The metamorphosis from Dr. Suss to Calmin’ Ground continues

New name and identity? Check. Branding and logo? Done. The vision for future progress was fast becoming a reality at Calmin’ Ground, with the many members of the Branding Together team working hand in hand with the Lowensteins to help their business maximize its potential.

Stage 4: Photo & Video Shoots

Featuring Dani Diamond, Hudi Greenberger, and Gi Orman

The metamorphosis from Dr. Suss to Calmin’ Ground continues, with the elite of the Jewish photography and videography world capturing the serenity of Yossi and Leah Lowenstein’s bucolic paradise.

There’s something about an image that can tell a story like nothing else, and pictures and videos were going to be essential elements of Calmin’ Ground’s Branding Together transformation.

Putting together even a simple photo shoot is actually far more complicated than the average person might imagine. The first factor to consider is location. While some businesses may benefit most from being shot on premises, others may see better results from renting an alternate, more photogenic site. Outdoor settings can be magnificent, but while they also offer the benefit of stunning natural lighting, they can often be tricky to schedule.

“You’re at the mercy of the weather, and we had to cancel twice until we got weather that worked,” explains The Anelis Group’s Elisheva Perlman, creative director of Branding Together.

Other pieces of the puzzle have to fall into place too. Hire models or use people who are already part of the business? Which makeup artists and stylists to use? The right props and clothing can often mean the difference between shots that pop and those that flop.

Elisheva finds that music can put both creatives and their subjects at ease, and she always makes sure that everyone is well fed, because no one produces their best work when they desperately need a drink or haven’t eaten in hours.

“Little details make the biggest difference,” explains Elisheva. “Photographing a clothing brand with even minor creases, even really minor ones, makes the difference between an amateur and a professional shot.”

Elisheva recommends having a dedicated photographer taking behind-the-scenes shots for social media, although she doesn’t post them in real time so that she can be present in the moment and give her full attention to the shoot.

Additionally, waiting a day or two to put those pictures out on social media provides time to consider the best narrative for both the experience and the brand.

“After all, the shoot is not just about the end product,” advises Elisheva. “It’s about telling the story, and nothing can do that as well as creative social media storytelling.”

But perhaps one of the most important elements of any photo or video shoot is the shot list.

“People think that the photographer just goes and takes pictures, but while you need to give creatives the freedom to do their thing, at the same time, having a photo and video shot list is crucial,” notes Elisheva. “Going into a shoot, you are typically aiming for a certain theme, and it’s important to capture that particular shot or image.”

Still, Elisheva qualifies that she understands the importance of allowing moments to be captured organically.

“Sometimes I find that the one ‘not-needed’ shot is the magical one that captures the brand message, so it’s definitely important to have both,” says Elisheva.

And of course, no matter how well you prepare for a photo shoot, there are always things that can go wrong and lessons learned on the job. Elisheva recalls one indoor video shoot that turned out to be located underneath an elevated train line, underscoring the importance of having high-quality audio for every video job.

And when a child model got sick a day before a recent shoot, an Anelis Group team found themselves scrambling when the replacement hired wore a different size clothing and couldn’t wear any of the outfits bought for the photo session.

“You have to be prepared and just roll with the punches,” advises Elisheva.