One of my favourite things about being a product photographer in Niagara is getting to work with local businesses, especially when they come back for another shoot.
This was actually my third time photographing for Masq Leather, a local Niagara small business run by the sweetest husband-and-wife team, Mehmet and Zeynep. They create their leather goods by hand right here in Ontario, and when I say by hand, I mean actually by hand. Their pieces are individually cut, stitched and shaped using full-grain leather, and the amount of care that goes into everything they make is kind of insane.
And yes, they do it all from their basement.
This time around, they reached out to me about photographing their leather Apple Watch bands, and I was so excited that they trusted me with another project.
Creating More Than Just Product Photos
One thing we really wanted to focus on with this shoot was creating a good variety of content. Because realistically, small businesses need photos for everything. Your website. Instagram. Ads. Email marketing. Banners. Product listings. The random graphic you suddenly realize you need at 10pm. So instead of creating one specific type of image, we planned the shoot around giving Masq a full gallery they could pull from for different parts of their business.
We photographed the Apple Watch bands on models so customers could actually see what they looked like being worn. Then we switched over to clean product-only images that showed off the different colours, leather and details. We also intentionally shot wider images that could work as website banners, leaving space around the products for text and graphics. And because brands need SO much content now, we added a few short video clips into the mix too.
Basically: one shoot, a whole bunch of different ways to use the content.
Photographing Something That's Actually
Handmade in Niagara
I think this is also why I love working with small businesses so
much.
There is a completely different feeling when you're photographing
something and you know the people standing beside you actually
made it. Masq Leather's products aren't being pulled out of a shipping
container and resold. Mehmet and Zeynep are literally working with
the leather themselves and turning it into the finished products you
see on their website. I'd previously photographed some of their bags and belt bags, so
I've been able to see more and more of what they create every time
we work together.
There's also something really special about having a client come
back for a second shoot — and then a third. As a photographer, that's probably one of the biggest compliments I can get. They trusted me with their products again, and I definitely don't take
that lightly.
Product Photography for Niagara Small
Businesses
Working with Masq Leather is exactly the kind of project that makes
me love being a commercial and product photographer in Niagara.
I get to meet local business owners, learn how their products are
made and then figure out the best way to translate all of that into
photos.
So if you're a small business owner in Niagara Falls, St.
Catharines, Grimsby, Hamilton or anywhere around the Niagara
region, you absolutely do not need to be a massive company to
invest in professional brand photography.
Whether you've got one new product you're launching or an entire
collection that needs photos, we can build a shoot around what you
actually need — from product photography and lifestyle images to
website banners and short-form video content.
And if you're making everything out of your basement?
Even better. Apparently those are my people.
If you've got a product that deserves some really good photos, I'd
