Artistic experimentation leads Adrianne to find her creative calling

Consumed with creating, lifestyle and product photographer Adrianne Haskins from Memphis has experimented with every art form under the sun.

Adrianne's love of getting hands on with her hobbies, such as ceramics, design and woodwork, means she is never short of a distraction—or a source of inspiration—when faced with creative block.

Of all the creative mediums she has dabbled in, it is photography that has captured her attention the most. Her experimentation with different industries and styles has led to a keen interest, and now career, in product photography - especially working with skin and hair care brands.

Through her photography Adrianne has developed a signature visual aesthetic which continues to evolve over time. Although her work is distinctive, Adrianne is a versatile creator who is able to effortlessly adapt to a client brief and create imagery that reflects their unique brand and style.

After working together on many customer projects (over 100 but who’s counting!) Adrianne has let us in on some of the secrets to her success. Read our interview to discover how she stays productive and the tools she uses to create her eye-catching imagery.

All About Adrianne

I started out in commercial photography in 2016 after being approached on Instagram to shoot for a local clothing boutique! From there, I experimented with tons of industries until I realised that shooting lifestyle and still-life product (mainly skin and hair care) was my absolute favourite.

When I'm not standing behind a camera, it's anyone's guess as to what I'm up to. I've always said there's "never been an art form that I didn't love". So things like ceramics, interior design, graphic design and woodworking are all hobbies that consume my time.

An ever-evolving aesthetic

I've always been drawn to very monochromatic and minimal aesthetics. I once had a viewer comment that I was a "collision of oats and boiled milk" - and with a constant palette of creams, browns and white, I'd say it's pretty spot on.

My aesthetic always feels a shift happen though. So after I've stuck in one "feel" for a while, things change up a little.

Creative challenges offer a change of pace

I started to work with a few agencies over the years and I felt like I was still searching for one that I fit into. So I spent hours browsing the web, researching different agencies and companies to join. I came across Creatively Squared and even just at the homepage on your website, I was hooked! I've loved being here ever since!

I definitely love having the challenge to work with brands in a full range of industries. It's a great change of pace to switch around. But my go-to industry always seems to be hair and skincare products, and a close runner up for household products.

I think the most enjoyable project has been for Locations Wine. It was a blast finding some unique locations to take the wine and setting up serene scenes in our home. Even photographing the wine made me want it more!

Adrianne's tools of the trade

I shoot on a Nikon D750 and I primarily use a 35mm 1.4 lens. My tripod is a Magnus VT-300 and instead of spending money on a overhead boom arm, I fashioned one myself with a copper pipe and a couple of wing nuts!

I am an avid adobe fan so I use Lightroom and Photoshop almost religiously.

I have so many props for in-home shoots, but my favourite ones to source are pretty textiles and I love to find vintage ceramics or dinnerwares!

We just bought our first house so we're slowing converting one of the rooms into a stationary studio and office. I am so ready for it to come together! But sometimes certain lightings can have me shooting on our breakfast table or even on our bedroom floor.

See our home photography studio blog to see Adrianne’s personal setup

Steps for a successful shoot

I am totally a planner. I plan out each and every shot I plan to get and I include the props used and the type of lighting I'm aiming for. I use Google Slides to make a moodboard and a shot list with inspiration images and bullet points galore!

Technically, I'm a one-man team. I do everything myself 99% of the time. But occasionally, my darling husband is ready to step in and give me a helping hand. He's been a backup model, he's helped me get some extra shots taken and he's been an A-plus prop holder in the studio. And he works for free!

Beating creative block and staying inspired

Since I have so many creative hobbies, I tend to swap them around when I get into a creative rut. If there's no time restraint, then I'll step back and dive into a new creative medium, teaching myself all of the basics. But if there is a time-crunch, then I'll usually find myself taking our dog for a long walk in the woods with some ethereal music in my headphones before jumping into a project.

A few creators that I'm obsessed with for inspiration are @neekmason, @ariellevey, + @nickisebastian just to name a few!

Adrianne's top creative tips

I always think "less is more". I've helped a few new photographers and I always notice they fill the frame with as many interesting things as they can. But I definitely recommend taking a step back, clearing our the frame, and focus on getting some interesting shots with either no props or just one. Once you can feel confident making a product or model stunning by itself, then you can build that image with extra elements to enhance it.

What's next for Adrianne?

I've been playing with artificial light for the past year and although I've gotten much better and learned a lot, I still feel like there's so much more to know. So I'm eager to keep working on it and get the science down.

Thank you Adrianne for sharing your photography journey with us and your Creatively Squared story so far. Follow Adrianne's journey at @adrianne.haskins and her product photography over at @adriannnexo.