Behind the scenes at the Element Isle photoshoot

I am so ridiculously proud to share this project with you! It’s one I’ve been looking forward to ever since the date was set; an epic 4 day photoshoot on the Isle of Man for our wonderful clients Claire and Scott at Element Isle.

Claire designs and makes the most stunning pieces of jewellery, inspired by the Isle of Man and the nature which surrounds them. Each piece created to faithfully capture the texture and fine detail of nature, the Element Isle collections span land, sea and air.

Since we first worked together in 2020, Claire & Scott have been on a phenomenal journey. When we met, Claire was working from her home studio, and selling through her Etsy store. After launching their new brand identity, they upgraded to their own website… followed by opening an incredible retail space… followed by expanding their workshop to accommodate demand… and amongst it all, they were commissioned to create a very special piece for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate her platinum jubilee. That’s a LOT to happen in such a short space of time!

The brand had naturally moved towards a more premium space, and unbelievably, they outgrew their first brand identity within 2 years. We worked together again at the beginning of 2022 to develop the brand identity, bringing it in line with their new aesthetic and more aspirational feel. Whilst we were all thrilled with the visual style, there was a crucial missing piece - the photography.

The photography they’d created so far was good, but fell short of the standard needed to really do the jewellery justice. The finer details of the imagery and styling just weren’t quite harmonising, so it was decided: I’d fly out there to make it happen.

This was a really huge project and the brief was massive. We’d be shooting in September, yet needed to try and capture all 4 seasons - against a very unpredictable weather forecast. I carefully built a Pinterest board to communicate the style I wanted to capture. paying close attention to the outfits that would be needed. Plenty of neutrals, a contrast of light silk fabrics with chunky jumpers, and a blend of dramatic, ethereal looks alongside more everyday styling. Element Isle’s Anneka did a phenomenal job of translating this into a stunning wardrobe of pieces for me to play with, meaning I could easily put together several different looks for each of our 3 models in a heartbeat.

There was no doubt who I wanted to work with on this project: Michael at Saltwick has exactly the creative style and breadth of skill required to pull off such a varied shoot. We worked together to capture sweeping landscapes, intricate product shots, lifestyle photography, portraits and workshop images, creating a huge collection of images which tell the story of every detail of the brand.

Over the course of 4 days we travelled the length and breadth of the island, with Claire & Scott as our guides. We scouted out some incredible locations, considering each for its character and style, and how well it would fit into each of the seasonal looks I’d sketched out.

Despite shooting in early September, I wanted to create 4 distinct looks to represent all four seasons. With this in mind, I had clear styling notes to guide the outfits and jewellery we’d work with - and on each location we aimed for a different season. Let me show you…

Spring; clear light, soft colours, floral detailing

Summer; romantic, etheral, delicate, flowing fabrics

Autumn; rich, earthy colours, highly textured, warm tones

Winter; dramatic, minimal, stark

Behind the scenes we all worked our socks off (quite literally, in some cases…), and spent the most incredible few days together. Luckily for me I was able to stay on the Isle of Man for a few days after the shoot ended, with Dan and our daughter Evie joining me for a short break. Claire and Scott took us for a rockpooling session at sunset; we discovered starfish, shrimp and enormous lobsters! An experience I’ll never forget.

I’m so thrilled with the results, and I know it’ll catapult Element Isle into a brand new league. This is a business which has evolved at lightening pace; goodness knows what awaits round the next corner!