It was my job to create a complete look + feel for his brand that would stand out from the sea of cheapo case companies popping up online.
Thought I'd share a few behind the scenes pics of the lookbook I just shot for The Dairy's new collection. The Dairy was my first ever client, and their owner is a dear friend of mine (not to mention a kick ass mentor + worldwide #boss). They make luxurious phone cases locally in Australia, UK and the US. Plus and have teamed up with everyone from Kerrie Hess to Mimco. Errry month, Cam partners with an artist or designer to create a new collection. Then he hires me to snap his goods + bring them to life. The best part about working with my regular clients is seeing the evolution of the work. The Dairy has definitely been a journey.
Cam really wanted his cases to be a premium product in an oversaturated market- so it was my job to create a complete look + feel for his brand that would stand out from the sea of cheapo case companies popping up online. Ultimately, we wanted to make his designs as chic as possible without detracting from the artwork on the cases. What we came up with was a look that pops. Instead of just another case, Cam's cases come with a story; they are the perfect accessory for all the design/art/blogger/business/creative humans who want to spruik their bags or add a dash of personality to their desk. They're for folks who like the aesthetics of Country Road + Kikki K, but with an occasional dash of something a bit more artistic + edgy. The lookbooks celebrate art, colour and all things design. It has been an honour to help bring this brand to life visually + I'm really excited to see how it develops further over the next year.
I've included a few cheeky bts pics for you guys in this here post. What might surprise folks about this shoot is the amount of time it took to get a complete lookbook from start to finish. To nail even just a handful of pics can take anywhere from a few hours to two days. I spent maybe 15 hours in my studio adjusting lighting, re-adjusting lighting, shifting props, cleaning sets (dust and fingerprints kill me in post production, honestly) and nailing compositions (if you've ever watched paint dry, you'll know what it's like to watch a product photographer shift a pencil back and forth twenty-four times until it's jusssssst right).
Then there was several hours of editing, re-editing, retouching. And finally, after much fiddling, there's a sigh of relief as I export the images. That moment where you hit 'send' + they shoot off into the interwebs to land in the lap of some client far away is unbelievably satisfying. The most rewarding part of my job happens when a client opens their inbox to new snaps + falls in love with what I've created. It doesn't always happen straight away- sometimes you have changes ('can we use a different type of peanut for this?' - a shoot for icecream) or re-edits ('I just feel the mood needs to be darker, moodier, can we get some more feeling in these edits?' - a shoot for wallets) but sometimes you have this magical moment where you feel like you've nailed it.
When that reply comes ('WHO ARE YOU? I'M DEAD. I LOVE THESE!!!!!'), or you see someone dig your pics online, it's honestly one of the best feelings in the whole world.
Charli xX
