Our client S&T Bank (a small-mid sized regional bank based out of Pennsylvania) brought up in a meeting the potential of doing another photoshoot with us after a successful one prior, but had concerns about budget. Not every client has unlimited money (and even the ones that do don’t want to spend it). So I brought forth an idea that could give them some unique assets for their brand but take out a huge cost - talent. By not having people we don’t have to pay for casting, travel, hair/makeup, and all the other things that come with humans - and rather focus on objects. The idea came to me as I looked down, because while we all present a certain way on our Teams or Zoom calls, our workspaces are often still lifes of what we’re going through. For me, it might be sketches, chocolate and candy wrappers (some from my kids, some from me), arts and craft materials, reminders of things I need to do, etc. And for many people going through a financial situation that might merit the need or support of a bank, they certainly have a lot in front of them. We set out to create vignettes of situations that anyone could relate to in major categories one seeks out a bank: (1) HOME RENOVATION / BUYING A HOME (2) PLANNING FOR FAMILY (3) STARTING A NEW BUSINESS / BUSINESS PLANNING (4) PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT.

This photoshoot wasn’t about things. It’s about revealing real people in real situations that everyone can relate to. Because of the way S&T cares about its customers, we wanted to think about these scenarios as more than just objects—instead, thinking through the people who they belong to.

For each I wrote a story about the person I saw behind each photo, who’s eyes this image was looking at - and we created lighting that emphasized each individual moment as well.