4 Creative Tips for Styling a Brand Photography Test Shoot

STYLING A BRAND SHOOT - SLOWTIDE, RAEN, & MORE

June 5th, 2024

When it comes to photographing pieces for brands, every color, texture, angle, and detail comes together.

Styling is what makes it ultimately cohesive.

You could throw a bunch of items together for whatever seems to look good, but does it resemble the brand? Styling your shoot will help you deliver photos true to the original vision and to the brand's creative guidelines. So, the next time you are preparing for a brand shoot or plan to shoot their products, make sure you style it correctly.

I'll be using a sample shoot for SlowTide, Raen, and other brands that I shot with a friend and influence, Dana Rambo in San Clemente, CA this past May.

SETTING & THEME

We knew we were going to shoot at a pool with a very California-classic feel. The palm trees & stone made me think of old Hollywood pools & a lavish lifestyle. But adding our California twist, we turned it down a notch from LA and went with an OC style - classic but beachy.

We wanted to emulate a retro aesthetic with the classics & emphasize those "pool accessories".

In picking out brands and products, we looked at what was timeless out of our favorite sustainable brands.

A white button-down from ZSupply, a b&w striped bikini from Zonarch, a checkered towel from SlowTide, & tortoise sunglasses from Raen.

COLORS

The colors were mostly neutrals (black, white, brown, tan/off-white) and greens/blues for the California-classic look. These colors were consistent across all brands utilized.

We warped time & went brighter for a funkier feel using the Slowtide hapa towel with an orange & pink print. The teal-pool hues worked really well for these shots highlighting the towel's colors.

POSES

Now putting all of these elements together, the products & brands, the theme, the colors and textures, we have our look!

I use Pinterest to help create a moldboard for specific poses, but a lot of time when shooting, we end up getting really creative and doing our own thing. This makes for the BEST photos!

For example, I saw a photo with the towel wrapped around the model's head & knew we had to recreate this in our own way. The towel pose reminded me of 50's & 60's beauty ads with the ladies in robes, promoting some sort of skincare product.

This was on my shot list & I was so excited with the final product! But moments after the pose, Dana's pup Ziggy waltzed up to give her a kiss. And he was the moment.

These shots are what I live for - so candid & authentic but, still, in-vision.

We also played around with the hapa towel and the blue-hues of the pool for some really cool shots! Poses were really just in-the-moment with what felt natural for being at a pool. Laying the towel down, sun-tanning, dipping your feet in the water, putting on sunscreen, lounging around, etc.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So next time you plan a brand shoot, make sure you are styling colors, textures, themes, and poses.

Cross-reference brands and their social pages to make sure you are also on-point for their branding (especially if you are working directly with them), and don't be afraid to create your own masterpiece in the moment vs sticking to an inspo photo.

Styling will help you create your unique vision & deliver photos with a clear theme that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and relevant to the brands photographed.

Thanks for reading, and new blog posts are live every Wednesday!