Creative direction and photo session for Off The Earth
A product image in food and drink does not end at the plate; it ends in the feeling the viewer leaves with. For Off The Earth, a creative direction for photography was set before the camera was raised, and a full session was then produced on a single style: direct light, concrete backdrops, and the product as the only splash of colour in the frame.
The brief
A new brand needs an image library that works everywhere: social media, the menu, advertising and packaging. A photo session costs time and a team, and without a written direction the pictures come out scattered, each speaking its own language. So the work began with the direction, and the session was produced to follow it.
The visual direction
The direction rests on four decisions repeated in every frame:
- Direct light and measured shadow. A close flash gives the picture the sharpness and contrast of film, and lifts the product out of the dark.
- Concrete backdrops and metal surfaces. Rough grey and stainless steel give the frame a clean industrial character that sets off the product’s colours.
- A neutral palette and one accent. Black and white clothing, with the dark and light green of the cups as the only moving colour in the picture.
- A consistent character. Dark oval sunglasses and calm gestures make the session one series and give the brand a recognisable face.
Types of shot
The session was divided into shot types that cover the content’s needs: the product on a surface to show the cups and colours, the close-up of hand and product to show texture and packaging, the character with the product to build human presence, and the motion shot that catches the ingredients being prepared.
Character and presence
The portrait shots become one continuous series: a face partly hidden by the sunglasses, a product lifted to the mouth or held out to the camera, an indirect gaze. This style serves everyday use of the content, since each picture stands alone and looks connected to the rest once they sit together in the grid.
What this means for your brand
A single photo session with a clear direction gives your brand an image library in one visual language, enough for content, menu and advertising, and makes every new picture measurable against the same reference. If you are launching a brand or refreshing its image, the creative direction is what gets settled before the photographer is hired: what the viewer should feel, and what repeats in every frame.
Creative direction of the photography by House of Idea, led by Mohammed Alhasoon.
Launching a brand or refreshing its image and need a photography direction?Start with Concept Building: a document that sets the character and the visual direction before the session is booked.
Concept Building →