Hi everyone, Roshan here
The pictures you’ll see after reading my ramblings were all taken over the past few months at Susan Camille’s house. Considering how many photo shoots we’ve done recently, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some of the feelings it invokes, and some of those images here on our weekly newsletter. If you aren’t following us on Instagram yet, I suggest doing so because I’ve been sharing lots of behind-the-scenes content from these shoots there, as well as sentimental storylines that bring each fragrance to life.
Over the years we tried so many locations when shooting fragrances, but it is the magical details at Susan‘s home that make it the place we keep coming back to. As the Founder of the company, her entire personality is detail oriented and wildly diverse, and I try to express that trait through the subtle layering of notes in each fragrance, minute details in our labels, and the storyline behind each collection. When at her home, not only do I find perfect locations throughout her garden to shoot each scent with the actual flowers or fruit the fragrance was inspired by, but I also have access to a never-ending array of props that come in handy when we’re working on the fly. To bring you more into her world, I’d like to share some of the props and items I love most in her home:
- Infinite books: geography, religion, philosophy, cooking, gardening, farming, classic literature, Persian poetry, and more. The feel and smell of books are a core creative element of hers.
- Pottery and curios: Japanese bowls and teapots, antique American cookie jars and bowls, old clocks, wooden spoons, Blue Willow China, painted vases. I love all the different materials and time periods of each category; each piece holds its own story. As I age, I always look for yard sales or estate sales at homes like hers where you can tell someone has picked up small and special pieces over many years of life.
- Textiles and project materials: From Persian tablecloths to polar fleece and Victorian lace, I know the fabrics she keeps lying around in closets and cabinet drawers can be used to drape, frame, and highlight anything! I also love the array of mason jars ready for canning, stray seeds for planting, and other materials she has prepared and ready for the day that project comes to fruition.
Now that I’ve painted a picture of what these shoots feel like, let me show you some final images from them. You’ll note some of the textiles, vases, and props I shared above in these images, along with many more beautiful finds. In a future email, I’ll be sure to take images within the home itself to share. Next week Blackberries will be ready and we will be shooting Blackberry Lavender, so hopefully I’ll have more beauty to share then!
Until next week,
Roshan
This image was particularly fascinating as I took all the rose petals from another shoot, and froze them in a bucket of water with pink tulle we found in her home. The result after freezing was so beautiful, and perfectly conveyed the feeling of Winter Rose, which is one of my personal favorites. 🧊🥀