Dynamic duo Brittany and Ryan balance their creative strengths with sophistication to create visual magic

Powerhouse couple Brittany and Ryan are the talented team behind Mainstream Multi-Media. Based out of their studio apartment in North Carolina, they produce highly polished and professional content on par with any commercial studio.

Brittany began her journey as a cosmetic influencer on YouTube but soon transformed into a product photographer fueled by her passion for marketing and content creation. With Ryan by her side complementing her skillset and supporting her creativity, the chilled couple soon became a formidable creative partnership. A match made, Brittany focuses on the styling and editing whilst Ryan is all things lighting and videography. They now both focus on Mainstream Multi-Media full-time and are going from strength to strength.

From the moment she joined our creator community, Brittany has impressed us. Her injection of creative enthusiasm is so refreshing and her hunger to share her knowledge is always welcomed. Her vibrant and clean style paired with Ryan’s technical knowledge and their studio quality portfolio meant they quickly joined our creator database for paid project opportunities. They have now delivered amazingly professional stills, stop motions and videos for our customers like Nexxus, Baby Dove and Love, Beauty & Planet whilst being a pleasure to work with and a team to rely on.

Mainstream Multi-Media’s presence on platforms like YouTube and Instagram has morphed from Brittany’s influencer days to educators and mentors as they teach new creators following in their footsteps with everything from creative hacks to business advice. Keep scrolling to immerse yourself in Brittany and Ryan’s creative world and soak in their enthusiasm too.

Hey, I’m Brittany! My partner Ryan and I are the dynamic duo behind Mainstream Multi-Media.

My whole life, I’ve had a knack for all things creative but it wasn’t until the world fell apart in 2020 that my life fell into place. In 2016, I started my content creation journey as a cosmetic influencer on YouTube which lead to me landing a job at Ulta while I studied marketing in college.

I became fascinated with the relationship between ads and business sales but did not yet know where that passion would lead. Upon graduating in 2020, I stumbled across a product photography video and realized there was a career in content creation beyond being an influencer. With all the knowledge I acquired in my time at university, coupled with my understanding of cosmetics, I used our nationwide lockdown as an opportunity to hone in on my creativity. It was during this phase of my life that I met Ryan who was in full support of my destined path.

Fast forward one year later, the business had grown so much that he was finally able to come on board full-time. I work as the stylist and editor while Ryan does the lighting and camera work. It is both of our minds together that make the magic happen.

We love working with anything that has a touch of elegance. This typically falls into the category of cosmetics, skincare, and other specialty goods. However, every brand is unique and we can find creative inspiration across many industries.

When we’re not in the studio you can find us hiking, exploring waterfalls, or gaming together on Xbox. We believe that living a healthy and creatively driven lifestyle outside of work is the key to always feeling inspired.

Journey with Creatively Squared

I love exploring new platforms and Creatively Squared came up in my research. I actually had no idea about the amazing community I was walking into let alone that you offered work opportunities to your members!

The most memorable Creatively Squared project for us was working with Nexxus. We love sophistication and had been craving to do a scientific inspired shoot and this project encompassed both elements. I dedicated hours to sketching out detailed concepts while Ryan perfected the lighting and camera settings on the day of the shoot. This is absolutely one of our most favourite collections!

Tools of the trade

In our studio, we use a Sony A7III with a 90mm f/2.8-22 lens with 2 Godox FV150 lights and 2 Godox SL60W lights. There is a lot of miscellaneous equipment that we use depending on the look we are going for so, we’ve created a free equipment guide list for other aspiring photographers to reference.

When it comes to editing images we utilize both Lightroom and Photoshop. I love how seamlessly Adobe programs work together and allow me to get extremely complex with our edits. As for videos, we are head over heels for Davinci Resolve.

When styling product pictures, we tend to favour simple sets with matte props and enjoy utilizing textures and shadows to create interest in images. We find that this creates a very mature scene that feels relaxing to the eye. Props such as stone, wood, ceramic, and plants are great examples of pieces we love using. Recently, we’ve developed a new love for shooting outdoors in forests or near waterfalls and at Airbnb locations across the nation.

We produce all of our studio content out of our 2-bedroom apartment. We have a secondary room set up as the main studio and create mini sets in our bathroom, kitchen, and living room as needed.

‍

[#cta]

‍

Mainstream Multi-Media’s creative process

I used to sketch out all of our images on my iPad Air with an Apple Pencil using an app called Procreate. However, I found that this added too much time to our project workflow so instead, we create a detailed shot list filled with inspo images and detailed descriptions. This helps us work quickly and gives the client a comprehensive overview of the project prior to the shoot day. We’ve actually turned this shot list into a template that other photographers can use in their business.

If I am not feeling inspired then we usually will push off a project a day or two. My creativity is the building block of a picture and if that is lacking then the rest of the pieces will not fall in line. When I reach moments like these, we will usually take the day off, head to the Blue Ridge Mountains and spend the day hiking. I find time away from technology and peaceful drives through the mountains is a great way to refresh my creativity.

Brittany and Ryan’s stop motion magic for Love, Beauty and Planet. Source: Creatively Squared

Finding inspiration

When creating image concepts, I like to browse Pinterest to kick off my inspiration then, create a mood board to begin brainstorming all the details.

Top creative tips

My top tip for creating content is to take each project one step at a time and proactively do things to keep your creativity stimulated. Go on a walk, listen to music, play with your fur babies, or watch some photography videos on YouTube. By keeping your spirits high and your mind active, you’ll begin to always feel inspired!

What’s next for Mainstream Multi-Media?

This year we are focusing on helping other photographers find success in their business with a FREE product photography course - 5-Days to 6-Figures - teaching product photographers how to build a sustainable six-figure business. PLUS we have an extended course - Full-Time Product Photographer Business Course - launching soon designed to teach product photographers how to start, scale, and sustain a full-time business. Exciting times to come!

Thank you Brittany for sharing your Creatively Squared journey alongside your partner in creativity Ryan. We are so grateful for your partnership with our platform and your contributions to our community, and we can’t wait to see what you do next as you both grow creatively. Follow Brittany and Ryan’s Mainstream Multi-Media journey through their Instagram, check out their website and we highly recommend subscribing to their YouTube channel.