Friendship On Tap: Lifestyle Photographer Jayme Burrows for Breckenridge Brewery

Los Angeles-based photographer Jayme Burrows is dedicated to uplifting women throughout all aspects of their photographic careers. As the founder of the Los Angeles Women’s Photography Alliance, she is committed to providing exposure for women in a market where they are often overlooked. In an assignment for Breckenridge Brewery, Jayme took the opportunity to include the female perspective, by styling a lifestyle shoot around two women celebrating their friendship with a couple of beers.

The client wanted two friends hanging out in their backyard smiling, laughing, and imbibing with joy!

Breckenridge Brewery hired Jayme to aid them in the launch of their new variety pack, and they sought to showcase an array of product imagery that included the cans and sampler box. She spoke with their creative team in the pre-production stage, determining the style, location, and talent for the shoot.

They wanted to use the images to announce the launch of their newest product on social media platforms.

Breckenridge Brewery is located out of Colorado, and they asked Jayme to find a location that would give them a wooded and mountainous feel. Jayme, who is based out of LA, had the perfect location in mind, Ojai, CA, where she had lived previously before relocating closer to the city.

I lived in Ojai for years and I knew that in this specific location, with the spruce and pine trees and a rustic palette, I could turn SoCal into Colorado.

The location was the residential home of a friend and, had all the details that would authenticate their outdoor lifestyle shoot.

There was a fire pit, big trees, a rustic fence, and steps made from river rock that I knew could all serve as individual moments for this project.

Since the shoot was depicting an alcohol brand, it required talent that would need to be 25 years of age or older so that there was no ambiguity on whether or not the subjects were under the drinking age. Jayme reached out to two models, Rebecca and Kat, who the client pre-approved before shooting.

I submitted some talent that I had photographed before and found great to work with and the client made their choices from there.

Jayme has photographed Rebecca many times over their fifteen-year friendship, and she knew she could trust her energy and personality to add authenticity to this project. What Jayme didn’t anticipate was Rebecca’s Border Collie Jayke, who made frequent appearances on camera as he checked on his owner and her new friend.

Her Border Collie Jayke was not supposed to be in the shoot, but he kept popping in to check in on us and the client loved him so he ended up being included as well.

While the two models hadn’t met before, Jayme appreciated their professionalism and the ease at which they communicated during the shoot. Their energy on set matched the enjoyment of their characters, as most alcohol-related shoots require an air of friendship and fun.

The two women didn’t know each other before the shoot, but had great chemistry, making my job capturing them all the easier!

Because the product was set to launch after the campaign, Jayme was only provided with a few prototype boxes and cans of Breckenridge’s beers. This meant she had to take extra care not to damage or dent the products, and she opted to fill the boxes with lightweight clothing to keep them safe from tears.

When you’re doing a product shoot you often have more than you need to ensure the packaging is perfect. For this shoot some of the beer cans were limited editions and I only had one can!

Through this shoot, Jayme learned how to produce distinctive content on a smaller budget. She feels her resourcefulness has equipped her to handle clients’ needs independently.

There is a need for smaller brands to be able to have quality images that don’t cost 100k to create. I produced, art directed, and shot the project in a nimble, lean, and self-sufficient way.

Jayme credits the success of this particular project to the collaboration of the talent and the ease of a conversation between all involved. Her genuine nature brought authenticity to two strangers, who by the end of the shoot had become fast friends.

This project was a lot of fun! I got to work with two friends and a cute dog, and we all got to sit by the fire and have a beer together after the shoot. What’s better than that?

Credits

Photographer: Jayme Burrows