Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables: The Styling that Got Carmel Brantley the Cover of Luxe

In early summer, Florida-based photographer Carmel Brantley was approached by Claire Miner about shooting a vacation home in the exclusive Floridian community of Jupiter Island. Claire, the co-founder of Denemede Interior Design, found Carmel through Instagram and thought that she would be able to capture the details of this particular home.

Claire Miner was a first-time client, who was unable to attend the photoshoot. She entrusted me with not only the shooting but all of the styling as well.

To ensure that Carmel understood Claire’s vision, the two met prior to the shoot to discuss the shot list. The photographer knew that understanding her client’s needs was especially important since the client would not be available to give direct feedback on the day of the shoot. Plus, Carmel knew she would have to come prepared to the shoot with all of the necessary styling elements.

The collaboration with Claire prior to the shoot was my favorite part. We spent time discussing the styling, what props to get, which rug would look best, and what type of flowers. It’s always fun to visualize the photos prior to the actual photoshoot.

Carmel also had to schedule a time with the homeowner that she could come to shoot the house. In the end, the homeowner’s busy schedule allowed just one day for Carmel to style and shoot the interior and exterior of the house.

I spent a couple of days preparing for the shoot, purchasing props, and envisioning the styling for each area. I brought several buckets of flowers along with fruits and veggies for styling.

Luckily, Mother Nature cooperated, and we had beautiful weather for shooting.

Once the shoot was completed, Carmel and the client met again to discuss which magazines they were interested in submitting the images to. Both agreed that the photos would fit aesthetically with Luxe Magazine, and so they submitted a pitch to the magazine.

I have worked with Luxe for several years both on assignment and as a contributor.  They have a very talented team of editors, writers and art directors who all make my job very easy. We were thrilled when they accepted the project and even more so when we found out it was the cover!

Carmel’s images from this shoot can be found in Luxe Magazine’s “Easy Living” article from their July/August 2020 issue of the Palm Beach + Broward edition, as well as on the same issue’s front cover.

Credits:
Husband: Robert Brantley
Assistant: Andrew Sarge

Check out more of Carmel’s work at brantleyphotography.com.