Gilit is, her brand is called the Banerie. And I met her a little under a year ago. Right about the time where she changed her branding. And within this last year, I have seen her business just expand in an insane way. And It's really just kind of amazing to see. How it's grown just by simply styling her Instagram. Just focusing on Instagram, and styling her Instagram in one specific way. So, we are gonna hear her talk a little bit about that. Hi, we're here with Gilit from the Banerie. I'm really excited to introduce her, and get to talk to with her a little bit about branding. I met her a little under a year ago at a conference. And it was just so amazing to see her brand transition and her styling. And how much her Instagram, and her social following has grown since that time. And it's been really fun to watch. So, we are gonna talk her today. A little bit about her branding and her styling. And how she grew her audience and her business that way. Hi, thanks for coming. Hi, than...

k you for having me. So, my first question for you is there was that kind of moment of transition for you. Where you went from kind of having all sorts of pictures to really branding yourself. How did you decide to that, and what were the first steps you took? What happened was is I am part of something called the collective. From Cyndie Spiegel. It's incredible. You should all check it out. And it's kind of like a, it's transition now, but we were having kind of a mastermind phone call. And someone mentioned on the call, she's like, I just like you some much better in person. And it just made me re-think how much I share and how much of me I share. And it made me refine what I wanna put out there. So, that was the decision. And then I just paid attention to the colors that I like. And how I am in real life, and I came up with my brand words and my brand colors. And since then I just stick to that. And from that moment, that and starting flat lays changed everything. It just since then it's just been kind of an easy, natural growth. So what are some things that you would recommend? That you've seen work for yourself that would help other small business owners style wise? Definitely branding should be part of your style. Branding should be part of everything you do. And if that something that you have trouble with, reach out, get help. That's absolutely worth the investment. And a really easy way to brand yourself is to choose a color pallet that obviously fits with your brand. So, for me the pink, the yellows, and sometimes blue really works for me. Those are my favorite colors. They're celebratory. If you are an echo friendly brand there should probably be some natural tones, and green. And I forgot the beginning of the question. Well there are some steps that maybe people watching this could take towards getting there. Okay, so regarding branding, because you need that for your styling. I would reach out to the people that you are closest to. In different parts or you life. Your family, your friends, and a co-worker or two. That you are close with, and ask them those questions. It's kind of like, "Hey, compliment me." But really ask them those questions and say, "what do you come to me for, and how do you see me? "What do you see as my strengths?" And that will help you refine your voice. And then bring that into everything you style. All your props, all your products. Everything you do. Okay, so if you were gonna offer, like one styling tip that just totally has helped you in your Instagram world, what would it be? It's choosing appropriate props. When I started really picking and choosing what props I used. That was the part of the change. That's when I started doing flat lays. So, you want choose something that compliments what you do. And doesn't compete with your product or your craft. Something that's related, but not overpowering. Right, thank you. Okay, and then my last question for you is, you mentioned that just sorta changed everything, so kind of share with us, how that changed everything, and what's happening now? Well, once I started doing flat lays. And once I started branding myself, I just got collaboration emails, and interview requests, and speaker requests. And it was all from this, this one thing really. Because I consider the styling part of the branding. It was this one thing I started doing. So, I was to able to network, and make a lot of really great connections. Which I would encourage all of you to do. And I was able to do things that I never thought were in my range. And that was really amazing. That's exciting. Yeah. That's awesome. I like it. It's been really fun. I know that, okay, let's talk about just your Instagram stylings specifically. What do you feel like has really, you were saying flat lays, is that what you were saying? Maybe describe that to people who don't know that term. And what that means exactly, and how to style that? So, as far as I'm concerned, there are two kinds of things you can do. You can set a scene. Which is let's say, a pillow on a throw on a couch. Or even something on your coffee table. You have the magazine, and cup of coffee that everybody loves. Which I could really go for right now. Or you do a flat lay which isn't supposed to be part of the bigger picture. It's setup specifically for the photo. And I believe it means that it's "from above." So, this always happens. I start talking and then I lose track of what the original question was. [Candice Stringham] Oh, that's alright. So, what a flat lay is? Yes, so you just described it as just a "top down" is how we are referencing it in class today. But sort of like a little vignette or a concept. And it doesn't have to be huge. It's posed, or styled for your audience. Okay, so that being said, I'm gonna ask on more time. We are talking all about styling, but when you are specifically styling that type of shot, what would you recommend to other people, if this is their first time styling an Instagram shot like that? Okay, so first of all, pretty please, please keep in mind the balance. I see a lot of out of balance things. Off balance would be a better term. Whether it's just something really large and bulky in one corner. And then something really tiny in the other. And it just, it looks off, so keep that in mind. If this is your first time, then I'm gonna tell you, don't be scared. It's just one of those things that you start doing it, and it gets better, and... Mom, can you play? Playing, I'm sorry. Excuse me. One second. Playing and keep re-doing it. (laughs) And... Mom? Keep moving it around and you'll get better at it. Oh, thank you so much. Okay, so I am just going to let every know where they kind can find you @THEBANIERIE on Instagram. When I think of her, I think of pink flamingos, and confetti, and all things happy, and party. And I know that you're gonna love looking at her Instagram feed. And you will definitely get a feel of who she is from looking at that. So go check it out. Alright, well we are really glad she could join us, and take time out of her family. I think, as creative moms we all know that moment where they come in, and start talking to us. I really encourage you to look at her Instagram feed. Just because it really has, it just one, one social media network that really changed everything for her. So, check that out.

