Creative Directing with The Root Collective
Occasionally I get asked to exercise a part of my creative muscles that I don’t often get to on a professional level, and I LOVE IT! I’m pretty protective with my time and what I give my hearty YES to, but…
creative directing with The Root Collective has been near and dear to my heart and something that has refreshed me personally and creatively.
I have always been a hyper-creative person, and one way I love expressing that is by crafting and executing a vision
— whether that’s for an event, a physical space like someone’s house or a store display, a brand’s message (like what I do at Otherlove), or for photo/video shoots for brands, businesses, and individuals.
This is Bethany! Read her story of founding TRC here!
I met Bethany Tran, the CEO of ethical shoe brand The Root Collective, years ago through a mutual friend over a ladies’ coffee & pastry work date. I was doing full-time hair and makeup styling through my business LULA at the time, and I quickly got a sense of Bethany’s no-fluff work ethic, her powerful leadership, and her easy-going sense of humor!
I was shocked when she asked me to help creatively direct an upcoming photoshoot for one of her seasonal shoe launches. And to be frank, I was a little hesitant to say yes! I was very transparent about never having had this official role before, but that I had wanted to try, and that I really wanted to meet her wants and needs!
I call this the “dropcloth series” — my very first shoot creative directing for TRC!
As long as she was still willing to have me, I wanted to give it my best shot! And can I just say, this kind of safe, understanding, communicative partnership is the most hospitable environment for creativity to flourish and be cultivated!
And the end result is both beautiful and effective.
Starting out, I asked Bethany lots of questions regarding her wants and needs — what she viewed as her current pain points with photoshoots, her ideal situation going forward (in terms of her responsibilities and the images themselves), and what she felt she most needed my help with.
Her main goals were to elevate her visuals with more editorial shots, a cleaner/more cohesive wardrobe, and posing/shot direction in real-time during the shoot. She wanted to delegate those responsibilities so she could focus on all the other many responsibilities of a CEO on a shoot day.
Keeping Bethany’s wishes in mind, I did a deep-dive researching her then-current website and social media platforms, as well as her followers. What kinds of messages was she sending on her website with her current visuals? Which posts did her followers most strongly respond to? Who were her followers, and how could we keep them along with us, especially through a transition/evolution of visual branding and messaging?
TRC followers really respond to flat-lays…
so I had fun creating conceptual ones for social media!
During those first couple of shoots, I assisted with providing options for photoshoot locations, wardrobe, photographers, models, and hair/makeup artists. So, I REALLY got to play! I also created outfits for each model and each shoe, which isn’t as easy as it sounds! I directed the shots to encourage editorial poses and angles and to also make sure we got great detail shots on each shoe (along with all the standard product shots needed for e-commerce!)
We quickly settled into a great rhythm with our dream-team, which was great for everyone! Bethany found the location, photographer, models, and HMUA she loves.
Using the same team helps create a cohesive and consistent message with visuals from shoot to shoot, and helps everyone feel more comfortable because we are now used to, and genuinely enjoy, working alongside each other.
That comfort translates into the images! The result is easy-going, authentic, editorial but approachable shots that keep Bethany’s brand message clear and consistent, and keeps the trust of her followers!
These days, I’ve settled into the role of choosing wardrobe, curating outfits, and guiding shots throughout the shoot. I make sure to get all the shots needed for each shoe, while also gently pushing the comfort zones of the models and photographer to try new angles, poses, and locations within and around the studio we use!
It’s all with Bethany’s guidance and the brand’s overall goals in the forefront of my mind.
I am so thankful to be connected with fellow creatives and to have safe and exciting opportunities to work alongside them to create beautiful and meaningful things. I am grateful to be able to make an income doing something I genuinely love to do, without it being the main thing that I do.
I want Griffin and baby #2 to know that if mama is leaving their side for a moment, she is going off to do something that she loves and will come back with something she’s proud of and wants to share with them.
And who knows? If The Root Collective ever makes baby shoes, I low-key want them to come with me and be chubby baby models (alongside Bethany’s new little one) because that’s really what the world needs right now.
Are you in a creative field - for your work or for fun? What do you do? Is there something creative that you dream of doing? I would really love to hear about it!
Here’s to doing more things we love and giving our HEARTIEST yesses!
Sam
(P.S. - Friendors featured in this post are as follows:
Photography: Live Socially Branded
HMUA: Michelle Clark
Models: Jessica Douglas, Joanne Wetzel
Wardrobe: Lou & Gray, Anthropologie, Pamut Apparel
The “dropcloth series” is Photography: Emily Lyons-Wood, HMUA: Ashley Watts, Models: Melissa de Leon, Joanne Wetzel)
