From Solo Ventures to Team Collaborations: A Commercial Photographer’s Evolution – Ella Sophie

Beauty, Cosmetics, Food + Drink, Photography, Product, Table Top

Beauty shot by commercial photographer Ella Sophie

Today we are chatting with commercial photographer, Ellia Sophie who specializes in creating images that evoke the essence of female power. Whether it be in her beauty or product work, her images are bold, powerful, and feminine. 

Website: ellasophiephoto.com

Instagram: @ellasophiephoto

Why photography?

I’ve always been a creative person. Photography strikes the right balance of art and commerce for me. I also find the instant gratification of photography immensely satisfying. There is so much variety in my day to day life as a photographer that I never lose interest in it. Each week is different, but all of my jobs inform each other which feels like a big puzzle. There is so much to love about photography that I’m not sure I can really answer in any kind of succinct manner.

You have been doing commercial photography for quite a while, how has your work evolved over the years? 

My photography career has been a constant source of growth for me over the years. As a creative, I have to both develop and stay true to my voice. While also keeping up with changing trends and needs. Before the pandemic, I was working primarily with small businesses for their advertising needs. And often that meant doing it all on my own. From production to styling to occasional acrobatics using my own hand to model. I think the extended solo time of the pandemic really pushed me to want to create with bigger teams. So over the past few years I’ve really put effort into connecting with other creatives and building up my roster of people I can call on for various projects. What I photograph has also evolved over time. I’ve added food to my portfolio, as well as leaning into lifestyle work more heavily. I think my advice would be to stay open to trying new projects. 

There is also a big evolution on the horizon – it’s a bit early to really announce but here I am sharing the scoop on MDRN Creative… I’ve been creating stop motion images for a while now. Behind the scenes I have been slowly adding video to my portfolio. Learning more about motion has been really fun. And challenging. I’m working with Adobe Premiere Pro, and hope to add After Effects down the line. I know I’ll be calling on video professionals still but I am excited to expand my understanding of video. My goal is to officially share this service with my clients by the summer of 2024. Stay tuned! 

What is it like being on set with Ella Sophie?
While each shoot is different there are a few things that you can count on when you are on set with me. At least if I’m the one making those decisions. We always have some good music on – I like to keep my playlists filled with variety, depending on the vibe of the shoot the music reflects that energy. For product / still life work I often will play a mix of Jazz, R&B, electronic, and surf rock. Since I’m obsessed with food I like to make sure everyone is getting a healthy meal at lunch – no fast food is happening on my set. We’re having wholesome bowls, salads, burritos, or Pho 🙂 As far as the creative vibe on set I like to encourage everyone to have fun with their role and to feel free to share ideas with each other. It is pretty common for me to get my hands on the styling and to ask the team’s opinions on which lighting or composition we’re feeling for an image. I’m not a super fluffy person but I do get excited about what we’re creating and like to remind everyone involved that they are kicking ass.
If money wasn’t needed what would be your dream job?
If I didn’t need to make money I would still pursue photography – probably more on the fine art side of things. However, if I had big money to give I would spend my time helping homeowners with landscaping and home maintenance – specifically older homeowners and single moms. I would create landscaping for them that is low maintenance, filled with native plants. Whenever possible I’d create little sensory spaces where they can touch, smell, and taste different plants. I would also want to create these garden spaces in low-income neighborhoods where people don’t have big yards to work with.
What does your ideal Sunday look like?
A perfect Sunday in Ella’s world starts out with black coffee and a delicious breakfast – possibly waffles with fresh fruit from my garden. Then I’ll take a short drive to one of the beautiful hiking places nearby with Chris and our foof-dog. After the hike, I come home to a clean house (because we cleaned on Saturday). I spend some time reading, either on the couch or outside in the sun. And then I have an early dinner – probably soup. This kind of relaxing and wholesome Sunday is perfect for me to get me feeling ready for the week ahead. I try not to look at my phone, emails, or calendar over the weekend.
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