Journal · Vol. 01 · 2026
Notes from
behind the camera.On creative direction, brand photography, and video production.
Working notes on the strategic decisions made before the shutter clicks. New issues when the work warrants them.
Contents
A Grand Prix Activation Is a Campaign, Not an Event
LVMH signed a record ten year deal with Formula 1, and every premium brand is now activating at the Grand Prix. A creative director on why that work is a campaign, not an event, from weekends shot for American Express, IWC, IBM and TAG Heuer.
Brand Activation Content Deserves the Campaign Standard
Brands spend campaign money building an activation and coverage money on the photo and video that carries it. I direct activation content, stills and motion, for American Express, Nespresso, IWC and Uber Eats. Why it needs campaign craft without campaign artifice.
Employer Brand Video Is Directed, Not Filmed
I have directed employer brand video for Sephora Canada, HR Path, NFL Canada, and alongside Google. Employer brand video production gets briefed as a camera problem. It is a directing problem, and most of what decides the outcome happens before anyone sits down under lights.
Why Your Content Looks Good and Still Isn't Working
Polished content that still falls flat is rarely a production problem. It is what happens when the work gets made before anyone decides what it is for.
Event Photography and Brand Activation Are Different Jobs
Event photography and brand activation coverage get briefed as one line item and priced as one, and they are two different jobs. I have shot activations for American Express, Salesforce, Amazon, and Nespresso. What event coverage misses at an activation, and how to brief for images the brand keeps using.
What Does a Brand Video Cost? A Creative Director's Answer
What a brand video costs ranges from a few thousand to six figures, and the number alone tells you nothing. A creative director on what sets the price: the four kinds of brand video, what moves the cost, and why the cheap quote is the expensive one.
What a Brand Foundation Actually Is (And Why Most Brands Skip It)
Most brands mistake a logo and a brand book for a foundation. A real foundation is the system that holds the standard when nobody is in the room to guard it.
Luxury Brand Photography: Its Own Discipline
Luxury brand photography is not event coverage with nicer subjects. A creative director on composition, brand book preparation, and campaign standard delivery, from IWC to Michael Kors.
What Creative Direction Changes on a Brand Shoot
I meet clients with years of photography they paid for and cannot use. What creative direction changes on a brand shoot: the question asked before the camera comes out, the details caught on set, and why content shot without it ages out fast. From Nespresso to Joy Wellness.
What Makes a Brand Campaign Worth Keeping
Most brand campaigns come back competent and get forgotten in a quarter. I have directed campaigns for American Express, TAG Heuer, Michael Kors, and Sephora. What decides whether the images still earn their place months later is the direction, not the camera or the budget.
What Makes Corporate Brand Photography Work
I have shot corporate events for Google and Sephora, and headshots for LinkedIn and Kenvue. What separates corporate brand photography a team uses all year from a folder nobody opens twice is not the equipment: it is the decisions made before the camera comes out.
About the Journal
The Journal is the long-form companion to the work. New issues when there is something worth writing about.
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