Class Materials

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Creating Visuals For Your Brand Assignment

Slide Presentation for Lessons Part 1

Slide Presentation for Lessons Part 2

Prop List

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Candice Stringham

Candice is the Marketing Director for My Minds Eye, an editorial photographer, and one of the founders of the lifestyle and DIY blog Handmade Mood. She has her BFA in photography. She is a former editor at Creating Keepsakes Magazine. She has worked and taught with many brands such as Canon, Tamron, A Beautiful Mess, Atly and the Creative Photography Retreat. Her work can be seen on blogs and in magazines all over the country. She lives in San Antonio, TX with her husband, three sons, and a tiny but grumpy Scottish Terrier, Dickens.

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Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student

This class taught by Candice was amazing. She teaches in such a step-by-step, easy to understand pace. She shares so much of her own tips and tricks she uses to create beautiful images without spending a fortune or having all kinds of expensive equipment. Having the DSLR lessons included was really great for anyone who wants to do more than the camera phones are capable of. Learning the basics of how to use a DSLR is confusing for most people, but Candice broke it down in the simplest way possible. Social media is all about imagery, so if you want to put out the most beautiful eye-catching photos, then you want to learn how to use more than the camera phone. I don't have a business where I need to take photos of things I sell and I still enjoyed her class so much. As a photographer, I am going to use her ideas and insight when I photograph things for fun. There is so much to gain from this class. I would highly recommend taking her class. She is a wealth of great ideas and information and has that friendly personality of someone you'd want to sit and have coffee with.

yomichaela

A wonderful class to get you going with craft/product photography. Candice provides (and shows) fantastic examples and it's really fun to watch her work through a shoot, moving items, etc. to create the final image. She also covers some basic photography tips which is very helpful. Great class! I definitely recommend to others!

Melinda Malamoco

I loved this class! Candice is so personable, clear and relatable. I would want to hang out with her and be creative! I have been taking pictures for YEARS, and for my Etsy store for over two years, and I still learned a lot in her class. The lessons are set up in a way that you can follow, take what you want and don't worry about what you don't need. I will say that I got a TON of ideas for how to better display my brand, what my personal style is and how to be consistent with it. I so recommend this class for anyone who has small business or just wants to be able to take better pictures of their products. Okay, off to build a prop kit!

2,000+ classes ranging from fundamentals to advanced techniques.

Interview with Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie

Interview with Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie

Lesson Info

15. Interview with Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie

Lessons

Introduction to Craft Photography Fundamentals

What Your Visuals Say About Your Brand

How to Become a Photographic Author

How to Use Natural Light for Your Product Photography

Setting Up Your Photo: The Basic Rules

Becoming the Viewer to Take Better Photos

Shooting 3 Setups: Creating the Backstory with Images

Shooting from Top Down with an iPhone

Shooting Paper Products with an iPhone

Shooting Jewelry with an iPhone

Editing on your iPhone

Finding Your Brand's Aesthetic

Find Your Product and Customer Target: Exercises

Figuring Out Your Audience