Creative Director specializing in Photo shoot direction Content creation and social media assets.
Inside the box: seller Spotlight On Teak & Twine (Copy)
'Gratitude changes everything' A phrase that is imprinted on just about every piece of packaging that luxury gift purveyor Teak & Twine sends out. And who wouldn't be grateful to receive one of their custom, and carefully curated boxes? Each box is brimming with hand-selected, beautifully designed products and an unbelievable attention to detail.
'Gratitude changes everything' A phrase that is imprinted on just about every piece of packaging that luxury gift purveyor Teak & Twine sends out. And who wouldn't be grateful to receive one of their custom, and carefully curated boxes? Each box is brimming with hand-selected, beautifully designed products and an unbelievable attention to detail.
When the doorbell rang last week for the postal service man to bring up my packages, I ran down the stairs to meet him, quickly signing for the long awaited box. It didn't disappoint. A thick linen-paper wrapped box with silver embossed lettering, opened up to a perfectly co-ordinated all white box filled with beautiful products; I was smitten. Teak and Twine has made it their business to scout out hard to find, small batch artisanal goods. Whether it's pink Himalayan sea salts, artisanal lavender honey or delicately scented, hand-poured candles, this company is bringing thoughtful gifts to a whole new level.
Based in Destin, Florida and shipping to all of North America, Teak & Twine's boxes cover everything from wedding gifts to house-warming gifts. Each one is cleverly named to convey a certain idea or aesthetic and with adorable names like the all blush-pink Peony Box or the home-centric Hearth box, you'll be tempted to buy them all! If you have an idea or a special event that they don't carry, you can even contact their team to have it customized to include specific items or even by your favourite colour.
In case you're thinking that this is just too many good things in one package, Teak & Twine isn't just about pretty things, they really believe their mantra. They make sure to include socially conscious products in their boxes, like The Prosperity Candle, a company who employs women refugees to help them earn a living wage, and they devote a percentage of their profit to charities that help disabled war vets.
As a photographer and creative director with a business of my own, I'm always looking for something new and fresh to offer clients or to add to my own little stash and this checked all the boxes. It was so thoughtfully arranged that it felt like an intimate friend had sent it to me and I can't rave enough about the level of detail and the pure aesthetic appeal Teak & Twine offers.
So if you're looking for something unique for a friend or you just want to send yourself something, this really is a little box of perfection.
Parting Words of Wisdom:
I agree with Teak & Twine's motto, 'gratitude' certainly does change everything, and when we start from a place of gratefulness everything seems special and unique. Sometimes it's important to slow down and remember who and what your grateful for and maybe sending a thoughtful gift is the perfect way to do that. Besides, like I tell my little boy every night before bed, there is only one of each of us.
Over at Autumn Wood HQ we are sipping on some of Six Depot's coffee and trying to ignore all the rain and snuggle down in a comfy hoodie while reading Domino's latest issue. As always if you need a photographer or creative director for your next photoshoot, catalogue or lookbook we're here for you and we'd love to hear all about it!
How to connect with Teak & Twine:
Check out all their amazing options here at www.teakandtwine.com or you can find them on facebook here: Teak& Twine
Q&A: What is a prop-stylist and 3 ways to help you style the perfect Instagram photo:
Have you ever wondered what a prop stylist does, or how to style a scene for your Instagram, Facebook or blog? Since launching my photography company here in Montreal, I frequently get asked what I do, how I compose a shot and how prop-styling works. So, to answer all those questions, I created a blog post talking about just that. Here is a little background info on what I do and how to create a balanced, dynamic photo from the ground up.
Have you ever wondered what a prop stylist does, or how to style a scene for your Instagram, Facebook or blog? As a photographer with a background in prop styling, I’m constantly asked how I compose a shot and how prop styling works. So, to answer all those questions, I created a blog post talking about just that. Here is a little background info on what I do and how to create a balanced, dynamic photo from the ground up.
Q: What exactly is a prop stylist?
A: A prop stylist is someone who provides, styles, arranges and makes the 'goods' look beautiful in a shoot. As a prop stylist, you are responsible for all the objects that you see in a photograph. That could be something as big as a table, or even a kayak (yes, this really happened to me once) or as small as a dessert spoon. You have to make sure that all the objects in a shot work together in creating the right aesthetic, story and backdrop for whatever the shoot is about.
Q: How do you style photographs:
A: When I style photographs, whether for a magazine, advertisement or social media content, I try to follow some basic rules:
1. Select items that help you tell your story, but don't overload the shot. Sometimes that means if the shot is about, for example, cookware, I don't fill every surface with an object. You may only need a lovely linen dishtowel and a wooden spoon to tell the story... and not the measuring cup, stacked plates and silverware.
Rule of thumb: Take a look at your shot and make sure you need all the elements and maybe remove one. Like Coco Chanel said on accessorizing, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off." The same goes for styling your photo.
2. Create some sort of common thread to draw the shot together. I'm a really colourful person, so oftentimes for me, that is the thread I use to tie it all together. Colour can be a really emotive way of telling a story visually and it's relatively easy to create a photo that feels complete when all the elements are in the same colour family. It could also be texture, time period, or subject matter (i.e., all kitchen related).
3. Leave negative space around the main focus of the shot. This goes along with number one, but also hearkens back to art school or even geometry, for that matter, where you were taught all about the golden spiral or the rule of thirds. This is a simple way of composing a shot that is visually attractive because of proportions. In composing a photo in this manner, you focus all the content into a concentrated area of the photo (the corner, for example) and the negative space radiates out from it. Below is an example of using the golden spiral to compose a shot.
4. The last thing I do when composing a shot is what I call: building a foundation. This is where I focus on the key elements of my shot and slowly build up, adding various elements one at a time. Below is an example of how I "build" a shot:
Q: What if I do all these things and my shot still doesn't turn out right or I just don't have the time to do all these steps:
A: Hire me! I recognize that creating dynamic, on-brand product photography, lifestyle content or social media posts is really hard and that's why I'm here! I love what I do, and I love working with awesome brands and individuals to help them create stunning photography that really connects people to their brand.
Drop me a line and I'd love to discuss how we can work together!
Over at Autumn Wood Stylist HQ, we are currently sipping some delicious Italian espresso and listening to Katie Perry... just don't tell anyone, Ok?