The Project:
Caviar Care Radiance serum launch photography
Caviar Care approached me to photograph the launch campaign for their first product, the Radiance serum. The brand is a doctor-founded skincare line that brings clinic-level expertise to home routines, and they needed images that could introduce the product across their marketing channels. I photographed two models separately and together, capturing a fun and uplifting mood with naturally glowing skin, alongside the serum both in and out of its packaging. The collection also included hand shots and paired portraits that would give the brand flexibility in how they presented the launch.
Working from Vancouver as a skincare product photographer, I approached this shoot with the understanding that beauty photography for e-commerce and advertising needs to do more than look polished. The images had to show the product clearly while also conveying a mood and result that feels authentic. For a serum launch, that means balancing close attention to packaging details with lifestyle moments that make the product feel accessible and worth investing in.
The Execution:
Building portraits that center the product and the story
I started with the models photographed individually, building portraits that put the serum front and center. Each model held the product near their face in some frames, creating a direct visual link between the serum and their skin. This choice let the packaging remain legible while also framing the model's complexion as part of the story. In other shots, I pulled back slightly to capture full side profiles and relaxed expressions. The goal was to create a range of cropping options that could work as close beauty shots or wider campaign images, depending on where the brand needed to use them.
The paired portraits added another dimension to the collection. I photographed both models together in a way that felt warm and grounded, creating images that could speak to community or shared ritual without losing the premium feel. These shots offered the brand more storytelling flexibility for social content or email campaigns where a slightly softer, more relational tone might resonate.
Lighting for skin texture and product clarity
I used diffused lighting throughout the shoot to preserve skin texture while creating a healthy glow. Skincare photography often walks a fine line between showing real skin and making it look overly retouched or flat. I shaped the light to highlight natural dimension and warmth in each model's complexion without erasing pores or texture. That same lighting approach carried through to the product shots, where I needed to prevent harsh reflections on the glass bottle and dropper while keeping the label typography sharp and readable.
The hand shots provided close-up moments that focused entirely on the product and its use. I captured the dropper in hand, the serum held at different angles, and tactile interactions with the packaging. These images work well for product detail pages and ads where the emphasis is on the physical experience of using the serum rather than the broader campaign narrative.
Color consistency across the collection
Color consistency tied everything together. I worked with a warm, rose-peach tonality across all the images, coordinating the backdrop, the models' skin tones, and the product packaging into a unified palette. This approach gave the collection a cohesive look that would translate clearly across digital platforms. It also reinforced the brand's positioning as warm and approachable without sacrificing the clean, intentional aesthetic that signals quality in the beauty space.
The Results:
A flexible photo collection built for launch and growth
I delivered a photo collection designed for the brand to use across their launch. The campaign portraits with the product in frame give them strong visuals for advertising and social media. The e-commerce product shots provide the clarity needed for online store pages where customers are evaluating details like packaging size, label design, and finish. The hand and interaction shots offer micro-moments that can fill in around the campaign images, whether in email sequences, social media stories, or secondary ad placements.
One of the advantages of shooting both models separately and together was the built-in variety for testing and adaptation. The brand could run ads featuring one model, then switch to the other or to the paired images as they refined their messaging. They could crop tightly for mobile-first placements or use the wider compositions for desktop banners. That flexibility matters when you're launching a product and don't yet know which visual angles will perform best with your audience.
Minimal retouching for credibility and realism
Minimal retouching kept the images feeling real. I evened out skin tone where necessary and cleaned up any distractions, but I left the natural texture intact. For a brand rooted in clinical expertise, credibility comes from showing results that look achievable, not airbrushed. The same principle applied to the product photography: clean, accurate rendering of the bottle, label, and serum itself, with no exaggerated highlights or manipulated color.
The collection works because it addresses multiple needs at once. It gives Caviar Care campaign-level images that establish a mood and connect the product to the experience of using it. It provides the practical e-commerce shots that let customers see exactly what they're buying. It offers the in-between moments (hands, interactions, paired portraits) that fill out a content calendar and keep the visual story consistent across touchpoints. For a first product launch, that kind of adaptable photo collection reduces the need to reshoot every time a new marketing need comes up.
If you're launching a skincare line or need product photography for beauty brands, let's talk about how we can build a photo collection that works across your channels and supports your growth.
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