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Maker’s Manual: How one book led the story
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Maker's Manual
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Our gift box
photoshoot diary
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The beauty of photoshoots? Each one takes you on a unique creative journey.
From location and lighting to products and styling, every element comes together to
tell a story—in this case, the story of the
new premium Blurb gift box.
Our designer Dakota and social media
manager Michelle set out to find the
perfect setting for our gift box photos and
the accompanying book, ISLA.
Here’s how the project came together in
their own words, plus a few tips
for photographing a book of your own.
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Behind the making
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“ISLA is a black-and-white surf story: volcanic rock, low light, a coastline shaped more by water than by people. When it came time to photograph our new gift box, we could have used any beach. Instead, we went looking for the one already inside the pages of the book we were using.”
Photoshoot tip: Before you look for
locations, go back through your own
book first. The setting you need is usually already on the page.
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“We scouted a stretch of tropical coast with the book as our only reference. Once we found it, the rest of the shoot planned itself.”
Photoshoot tip: Bring a printed page or two with you when you scout. It's easier to match a place to a photo than to a memory of one.
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Discovering the best angles
“Most of the shoot happened low to the ground. We chased the same contrast the book was built on, matte white box against dark, uneven rock. Some of our favorite frames from the day weren't the wide hero shots, but the small in-between moments: a hand steadying the box against the wind, sand catching the edge of a corner.”
Photoshoot tip: Let the small, unplanned
shots stay in the mix.
They usually end up feeling more true to the story than the ones
you set out to get.
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“By the end of the day, the book wasn't just what we'd photographed the box holding. It was the reason the whole shoot looked the way it did.
A gift box, shot in the actual world of the story it was built to carry.”
Photoshoot tip: If you ever take photos for your own book, try letting the book choose the location instead of the other way around.
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Add a gift box to
your next order
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Make unboxing your book that much more memorable with our new, premium gift box. Simply select this option at checkout.
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ISLA by Michelle Castillo and Dakota Brinkert
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