Spreads by Mel
“Hey, Random Hail Mary Question for you.”
text message Received Friday June 3, 2022
This text message came from a previous groom of mine, Andy. I had shot he and Mel’s wedding 4 years prior, and surprisingly kept in touch with Andy more than mel due to our shared love of writing.
Mel’s birthday was coming up, and Andy had an idea: Gift Mel a branding shoot with me to help her launch her new charcuterie business called “Spreads by Mel”.
To say that this surprise went off without a hitch would be an understatement.
After much discussion with Andy, we decided to surprise her via a zoom call ON her birthday so that she and I could coordinate the rest of the details together.
We ended up doing the session 2 months later, and chose her family’s vacation home in The Poconos for the setting.
Part 1: Product Shots
We started the day shooting “the necessities”. I had Mel make a list of what her offerings were (sizes, containers, etc.) and we made sure to get those safe shots first. For example, she offers a small, medium, and large to-go box, so we needed to make sure she had enough product to fill all 3, and of course photograph each individually so that she can show how each one is different/ compares.
Part 2: Process Shots
For this segment, we focused on close-ups of Mel’s hands. (Obviously, she would normally wear gloves, but I think the public understands these sessions are staged for content). These photos are important as they show the human element behind the product, while still keeping the product the main focus.
Part 3: Scene Setters
For the final portion of the day, we focused on creating little scenes in which people could potentially enjoy these products. First, we started at the cabin, where I did two separate set ups with Mel’s gracious friends (they were very good at modeling!). After that, we moved to a little beach down the road for a picnic scene, and finally we ended by the fire back at the cabin for some night shots.
Pro Tip that I learned from Mel & this Shoot: Get your ACTUAL FRIENDS to do this with you! We literally spent the entire day laughing, it was such a fun bonding experience for everyone, and a memory that all these wonderful friends now carry with them as they supported their friend on her beautiful new endeavor!!!
