Storytelling brand photography for a Sussex cidery with a brilliant story to tell
Working with Phil and Steve (AKA Bignose & Beardy) was an absolute blast from start to finish!
They’d been using the same press photos for years and needed a fresh set. So we planned a three-hour storytelling brand shoot to capture everything that makes their business what it is – the team, the behind-the-scenes production, their orchard and smallholding, their love of nature and sustainability, and of course their gorgeous products. We timed it for spring so we’d catch the apple blossom at its best.
They already work with a brilliant social media manager (who was encouraging the storytelling side of things!), so they didn’t need my usual 30-day social media plan. Instead, I swapped it for photographing their Wassail event back in January – and they’ve used those images for their marketing every year since. Every business is different, so every package can be too.
A Local Cidery With a Great Story
Small product-based businesses are some of my favourite clients. I love getting right behind the scenes and showing off what they actually do, day to day, and the people who make it happen. The heart of the brand.
We started with the team – headshots and portraits of Phil, Steve and the crew – then headed out into the orchard and around the smallholding.
Storytelling Product Photography
I’d much rather show a product where it belongs than on a plain white background. Their calvados, Spirit of Cider, sitting in the apple tree surrounded by the very blossom that will become the fruit it’s made from? That one was a joy to shoot.
We had to show the cider in all its amber glory too – being poured, tasted and enjoyed, including a sneaky sample of the newest batch.
And then there were the labels. I may have quietly arranged them into a rainbow on a barrel while nobody was looking ;) They thought it was hilarious. I thought it was essential.
Production
I photographed every stage of the process – sterilising, measuring, testing, tasting, bottling and labelling. I learned SO much watching it all happen.
Then there’s the Apple Cider Vinegar and its SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast). It looks rather scummy, but it’s what makes the fermentation magic happen. I even took a bottle home to experiment with, shooting it as a salad dressing and in a few other recipes to help show off how useful it is.
Business Values
Sustainability is a huge part of the Bignose & Beardy story. They’ve adapted their processes to use more environmentally friendly methods and chemicals, and the smallholding is run with real care for the land. We made sure that came through in every image, not just the product shots.
The Nature
I may have lingered in the orchard a little longer than strictly necessary…
The bees, the blossom, the light coming through the apple trees. All those tiny details tell the sustainability story without a word of copy. Nature is where my photography started, long before I ever photographed a person, and shoots like this remind me exactly why I love what I do.
And Finally – The GIF
I couldn’t resist making them a little moving “Cheers” GIF. Some things are just necessary!
Phil and Steve walked away with a huge gallery of fresh images for their press releases, website and social media. It also turned out to be the start of a lovely ongoing relationship. At the autumn harvest shoot that followed, Steve watched me linger in the orchard yet again and delivered his verdict: “You really love an apple.” He’s not wrong.
“It’s that kind of warmth and genuine care for her clients’ success that makes Bex truly different.” – Phil & Steve, Bignose & Beardy Cider
