Closing the portfolio gap: strategic self-commissioning for beauty brands
Portfolio gaps aren’t a problem; they’re an opportunity.
I needed more beauty work in my portfolio so I gave myself a brief: a lipstick series. Simple in scope—just lighting and product—but intentional in execution.
On the surface, it’s just five images. In reality, these images are doing a lot of heavy lifting. Here's what's on display:
Product category: cosmetics + beauty still life
Styling techniques: hero product, grouped arrangements, scatters, stacks, sculptural moments
Lighting approaches: backlit glow, dramatic high-contrast overhead, side light for long shadows
Rigging: overhead setups, just enough product-styling magic to make impossible stacks hold
Deliverables: a multi-image campaign ready for web, social, e-comm, print, and point-of-sale
Total budget? $8
The takeaways:
Make the work you want to be hired for
Portfolio gaps aren’t a problem; they’re an opportunity
