food

Lifestyle Brand Photography in Seattle | Bamboo Abode

in , ,

Creating a visually stunning brand is an art form, and capturing your product in a visually beautiful way is so impactful to the development and success of your brand identity. In commercial photoshoots, not only is the goal to attract new customers, but to hone in on the story that your brand tells so that it attracts raving fans vs just driving individual conversions. Planning your photoshoot is a collaborative process between us, and the more you’re able to bring to the table the better the result.

This recent shoot with Bamboo Abode is the poster child for what happens when a brand has done their homework and planning to create a beautiful shoot. There is enough structure for success while leaving some white space for improvisation and the unpredictable moments where light shines in in just a certain way.

  1. Inspiration and Theme: Start by gathering inspiration for your photoshoot. Consider the vibe you want to convey – is it rustic and cozy, modern and chic, or perhaps a blend of both? Choose a theme that aligns with your brand and the message you want to send.

  2. Location Scouting: Seattle is brimming with photogenic locations that can enhance the visual appeal of your charcuterie board. Make sure the location complements your chosen theme and provides ample natural light for those perfect shots.

  3. Product Design: Before the photoshoot, carefully curate your products to reflect your brand's aesthetic. Consider the color palette, textures, and arrangement of elements. When you’re going for a brand photoshoot, it’s less about featuring every single piece you offer and more about creating an intentional collection to tell the strongest story.

  4. Props and Styling: Enhance the visual storytelling of your brand by incorporating props and styling elements. In this shoot, we used elegant serving utensils, rustic cutting boards, fresh herbs, and decorative plates to add a touch of sophistication to the photos. Consider the overall color scheme and choose props that complement the theme and mood of your shoot. We brought the products to life with a lifestyle portion to the shoot models interacting with the product.

  5. Plan & Outline: Think about the final use of the images you’re creating. Where will they be used? What orientation will the need to be shot in to provide the crop ratio you’ll need? What are the most important themes you need to explore? Using all of this information, draft an outline. Even if the shoot strays a bit from this, it will ensure the most important elements are covered. I love leaving space for inspiration to strike and for improvisation. I’m happy to help in the production but am not a brand agency, so the more direction you come into the shoot process with the better the result.

Enjoy these photos from our Bamboo Abode shoot! Shop their beautiful products here!

The Thing I Almost Gave Away

in

I practically gave away our kitchen aid mixer five years ago. It’s a heavy piece of machinery and it’s sometimes hard to justify its kitchen real estate (especially when we were moving around a lot in our early marriage!). Someone told me to hold onto it because I’d bake more when I had kids. At that time I wasn’t even sure kids were in the future but I listened to their advice. And lo and behold, now that I have kids, spending a quiet nap time alone in the kitchen baking actually is pretty great.

Last weekend I walked over to the apple tree in the yard and picked a few and tried @onceuponachef’s apple cake recipe and DAMN. The scent of baked apple wafted up the stairs and drew my family down where we devoured half of it before it even cooled.

Here is the recipe. (Note I subbed whole milk for dark rum and was very happy with the results!)

red apples and apple cake with a slice cut out on a blue towel
red and green apples in a bowl lined with a blue striped tea towel

An Easy 1-Minute Lunch

in

I’m a big believer in the “miracle product” over here. Anything that does multiple duty and will take my situation from average to fantastic is an instant win in my book. So yesterday, during a quick run to my local Trader Joe’s, I was specifically on a hunt for key ingredients to make my life quicker and easier (and moreover, to make delicious, healthy and FAST lunches).

salad with chicken, blueberries and wonton strips in a white ceramic bowl on a white countertop

I always love to grab a pack of their cooked chicken from the refrigerator section. It’s easy to throw into lots of recipes, and we had a lot of salad greens at home that I didn’t want to go to waste (is there any worse feeling than pitching unused produce?!). I also grabbed a package of organic blueberries, which they always seem to have and at a pretty decent price. Then, I saw it:

I don’t know if it’s a new product or just new-to-me, but this Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing caught my eye right away. I’ve used TJ’s dressings in salads and grain bowls on many occasions, and they always level things up. Since I’ve been trying to rely less on dairy and I had only some sad and almost empty salad dressings at home I decided to give this a whirl.

The verdict? Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just get thee to Trader Joe’s and get this dressing ASAP. I threw together this salad in under 1 minute and ate it just about as fast. The dressing is creamy, not overpowering, and makes this otherwise basic salad feel really special.

Pro tip: keep a bag of wonton strips on hand. Last year when Sam was born we subscribed to a meal service box, and I noticed how having these little extra toppings really make things go the extra mile.

I’m also excited to mix this dressing into chicken salad with grapes and walnuts, or to use as a dip with fresh veggies.