Content is king in the online world and we all know that – I hope. We also know that in the sphere of creative content, visuals can capture the attention like none other, that is why I thought it might be interesting to chat with a visual content creator and get a glimpse into her colorful world and her process both with 1-1 clients and with her stock gallery. Today, I present to you, Alli Elmunzer from Turquoise & Palm:
I’m Alli Elmunzer, a lawyer turned photographer. I have been a photographer for the past 8 years at my studio Turquoise & Palm where I specialize in product and brand photography and creative content creation. I am also the founder and creative director of the Stock Gallery, a stock photography membership site for businesses looking for unique yet high quality stock photos. I am so passionate about what I do because I feel extremely lucky that I was able to leave the practice of law (something I definitely was not passionate about) and do work that I truly love and fulfills me.
I actually serve businesses both small and large. From solopreneurs to publicly traded companies, all businesses no matter what stage they are in have a need for beautiful visuals. In order to differentiate myself, I started by posting what I loved and resonated with me. I then paid close attention to the response it got from my audience and community. Noticing what stylings and photos got the best response helped me hone in on really fine tuning my style and thereby differentiating myself from others.
I think the niche actually found me. With the rise of social media and the standard for visuals in the business world being elevated everyday, the need for creative styling and photography is at it’s peak. Businesses want to stand out and those companies that don’t have in house photographers or creative teams need to outsource to accomplish that. So although the market is quite saturated with photographers, the creative styling and photography niche is still being developed. Luckily it is a niche that I am passionate about so I was able to fall right into it once I realized how big the need really was.
If I am creating content for a client, it is usually a collaboration between the two of us to decide what the ultimate goal for the final product is. I definitely use their insight and ideas but ultimately use my expertise in styling and photography to create awesome content for them. If I am creating content for my business, I basically just create whatever speaks to me, but it always includes lots of color!
When I client initially contacts me I send them my information packet including details about me, Turquoise & Palm, samples of past work, what they can expect from the experience working with me, and the timeline for the process of us working together from start to finish. Once the client has a chance to review the information and decides to hire me, we work together to determine exactly what their content creation and photography needs are through a shared Pinterest board and a detailed questionnaire. We then move into the creative phase where I put together the creative concepts I will be shooting for them. The client then approves these concepts, we set a shoot date, and I start prop sourcing. Once I have all the props and the shoot day arrives, I shoot the photos, edit, and deliver to the client. Usually the process takes 3-4 weeks, but sometimes is faster, depending on how quickly the client gives me feedback and creative concept approval, and how heavy my work load is at the time.
My favorite photography tool has to be my 50mm f/1.2 lens. I initially got this lens when I was photographing weddings, but it’s the perfect focal length for both my lifestyle and styled work.
My tip would be to not be afraid to reach out to those brands and businesses you would love to work with. Companies right now are desperate for creative visual content and you never know, they might just said yes to what you are offering! When I started out I reached out to many companies I wanted to work with and can say I was shocked and excited with how many of them said yes and hired me! Don’t be scared of the no’s, every no gets you closer to that yes!
Alli’s Social Links:
Lifestyle & Commercial Photographer