LaPointe Bakery Brand Photoshoot

While the rest of the world shut down during the pandemic, Lisa’s opened up through her love of baking. She used her newfound time at home to start a small business: LaPointe Bakery.

Lisa’s top goal was to have a set of bright, professional images that she could use for her upcoming website launch. We planned the session to take place at her high-rise apartment in Minneapolis’ beloved Northeast neighborhood. It’s important to take photos in an authentic setting, whether it is the real workspace or a symbolic one – so her very own kitchen served as the perfect place to feature her home-based business.

Showcasing the Bakery’s Treats

The first step was to focus in on product photos for each type of treat in her shop. Lisa’s approach to creating her treats is to take a classic recipe and put a unique spin on it. Instead of snickerdoodle cookies, you’ll find the “Rum Kiss” in Lisa’s shop. The Rum Kiss infuses a rum extract into the mix which adds a bolder dimension to the taste. She combines almond cookies with a pistachio swirl to create her “Best Couple” cookies too. Even her chocolate chip cookies include a hint of sea salt on top, giving your taste buds an explosion of both sweet and salty flavors. Best of both worlds.

I have to admit the best part about taking product pictures for a bakery is that when the photos are done, you get to enjoy the all the delicious treats afterwards. Let me tell ya firsthand, they were fabulous!!

Showcasing Lisa as the Baker

Beyond the products themselves, we needed to highlight the business owner who is making all of this baking magic happen. I wanted to make sure I got her a handful of headshots, but put even more emphasis on her behind the scenes process that makes it all possible.

Lisa In Action

Who doesn’t love to be taken along behind the scenes? It helps us see the whole story and we connect with that story in a deeper way. It’s the before and after effect. One of the ways we captured Lisa “in action” was with her KitchenAid mixer. We got a lot of variety as she prepared a fresh batch of cookie dough. A close up on the KitchenAid. Her hands holding the spatula. Lisa rolling the dough into perfectly shaped balls that would soon melt into heavenly goodness in the oven.

Classic Headshots

While the cookies baked, we moved Lisa into the doorway of her apartment’s balcony. This let in gorgeous light for more full body shots and classic headshots, an essential for every business owner. We got extra variety out of her headshots by first having Lisa wear her white button up with jeans, then throwing signature apron on top of it. A few were tighter, standard, straight-to-camera smiling and the rest were her showing off her contagious laughter and personality.

Incorporating Inspirational Messages & Themes

Once we heard the oven timer ding, Lisa grabbed one of the fresh cookies herself to eat and enjoy. This made the perfect opportunity to include one a photo that embody’s her favorite quote by Ina Garten. “You can be miserable before eating a cookie and you can be miserable after eating a cookie, but you can never be miserable while you’re eating a cookie.” It is always a good idea to have a few favorite quotes or key messages that you want to come across throughout your content. It fills in gaps within your content strategy and helps your followers connect with you on a personal level.

Actions In Character for Lisa

When we had our original planning meeting, Lisa said she is always bringing treats over to friends and family. It’s in-character for her!She really takes the notion of “never arrive empty handed” to heart. Baking is one of the ways she shows her love to the people around her. To reflect this, I asked her hold a tray of her pistachio almond swirl cookies like she was bringing it to her best friend. Whether you’re having a good day or a challenging one, when Lisa knocks on your door she is about to make it even better with these treats in tow.

Showcasing Her Support

Lisa asked me to stay a few extra minutes to also include Mark, her soon-to-be husband, in some photos. Mark’s always been Lisa’s number one supporter so she wanted to reflect that. He is also a key factor in her brand story. The name LaPointe is the new last name she will take on when Lisa and Mark get married!

Mark was happy to join in the photo fun. We started with them interacting together in the kitchen. He popped a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to toast Lisa on her bravery for following her dreams. Mark always loves her cupcakes (I mean they’re a bakery staple for a very good reason!). So I included him in a photo series that had fresh cupcakes on the counter with him standing right beside Lisa. This visually conveys that support he gives her all throughout the year!

Next, I prompted them to interact in the kitchen too like the couple-in-love that they are. Mark picked Lisa up and sat her on the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist and swung her arms around his neck. He pulled her in the for the sweetest kiss that got them both beaming. I loved how their relationship shined through all of this. Including your significant other in the shoot demonstrates that even if you’re a one-person show running the business, there is still so much that goes on behind the scenes. Every person who supports you makes a difference. They’re your person, your village, your motivation on the hard days, and your inspiration on the good ones.

Where to learn more about LaPointe Bakery

If your sweet tooth likes the tell the other ones what to do, be sure to check out LaPointe Bakery. Grab some cupcakes from Lisa for your next party celebrations. Treat a friend to a surprise when they’re in need of a pick-me-up. You’ll love the flavors and take pride in supporting a local business!