Journal

Notes from the studio

Plain writing on art-directed AI imagery: what it costs, what rights you get, how to brief it, and where real texture comes from. Short and useful.

A set still life of sculptural silver jewellery arranged as a family of pieces
Guide··7 min

Commercial product photography: what you are buying

Commercial is a rights word, not a quality word. What separates a commercially usable image from a nice one, and what you actually own.

Macro of a grey stone set in sculptural silver, showing depth in the stone and reflection on the metal
Guide··7 min

AI jewellery photography: what makes it work

AI jewellery imagery still has to obey the logic of real materials. How metal, stone and scale behave, and the four images a launch needs.

Sculptural silver jewellery form set into a pale rock landscape
Guide··6 min

Creative product photography ideas that still sell

Six ways to make a product image interesting without burying the product, each one illustrated with real campaign work.

Bleu de Chanel fragrance bottle on a reflective surface in blue mist
Guide··5 min

Perfume and fragrance photography, made with AI

Why the bottle is a mirror, how campaigns suggest a smell you cannot show, and the four images most fragrance launches need.

MUSE lip couture, macro texture of the lipstick's cream finish
Guide··5 min

Beauty product photography: what actually works

The four shots most beauty brands need, why glass, liquid and skin tones make this the hardest category, and how to judge a set before it ships.

Aesop Virēre architectural still
Opinion··3 min

Why premium brands are afraid of AI content

The fear isn't the technology, it's what generic content does to a premium brand. And how to fix it.

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CITRA fabric macro detail
Creative direction··3 min

Where real texture comes from

Everything online looks the same. Where I gather real, tactile inspiration away from the screen.

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HYDRA skincare ritual still
Guide··7 min

AI product photography for beauty brands: cost versus a studio shoot

Where the money goes in a beauty shoot, and which costs AI removes.

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OSSA fine jewellery portrait
Rights··4 min

Who owns the commercial rights to AI imagery?

What you own, what you can use it for, and the one caveat worth knowing.

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Autumn Essentials editorial portrait
Working together··3 min

How to brief an AI creative director

A good brief is less work than a full production, not more. What actually helps.

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AllSaints ALIVE editorial campaign still
Craft··4 min

How I keep a brand consistent across 50 AI images

The hero shot is easy. The fiftieth looking like the first is the craft.

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