The Brief:
Translating literary rebellion into skincare campaign photography
I photographed FaceCrime's launch campaign for their natural face oil, a Vancouver skincare brand founded by a doctor with years of beauty industry experience. The brand takes its name and visual direction from George Orwell's work, building an identity around rejecting conventional beauty marketing. The founder wanted imagery that felt subversive and slightly grungy while still communicating that the product works. As a skincare product photographer working from Vancouver, I created a collection that translated the brand's countercultural inspiration into gestures and expressions that read clearly on screen.
The Strategy:
Model direction that makes abstract concepts concrete
The photography centered on model-led portraits that made the Orwell reference tangible. In one frame, two models lean close in a conspiratorial pose. In another, a model forms a finger gun with her hand. These weren't arbitrary choices. They gave the crime concept a visual shorthand that could work across social feeds and campaign layouts. The brand needed photos that communicated rebellion without looking like a joke, and that kept the focus on credible skincare.
I approached the direction by keeping expressions relaxed and gazes direct, so the subversive posing felt confident rather than theatrical.
The Execution:
High key lighting as product proof
I used high-key lighting throughout the shoot to keep skin looking clean and luminous. Soft, even illumination avoided harsh shadows while still sculpting features enough to give dimension. This lighting approach served two functions. It created the premium feel the brand needed to compete in clean beauty, and it produced a glow on skin that reads as product performance, which matters when you're photographing a face oil and need to avoid any visual cues that suggest greasiness or weight.
The oil needed to look effective, and the models' skin needed to look healthy and real.
Restraint in styling to amplify concept clarity
I shot with neutral backdrops and minimal styling to keep attention on faces and gestures. The restraint in set design reinforced the brand's ingredient transparency positioning while leaving negative space for copy in campaign layouts. Close framing concentrated the narrative on expressions and the subtle body language that conveyed the conspiratorial theme. I kept color management tight across the shoot so the collection would hold together visually when used in different contexts.
The Outcome:
Campaign assets that balance edge with credibility
The brand received campaign portraits that embody their subversive positioning, along with skin and product pairings and layout optimized compositions. The photos translate the Orwell inspiration into imagery that works for both social storytelling and practical marketing applications. FaceCrime's visual identity now communicates their countercultural stance while maintaining the credibility a doctor founded skincare line requires.
If you're building a beauty brand in Vancouver that needs photography to communicate both personality and product integrity, let's discuss how a tailored approach can give you imagery that stands out without sacrificing trust.
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