Ellie - Ellipsa
What really impressed Ellie was the creativity. We weren't working in a huge space, but there were so many angles, backdrops and small opportunities hiding in plain sight.
That's usually where the real work starts, not with a big studio or a perfect room, but with what's already there.
Working with what's in the room
Ellie's space was full of the things she works with every day: fabric swatches stacked in soft greys and warm neutrals, colour charts fanned out across the desk, a floor plan half-annotated in pencil. None of it was arranged for the camera. It was just what was there when we walked in, because that's exactly the point.
I'm not interested in recreating a stock photo of what an interior designer's desk is supposed to look like. I'm interested in what Ellie's desk actually looks like when she's mid-thought, reaching for a fabric sample, checking a plan against a colour reference, laughing at something just out of frame.
Making more of a small space than seemed possible
We weren't working with much square footage. A desk by a window, a brick wall, some natural light doing most of the heavy lifting. But small spaces have a way of forcing better decisions. Every surface, every material sample, every gesture of Ellie's hands sorting through swatches became a different frame, a different story about how she actually works.
That's the part people don't always expect from a brand shoot: not one polished hero image, but a whole set of quieter ones that add up to something true.
Natural light, done properly
Nearly all of this was shot in daylight from a single window. No softboxes, no artificial fill, just patience and paying attention to how the light moved across the desk through the morning. That's what keeps images like this from looking staged. They look like a moment someone happened to catch, even though every one of them took real care to find.
What Ellie said afterwards
"What really impressed me was Jo's creativity. We weren't working in a huge space, but she was incredibly resourceful and found so many different angles, backdrops and opportunities to create unique images. She made the most of every part of the location and achieved far more variety than I thought possible. She is also exceptionally talented at working with natural daylight. The photographs feel authentic and professional, without looking overly staged. Most importantly, she managed to capture personality as well as professionalism."
If this is what you're after
If you've been putting off getting proper photos of your work because you don't have a big space, or a perfect studio, or hours to spare, that's not actually what's needed. What's needed is someone who knows how to look properly at what's already there.
Get in touch
Jo x
