Introduction
A beauty brand called Wild Science Lab contacted me back in June to discuss photography and video work for their new hair and face care products due for launch in December. This would involve stills, film and animation to be used across their website and social media platforms.
The Client
Wild Science Lab are a new hair and face care brand who produce products that are cruelty-free, vegan and developed to avoid commercially negative ingredients. They are based in London and are proud to have their product and packaging manufactured in the UK.
The Brief
With 9 products in total for launch and having no image assets at all, every product had to be shot both individually and in groups. This would include straight forward product shots on white to videos of models demonstrating the product. The images and video were going to be used for Website and Social Media Platforms.
9 products may not sound like a lot but when you’re starting from zero the number of images you need soon adds up.
Based on years on experience, preparation is key so before a shoot date is confirmed there is a lot of communication sorting out models / locations/ products etc.
Model Shoot
With Covid restrictions in place as well as the natural delays caused by the Pandemic, it was a while before we could all gather to start the shoot. However, with all safety guidelines in place, 2 models, the MUA and a studio were finally booked for September.
We were so lucky to have two fantastic models, Isabelle and Kate from Fresh Agents as well as the fabulous make up artist, Lucy Meyer who created some great natural looks for the shoot and who also happens to be a whizz with hair too!
We had planned to shoot both stills and video for the lifestyle assets as well as “how to apply” videos for which we created a storyboard to make it a smooth recording process.
The Space we used was Studio by Sea in Brighton and with everyone masked up with plenty of sanitiser on hand, we started the shoot.
The first part of the morning was spent shooting the Founder Portraits while Isabelle was in make-up. After these were done, stills and video were shot with Izzy demonstrating how to apply the skincare range.
Kate arrived later on and went straight into make up before ably demonstrating the haircare ranges for video. We then moved on to the stills with the fan at the ready for those wispy hair shots!
Do not underestimate the value of hiring experienced professional models. They can add so much value to your shots in terms of knowing what is practical on a shoot. They are also switched on about creating different angles and expressions as well as not minding (too much) about having a fan blown into their face at 100mph! Hard work but we came away with some great footage and image assets.
Product Photography
With the model shots complete, the products were next in line. Working from my home studio to be Covid safe, I followed the agreed brief sending shots to the Client to be approved before moving on to the next set of images.
Starting off with the shots for the website, this included products grouped together with their main ingredients followed by individual shots of the products on white with a small reflection and shadow. A bit of natural creativity and using my years of arranging still life products helps with composition. The old adage, “less is more” certainly applies to these kind of shots.
Sometimes there are challenges to overcome, big or small. One of the small issues on this shoot was the availability of ingredients as it is not always easy to obtain out of season or non-native species. Some ingredients could not be obtained so I had to resort to buying images from a stock library and comping them onto the final image. This is often an issue with these types of shots but is quite common and fairly straight forward to achieve.
For the background I chose paint to match the Brands Pantone colors which gives a much more professional look to the images and creates a more consistent look across the brand.
After the website shots and the individual products I then concentrated on the Instagram and Social Media images and animations.
Founder Portraits
The very last thing to do was the Lifestyle Founder Portraits on location, a light relief after months of preparation and shooting.
The process may seem quite straight forward but what you don’t see in the background is all the pre and post-production planning. The actual shoot is usually the “fun” part which is is over quite quickly.
The preparation beforehand helps keep the shoot running smoothly, then afterwards there is the job of sorting through the images and retouching. If there is video, as in this case, then all the footage has to be viewed before the long process of editing and the copy that goes with this.
In the end I am always guided by the Client as it is their product and they understand it more than anyone but I am also employed for my input and experience about what makes a good photograph so never be afraid to give advice as it is your skill and experience that you are hired for.
Happily the whole commission went smoothly and the Client ended up with some great assets and more importantly to me was very happy with the outcome. The website is now live, please support them as they are very passionate about their Company and more importantly the natural ingredients and supporting UK business ..wildsciencelab
Credits
Model Agency Fresh Agents
Models Isabelle Stickland Kate Waldron
Make up Lucy Meyer
Studio Studio by Sea
A happy Client!
“Stuart’s work is very professional & we have really enjoyed working with him; he’s very organized and open to any request we had. His photographs were absolutely beautiful and each one is a masterpiece, we will definitely use SP Photography & Film in the future.”
- A.Wasfy