In addition to being an all-star mom, her southern charm and years of photography experience make her an invaluable addition to our team. Her images capture the heart and soul of our brand, which is why we felt she deserved a featured post on our blog- along with a Q&A to inspire all our fellow photographer friends!
Q: Carol! Can you explain just how and when you agreed to join the EC team!?
A: Waaaay back in 2004, Erin realized her growing business would need professional photos for the website, marketing, etc. Since I am married to Erin’s brother and was already working as a commercial photographer, it was natural for her to come to me when she needed product photos. We’ve always worked well together and have a great time and productive creative sessions, so as the business has grown bigger, I just keep shooting more and more. Now, I shoot exclusively for EC, as well as shoot video and create stopmotion videos for them as well.
Q: What does your typical day-to-day look like at the office?
A: I come in and set up for whatever product or campaign we have on the schedule for that day and then go with the flow of the creative team. It’s a collaborative process here with Erin and the amazingly talented designers, and we all go back and forth until we get the right vision and shot. We have brainstorming meetings and spend a lot of planning and prepping.
Q: Do you have a favorite EC photoshoot/campaign that resonates with you?
A: The Holiday 2014 “Auntie Claus” campaign will always be in my top favorites. It involved EVERYONE. And by that, I mean everyone with a desk in this office and also my family and Mom! The work team spent endless hours creating the products, wallpapering the walls, and decking out the mantle and tree with the design of the season and voilĂ ! we had the Jolly Jester (design) theme extreme! My mom happened to be visiting so she became team seamstress making Erin’s skirt, scarf & my daughter’s nightgown. My husband brought the kids for the shoot so I could focus on the photography. We weren’t sure if my daughter would make the “naughty” or “nice” list that day (only a two year old!) but everyone cooperated beautifully and it turned out to be a ton of fun for all!
Q: What inspired you to be a photographer?
A: I was always creative when I was little: drawing, painting, & sewing with my mom and during my free time. My dad taught me all about his camera and gave me my first one in the 2nd grade. I won a photo contest in the 4th grade and that definitely sparked an interest in photography. I kind of forgot about it for a while until my best friend took a photo class in high school and I thought, “Hey wait, I want to do more of that, too!” Looking back I can see that I took A LOT of photos over the years (way before iphones and Instagram). I just loved it and couldn’t get enough. When I went to college I majored in Fine Arts with a concentration in Photography. When I moved to California for more school, I started shooting portraits and weddings, then on to commercial & products.
Q: What is the Erin Condren product you couldn’t live without?
A: I LOVE my “Oh What a Week!” Schedule Pad for my busy family of 5, which I fill out weekly (corresponding to my rose gold, vertical LifePlanner™). My kids love seeing our week’s activities. I’m also an EC notebook junkie. I keep different ones for blog, marketing, video, etc. Hmm, I can’t say which product I love the most – they are all absolute necessities for keeping order around here!
Comments are closed.