Product Photography for Vermont Home Goods Company
JK Adams has been crafting stunning, wooden cutting boards since 1944. Located in Dorset, Vermont, the family-owned business is committed to crafting quality kitchen and home goods products that will last their customers a lifetime. Made exclusively from North American hardwoods, each cutting board is stunning and would make the perfect gift for any home chef!
I first met the team at JK Adams when I attended the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. We struck up a conversation about the benefits of professional product photography for a companies website and how it can positively impact sales. With my background in marketing and website design, I was also excited to hear how much they value having photos taken for specific spots on their website. From website banners to product images and social media posts, they knew they wanted to commision photos for very specific places. During our conversation, I was excited to learn that the JK Adams headquarters were only an hour and a half away from where I live in Albany, NY. Our connection felt meant to be!
When they reached out and we sat down to start planning the shoot, our inspiration was winter and the holiday season. However, the creative team requested that the photos, while having a winter feel to them, should still feel evergreen enough to use year round. To me, this meant showing the boards being used to serve appetizers and charcuterie while surrounded by wine and winter florals. I wanted to evoke the feeling of prepping for a meal meant to be shared with friends and family, or enjoying snacks and appetizers at a party. Backdrops and surfaces from Fondos para Fotógrafos, seasonal flavors and colors, and soft lighting were all integral to getting the look and feel we were hoping to achieve.
The cherry wooden serving tray was styled with multiple cocktails to portray that feeling of gathering with friends and family. I made sure to use ingredients seasonal to winter such as pear and pomegranate to give that wintery feel we were looking for! Cocktail photography is one of my favorite things to do, so I was excited to have the opportunity to merge it with product photography! I shot two versions of this board, one with an engraving and one without to show the options that JK Adams customers have. I think an engraved serving board makes the perfect holiday or house warming gift!
The Ash Round Serving Tray was another fun product to shoot as I got to style a charcuterie board! Charcuterie is one of my favorite things, so I was more than happy to go shopping for all the meat, cheeses, fruit and nuts needed to make a beautiful spread! The one thing I don’t like though is Olives, and this was my first time ever purchasing them. I was completely lost as to what kind to buy!
I wasn’t lost when it came to photographing this board, though. I loved capturing it all different angles and even switching up the surface for a completely different feel! While JK Adams primarily sticks to brighter imagery, the client gave the green light to bring in some darker surfaces. The board really pops against the slate surface, as does the food! Red wine, sprigs of pine, and seasonal flavors or pear and cranberry bring in all the cozy feelings of winter!
Another request the client had was to have hands in some of the photos to add a human element to them. A beautiful charcuterie board is one thing, but it’s another to see someone actually enjoying it! While the hand reaching for a grape isn’t the main focus in the image on the right, it does make you feel as if you’re at a party and someone is putting together their plate of appetizers!
As someone who loves to cook, I know how much a quality cutting board can make or break the experience. JK Adams makes some of the best, and it was such a joy to be able to photograph them. From capturing the small details, like the wood grain and pour spouts, to showing how the boards can be a beautiful centerpiece at a holiday gathering, this shoot was so fun! I’m so excited to see how the team takes the photos and uses them on their website, social media, and in their 2024 product catalog.
Whether you sell home goods, a food product, jewelry, or something else entirely, partnering with me for your next product shoot will elevate your brand. From the initial discovery call to our pre-production meetings, we’ll work together to create product photos that resonate with your customers and reflect your business. This product photography shoot perfectly reflects how you can have exciting, energetic images that showcase your products and tell stories that your audience can relate to. Whether you’re in New York or across the country in California and are looking for a product photographer, I would love to chat! I offer my product photography services nationwide and can’t wait to discuss your next project with you.
