From the bamboo-lined fields of China, to the villas on the shore of Lake Como and the rural expanses of Wyoming, editorial photo shoots have taken me to some of the most magical places. But, not just geographically. Embracing editorial shoots has been a key strategy in allowing me to attract the kind of photography work I used to only dream of. And therefore, each of these favorite editorial photo shoots below played an important role in my career.
Inside KT Merry Education, I talk a lot about the power of ‘picking up the paint brush just to paint.’ About the tennis star reaching for the racket when no one is watching. About creating a personal practice that allows you to not only expand your craft, but to propel your career forward in strategic ways.
And yes, often editorial photo shoots are tied to a designer, or are commissioned to be part of a bigger project or need. Yet, sometimes they happen just because there was an idea. For example, some inspiration or a bubbling creation that needed to come to life. And that is where the magic—and the momentum—has always happened for me.
By committing to a consistent practice of shooting creatively, I have cultivated my own process of growth. And therefore, quantum, career-changing leaps. It’s the harvest that comes from plowing the field.
If you’re interested in cultivating your own creative process and practice—one that can create breakthroughs in your photography career, I’ll be opening the doors to The Merry Method soon.
The Merry Method is my 6-part program to help you master your unique creative process so you can build a powerful portfolio and become an in-demand photographer in your market. Click below to learn more and join the Waitlist.
When you join the waitlist, you’ll be the first to hear about my brand new masterclass designed to empower you with the strategies to build your own career-changing portfolio.
Until then, enjoy my editorial journey from China to Bali and beyond…
Harper’s Bazaar in China
When I think about our good fortune that this collaboration with Harper’s Bazaar took place before COVID, I’m awash in gratitude. Between visas and logistics, it was already an immense challenge to pull off. And after COVID, it would have clearly been impossible.
Longtime friend and business mogul Lelian Chew of The Wedding Atelier was instrumental in bringing all the moving pieces together. And Carrie Goldberg’s styling and creative direction lead to one of my favorite creative projects to date. The team was truly incredible. From sunup to sun down, it was a creative exploration. Definitely a career-changing shoot in more ways than one.
Sometimes the best shoots and the best images come from a simple idea and the willingness of a team to come together behind it. I’d had the desire to shoot on a sailboat for some time, and consequently, that was all this editorial photo shoot started with.
Together with stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz, videographer Caleb Jordan Lee, and hair and makeup guru Mar Romero, we created one of the most timeless (and one of my favorite) shoots to date.
Also, let’s not overlook that Mother Nature played a heavy hand in painting the most idyllic waters and cotton candy skies that day. I’m forever grateful.
Feminine and whimsical with a refined silhouette that is truly timeless—this is how I think of Monique’s designs. And, how this 2020 Fall collection that we photographed on Lake Como at Villa Pizzo sticks in my mind.
With so many breathtaking gowns against the backdrop of one of Lake Como’s most idyllic villas, this shoot was a dream. It went on to grace the cover of Monique’s coffee table book celebrating her 25 years of design— equally dream worthy.
Coming out of isolation during COVID, it felt like our creative juices had been bottled up. As a result, we were just screaming for an opportunity to create. Luckily, friend and powerhouse stylist Micaela Erlanger had recently moved to Miami and so she was also ready to create.
The concept of daring, bold colors, bright direct light and a powerful female model set the stage for this editorial shoot that was anything but shy. It felt like a coming out party and, indeed, it was. This editorial photo shoot goes down as one of my favorite personal projects.
The Ritz Paris (most recently the setting for Annie Leibowitz’s maternity portraits of Rhianna) was also the location for this iconic Paris editorial. The Ritz Paris encapsulates everything Paris is about: luxury, timelessness, and opulence. I love it. It didn’t hurt that the Marchesa and Monique Lhuillier gowns featured in this editorial photo shoot were like stepping into Spring itself.
We later shot along the river, because we also wanted to bring the Seine into the shots. As the sun set, that perfect Parisienne feeling overcame me. Take me back!
