What If Brand Photography Felt Like Childhood?
I've been thinking a lot about what I want children's brand photography to feel like. I don't want it to feel overly styled or overly posed. I don't want kids standing around holding a product and smiling at the camera because someone told them to. I want it to FEEL like childhood.
A little messy. A little colorful. A little unpredictable. Full of personality.
Which is probably why photographing Parker Kids Co. felt like such a natural fit. I've been actively seeking out this brand for my own kids as they give public school a try this year. Getting to photograph them was one of those projects that felt less like “here's a product I'm photographing” and more like getting to tell everyone about something I already really like.
The backpacks are made from neoprene, which is obviously a dream when you're talking about kids and backpacks. They're easy to clean, they have SO many pockets and little places to organize all the things kids somehow need to carry around, OH and I love the simple colors. Then you open them up and there's this really nostalgic stripe fabric inside and a place to put their name.
Starting public school was a huge transition for our family this year. I wanted to make it feel special and these bags were the perfect way to do that. The pockets for notebooks and treasures, a new favorite water bottle. These are things that our kids notice. These are childhood memories. And I think that's what I wanted these photos to show.
The patches might be my favorite part.
There are more than 30 different patches, and because they're hook-and-loop, kids can move them around and change them whenever they want.
My two-year-old can do it himself. And he LOVES it. He was so happy to have his own backpack and be doing what the big kids were doing. He could put his patches on, take them off, move them around, decide he didn't like that one there anymore and try something else.
It gave him a little piece of ownership over something that was his.
And that's the kind of thing I love photographing. Not just what the product does, but what it gives a kid the chance to do.
Let the product live inside the story.
That's really the heart of how I approach photographing children's brands. When I was dreaming up this shoot I knew I wanted a hill and sky setting. It feels like you’re waiting on the edge of a new adventure. The old desk was mine when I was a kid and using it as a simple prop brought back all the nostalgia for me. When I wanted to do a back to school shoot I knew these Parker Kids Co bags would be perfect because they are truly timeless. While keeping the kids needs and dreams at the highlight of the design.
When I photograph products I want to see it being used. I want the kids to interact with it instead of posing around it. I want their personalities to come through. The backpack doesn't always need to be perfectly positioned with every detail visible. Save those shots for a listing photo. I’m thinking bigger picture for your brand. The website and social marketing these are images you can add text to. These are images that bring that nostalgic feeling for parents and makes them want to buy a backpack for their kids so they can also have this adventure.
Because when we're talking about products made for childhood, we're really talking about the childhood that happens around them. That's what I want my brand photography to capture. Not just the thing. The thing in THEIR LIFE.
And Parker Kids Co. just happened to give us some really fun things to play with and bring the overall vibe to life!
So yes, I may be a little biased here. But I think they're pretty great.
XO
Jenn
