Every business has a start, we’ve all been there. It’s that moment when you have a project coming up that is completely new. Do you fake it until you make it? Do you admit that you’re nervous and are scared to fail?
As most of you have noticed by now, my business has taken on increasingly more lifestyle clients this year. I’ve been able to partner with brands and capture images that tell their story. Every project is different, from painters to dress designers to branding specialists, my clients all have unique products and hearts behind them. One of the businesses I’ve been lucky enough to work with recently is Younger Homes. This husband and wife duo creates green custom homes that are straight out of your dreams. Their personal home is the model, designed by Haley Manning. However, before this shoot, I’d only captured one home and it was of a client turned friend who I had worked with extensively. This felt like something completely new and a bit scary, to be honest. I had been talking with Danielle of Younger Homes for about ten months setting this shoot up. This shoot was to showcase their gorgeous home which felt different than the normal people and product lifestyle shoots I have plenty of experience in. However, I have learned that when faced with a new opportunity, to show up with preparation and grace.
Preparation that day looked like renting every lens I could think of that I could possibly need. I had my tripod, styling board, wide lenses, macro lenses, every lighting supplement I own, and a whole list of shots I knew I’d want. I made sure to talk through the shoot with Danielle the months and weeks before, I would rather be over prepped than not ready on that day. I came with coffee in hand and armed with all the confidence I could muster. [Yes, that did include blaring Beyoncé on the drive there].
Now for the grace portion, I had to walk into that shoot knowing that I didn’t know it all. I had to ask questions day of and not be scared to ask to move an object or rearrange something that didn’t work. Grace can look different depending on the day, and at that shoot it looked like capturing every single angle possible and taking the time to hear the story behind the rooms I was documenting. It turned from a simple capture the room shoot to a story of a couple who’s heart went into every choice in design and who’s family is making a real home here. Danielle and her husband Jessie jumped into a few shots, along with designer Haley, and those were my favorite of the day. A gorgeous house made a welcoming home.
All in all, this shoot was a perfect start to capturing more interior designers' work. I probably shot way too many images. I learned from a few mistakes during the shoot that I had to fix in Photoshop. I now know a few tricks for covering outlets, shooting a patio floor, and lenses that I’ll actually use. That moment of fear was chased away by preparation, grace, and the kindest of clients.
See the final images from the shoot in the gallery below. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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