Former Producer Inti St. Clair Does Shoot for Home Med Essentials

Within the span of a workweek, Inti St. Clair navigated COVID-19-related obstacles to successfully deliver high resolution imagery to Home Med Essentials, which sells — among other things — an accurate touchless thermometer. The Austin, Texas-based photographer, as you can imagine, had to do literally everything herself. Fortunately, Inti used to be a producer, so she has the perfect skillset to complete such a time-sensitive task. Hired on a Monday and done by that Friday, Inti floored her client with her work.

I’ve never done a commercial assignment that had to be done this quickly. I got the job through a previous client who sells medical equipment. They hired me on Monday, letting me know that they could ship the demo to me on Wednesday, but they would need it back on Thursday. They wanted lifestyle and product still, and they wanted the high res by Friday. Thankfully, they trusted me and gave me free rein.

When I started my career, I was a producer, so it wasn’t too hard for me to get into that mode and pull it all together. The client was beyond impressed and told me I by far exceeded their expectations. 

Obviously, time wasn’t the only factor to account for, with Inti taking it upon herself to reach out to friends and neighbors to get a wide swath of imagery. Though confident that she wasn’t sick, Inti wasn’t sure how her potential subjects would react to the thought of someone coming to the home to take pictures. As she later found out, everyone was on board — and had a great time during the shoot.

Given the current situation we’re in with COVID-19, I knew I had to do the shoot as physically distanced as possible. Casting, location, scouting, permitting, and all the other things that would normally be done were not options. So, I started thinking about my friends and neighbors. I thought about what layouts of their homes were like, and what shots would I be able to accomplish with them shooting through doors and windows. I had been staying home for six weeks at that point and felt confident I wasn’t sick, but I nonetheless was a little worried they wouldn’t be comfortable doing it. Thankfully, everyone was!

Still, Inti took every necessary precaution with regard to keeping the thermometer clean and herself at a safe distance from the subjects. Despite not having any assistants, Inti got each shoot done in less than an hour. Her work ended up on Home Med Essential’s recently-launched website, further proof that the client was satisfied with Inti’s handiwork.

When asking them if they would be willing to be photographed, I assured them that I had been completely quarantined for over a month and hadn’t been sick. I specifically outlined the shots I wanted to take with them. I told them I would wear a mask the whole time and keep my distance.

With regards to the thermometer, I fully disinfected it each and every time before shooting, and then left it, with a disinfectant wipe, for them to pick up after I had walked away to an appropriate distance. The shoot times ranged from 20-40 minutes. The biggest challenges were shooting through doors and windows and still getting the angles I wanted, and not having any assistants or a stylist.

I’m not used to being restricted in such a way. There were so many shots I wanted to get, but simply couldn’t.

In the end, this is the kind of work that really stands out to potential clients. Inti got terrific imagery in a shortened time frame without anyone else’s help. Don’t be surprised if it gets around the healthcare industry that this photographer is a phenomenal hiring choice — her work here and the way she got it is proof positive.

Honestly, despite the circumstances, I had a blast! Taking the challenges head on, and still making images that both I and the client are happy with felt great! Of course, I love collaborating, and working with skilled crew, but I enjoyed the “freedom” of doing it all alone. It took me back to how it felt when I was first getting into photography and always learning and pushing myself to try new things. 

See more of Inti’s work at intistclair.com.

Explore our global network of photographers on our Find Photographers page!