The Advertising Photography behind BeardSupply.com
Being a Dallas Portrait Photographer, I think it’s fair to say my specialty is in creating amazing One-of-a-Kind, Custom Photillustrations for either Family Portraits, or Advertising Photography.
Today, however, I’m going to show you a different side, and share the Advertising Photography behind BeardSupply.com.
I was introduced to Cody Murphey of Beard Supply after doing my Editorial Portraits of the guys from Brass Tacks Barber Shop, and through some good luck, had the opportunity to not only create some Editorial Portraits of the Beard Man himself, but to try my hand at some Product Photography as well.
Now, let’s all oil up our fancy beards and look at some Advertising Photography.
Beard Supply Mustache Wax, Beard Oil, and Beard Soap
Back in the day, when I was working as a “Professional Photographer” and shooting film, I was frequently hired to produce Product Photography.
However, since getting back in the game, and going digital, nearly 100% of my work has been as a Portrait Photographer.
So, when the opportunity came up for me to do some Advertising Photography, and try my hand at creating what I call, “Product Portraits”, I jumped at it.
All-in-all, I believe the Product Photography I did for Beard Supply was a success, which is exactly what Cody thought when he emailed me after receiving the images.
The 2 Problems I Overcame
While it’s true, I don’t have a ton of experience as an Advertising Photographer shooting product, I figured I would approach this project as I would any other project I’ve done.
After all, how much different can a bottle of Beard Oil be than a human?
Actually, come to find out, there’s a lot of difference.
However, I knew I had the chops for the job, and I was quite confident I could overcome any obstacles I came up against.
I knew this because, the part I love most about being a Professional Photographer, is Solving Problems.
Problem #1: Finding the Location
When I think of Beard Supply, and the vibe I got from Cody, the founder of Beard Supply, was the image of the product was synonymous with the outdoor, woodsman type of man.
Which is a HUGE problem in Dallas, since we’re in the middle of a major U.S. city.
I solved this problem by doing my research and finding a location in a local frisbee golf park, where from the outside, you would never believe it looked so cool.
Problem #2: Creating Unique Product Photography
My biggest problem, however, was figuring out how to create something different so a client would have a reason to choose me over any other Advertising Photographer in Dallas.
For this, I decided to stick with what I know best, and give my Advertising Photography my Photillustrator twist.
I know this is a rather vague idea, because “What is the Photillustrator twist?”, but my hopes are when you look at my Conceptual Photography, my Editorial Portraits, and my Product Photography, you instantly know they were created by The Photillustrator.
A Quick Look BTS
If you’ve looked over any of my previous posts, you’ve likely noticed I like taking you Behind the Scenes to show you what really took place.
If you want to see what a Photillustration that took 59 images to create looks like, check out my Breaking Down my White Trash Composite.
While this Advertising Photography isn’t anywhere close to being as elaborate as 59 separate images, it’s none-the-less fun to look behind the shutter.
Looking at the image I took of my setup makes me laugh, as I realize how crafty I can be to get the perfect shot.
Notice the tripod weighing down the light boom?
I love working in nature because of the challenges you never know you’re going to face, and for this photo shoot, who would have known my tripod would double as a boom weight?
That’s a Wrap
Ok, as much as I love talking about my Advertising Photography experience, and what went into the Product Photography for Beard Supply, I have to get back to work.
Today, I’m working on my list for Agency Access, which will hopefully generate some great new clients.
For me, being Successful as an Advertising Photographer is about working with Great Clients, working with Awesome People, and Solving Fun Problems.
