for us,” said Balestra, who is from New York City. “We hope with the Creole Gallery and the other galleries that this can become sort of a draw for that kind of entertainment, performing arts and dining. It has that feel. It feels like you’re in a small version of (Greenwich) Village.”

“Rabbit Hole’s” cast and crew have been rehearsing in the 1,100-square-foot Studio A. The show will open on Feb. 28 at Perspective2.

Brown has a background in photography and said she always has been interested in providing education and a service to photographers.

“When photographers only use their studio a small percentage of the time it gets very expensive. The idea came about that photographers really need to be able to share space and call it their own,” she said.

Beltran, a Lansing resident, has been a member of Perspective2 since it opened. As a fashion photographer, he exchanges his time and expertise for studio time.

He and Peters represent the two types of Perspective2 members, Brown said.

“We have two very distinct audiences. We have the 30-and-unders, which are the (professionals and) aspiring professionals,” she said. “We also have a 40-plus (group) who are the people who have either done photography or who are interested in learning more about photography and getting involved in the digital age.”

Although she loves hosting events, Brown said she would like to see more photographers make a home for themselves at Perspective2.

“As photographers and individual business people, we sometimes miss the opportunity to connect with other professionals,” she said. “(Members are) going to get an experience they’re not going to get anywhere in school. If they’re interested in art and have a digital camera and need to know more about it, we’re the place. This is where you get to stretch you horizons.”