How Her Agent Transformed Her Creative Process and Brought Stress-Free Shooting - Ella Sophie

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.

Being part of the Brandi Moore Agency roster is pretty great. From a photo perspective it doesn’t change how I work all that much, since my photography style and genres are pretty well established already. I’d say more so that it has allowed me to create more seamlessly. Having the other talent on the board is really helpful - knowing I can call on hair, makeup, wardrobe and prop stylists takes a lot of stress off. From an administrative standpoint being with the agency has definitely changed how I work. Since the agency handles the contracts and payments I’m able to focus on the creative for a shoot rather than taking time to chase down payments or negotiate contracts. It was a bit of an adjustment to get used to working in this new way - especially figuring out the initial client meetings and how to handle those. As for marketing the biggest difference is that I’m not the only one doing it and I have accountability for it. I think a lot of people assume that agents do all your marketing for you - which is not true. But if I’m trying to decide which images to put in a mailer I can call on Brandi to help me with that decision. All of those little things add up to be immensely helpful. We also are able to work together to support each other’s marketing efforts.

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 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.

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.