(Just taking a picture while I pour the beer for no other reason than to see if I can do both at the same time and make it work)
Tomorrow I’ll be shooting a creative still life shoot in studio and on location here in Charleston, SC. The client is The Mad Olive, a wonderful couple who reached out to me asking for help making the transition from an Etsy storefront to their own website. In an incredible story of entrepreneurship, the two started their Etsy shop selling custom engraving/etching on many different gift products. Quickly sales grew and they were soon giving up their other occupations, hiring help and full time. That store lead into another Etsy store which grew in success even faster than the first.
When Lauren called me, we discussed the art direction and I guided her through the steps of making choices on how to present the images to clients. We knew that this would be two shoots, an e-commerce shoot and a creative still life shoot with props and set. They love soft shadows and color pallets but wanted to move away from the Etsy style of images for their website and marketing photography (Etsy shots are usually prop and set heavy, as well as really busy). A neutral background color was selected and I sent them previews of the shooting as we went along. One of the cool things about being and e-commerce photographer is finding a way to keep images consistent and fit together despite the varied subjects and materials being captured. I also love consulting for e-commerce and helping guide my clients to find images that will reach their customers more effectively. What works for Etsy isn’t what works best on your own websites most of the time.
In the spirit of being excited for tomorrow’s shoot, here are a few of my favorite shots from The Mad Olive’s new e-commerce photography. All the product will have etching superimposed on it later. But shooting them blank allowed their team to have maximum return on their investment (love that ROI) for each image since it will be able to get used multiple ways. Here are a few beautiful wood products:
Not surprisingly, my favorite shots were the more finicky glassware shots. I love playing with reflections!
And on that enticing note, everyone, have a safe and happy July 4th weekend!