Some of my favorite projects are collaborating with brands to bring their story and vision to life. And shooting Bella Belle’s 2021 Metamorphosis collection was exactly that. I worked with longtime friend and creative genius Joy Proctor to manifest her incredible visions centered around metamorphosis.
We aimed to celebrate our collective transformation through the last few years in a story of color, rebirth and liberation. In Joy’s words:
“THIS IS A STORY OF LIBERATION TOLD IN COLOR; A LEGACY OF RESILIENCE THAT BEGAN WITH OUR ANCESTORS AND LIVES ON THROUGH US. IT IS A TALE OF TRIUMPH FOR BIPOC CULTURES WHO PERSEVERED DESPITE BEING UNDERESTIMATED, MARGINALIZED AND SILENCED.”
Collaborating alongside this passionate team was truly a privilege.
It’s always wonderful to be invited back to “play” with the industry’s best. And that was exactly the case here. Photographing Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2022 Bridal Collection in a historic villa near Lake Como was another dream come true.
One of the things that inspires me most is creating images that are layered in romance and celebrate femininity. These images are an invitation to allow yourself to be carried away, and to run away with your own dreams.
Big grand location, big grand dresses. This is a combination that’s bound to inspire me and set me into my creative flow each and every time. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with Geraldine Magazine many times over the years. And this editorial photo shoot was truly a highlight of those collaborations.
The magnifiqúe Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was the perfect setting to accentuate the classic silhouettes of the modern gowns. With all the pomp and presentation of a Saint-Honoré pastry, and the bright pink of a framboise macaron, these couture confections savored the rich, historic backdrop.
While I wasn’t the mastermind behind the creative direction of this shoot, it was an incredible opportunity to stretch my limits. I explored some gorgeous contrasts with light and backdrops. I traded my more signature bright light and backdrops for a dark backdrop and embraced the moodiness of Amsterdam.
Bespoke design and styling studio Pearl & Godiva was behind this editorial photoshoot—one of my first opportunities to get out of my creative comfort zone. That’s the beauty of collaborating with other talented designers and stylists. Additionally, it’s one of the reasons styled shoots continue to play such a big part in elevating my work and propelling my career forward.
Back to where it all began, in 2011. This was my first creative project where I tied my business goal of becoming a destination wedding photographer to my creative goal of making awe-inspiring work. And sometimes, the solution is to look in your own backyard!
I rallied my colleagues and friends from the fashion industry and returned to one of my favorite locations: The Moorings in Islamorada. While it might only have been apparent in just a few of the images, it’s fun to see the sprouts of my signature style forming even way back then.
This “Bali” project is the one I credit with kicking off my strategic use of editorial photo shoots to create quantum leap momentum in my career.
When you align your creative process with your career goals, the result is that you experience the kind of career breakthroughs you didn’t know were possible.
If you’re interested in learning more about how I went from a Bali-Inspired (Florida) photo shoot to working with Harper’s Bazaar in China, I’ll be hosting a brand new masterclass soon.
It’s a class designed to empower you with the strategic tools to build your own unique creative process and career-changing portfolio.
Click below to join The Merry Method Waitlist
and be the first to get all the details about my NEW masterclass.
Thank you for joining me in this reflection of some of my favorite editorial photo shoots to date. I can’t wait to create our next shoot and share it here.
've spent the past decade capturing love and chasing beauty across the globe, and I believe every story like yours is different and special, and deserves to be told exceptionally.
Drawing on years of experience in the fashion and editorial photography industry, my photographs are graceful, honest and boldly natural, while completely intentional. Whether it’s the opportunity to narrate the retelling of once-in-a-lifetime wedding days, or the ability to communicate issues of global importance, or all the stories in between, I look at photography as the method by which I get to leave the world a little better than I found it.
What we’ve spent the last decade learning as we built our business, we share with up-and-coming, soul-driven photographers who want to change the world with their work.