Fletcher Rhodes Brand Shoot
Over the years running Fletcher Rhodes, I’ve planned dozens of professional photoshoots. This time around, while prepping for our first brand shoot in years, I decided to approach things a little differently! Let me walk you through why this shoot was so special, and share some of the final images.
Living in Sonoma, we’re around a lot of hair and makeup artists that work here for the wedding industry. Let’s just say they really book out far in advance, and don’t always have the look I’m going for. This shoot happened to fall on one of the peak seasons for weddings, so after a little trouble coordinating HMU, I decided to try something different. I'm fortunate enough to have an incredible 15-year-old daughter who is very well-versed in YouTube videos and TikTok tutorials! She amped up my every day make-up with bronzer and blush and opted for mascara instead of lashes. Being comfortable in my own skin, and being myself ended up being the most important elements to capturing authentic images.
That decision ended up extending to my wardrobe also. Instead of buying new outfits, I went a little bit more raw with my styling, and just wore a few things in my closet that I absolutely love. If we take a minute to think about the purpose of a photo shoot like this, it’s to capture the feeling of who I am as a designer. When I started to shift my perspective, I realized I'm not someone that really focuses on name brands and designer clothes! I've always dressed in neutrals and kept things pretty simple. I was a little nervous at first, taking this new approach to the shoot, but I have to say having my hair and styling more reflective of my daily life was a really good choice!
I hired a new photographer, Emilie Bers Graff, whom I loved working with. We had a call prior to the shoot where she went over day-of details, and also asked me some foundational questions. Who do you want to be in these images? Who do you want to represent? That’s when I realized that I just wanted to be myself, comfortable in my office wearing what I would wear to work on a Tuesday. Those are the outfits that I chose… some of my favorite jeans and some slacks from Jenny Kane and a T-shirt. I didn't overthink it.
On the day of the shoot we went to a few different locations around where I live and work. The first stop was a local winery called Bartholomew Estate, which is in my favorite little spot to picnic and hike in town. Later we went back to the Fletcher Rhodes offices, where we captured content around the property. The goal of the shoot was to capture a genuine look at my life and design process, and these locations really brought that to the forefront. Perhaps this recap will inspire you to take a more casual approach to your next photoshoot, as I’m so happy with the pictures that convey the good energy and flow that was present on set that day.
