Takoma Park, Maryland-based photographer Eli Meir Kaplan recently teamed up with the Filmkraft agency to help spread some Valentine’s Day cheer for 1-800-Flowers.com. Although Valentine’s Day is celebrated just once a year, the spirit of love and gift-giving is always in season. Founded in 1980 by Jim McCann, what began as a single retail floral shop in Manhattan has grown into an international floral and food gifts retailer and distribution company. With the Valentine’s Day theme in mind, 1-800-Flowers.com was looking for a photographer for its new holiday campaign.
Drawn to his documentary-style approach, Filmkraft knew that Eli was just the photographer they were looking for. They envisioned a project that celebrated the beauty and trueness of imperfection and its relation to human relationships.
The client specifically wanted the scenes to look less than perfect, with authentic moments. I come from a documentary background so it was a perfect fit.
Together, Eli and the team from Filmkraft curated the scenes and selected the talent for the shoot. They wanted the imagery to feel natural and candid, while resonating with the client’s brand identity.
The location of the set was in a charming Brooklyn brownstone.
The location was found on a site similar to Peerspace. It was a gorgeous space. One challenge was that the second-story windows were too high for a light stand and could only be reached by a CSLR reflector.
However, these physical constraints afforded Eli the opportunity to explore innovative lighting solutions to capture the perfect shot.
On set, Eli was accompanied by his crew, the Filmkraft team, and a representative from 1-800-Flowers.com.
The energy was extremely fun on set. Beyond myself and the crew, there were 4 people from the agency, and one client in person, and also clients on Zoom.
Eli worked within the physical and budget constraints of the project to find creative ways to meet the client’s needs.
In the end, I think limiting resources proved to be beneficial because it made us resourceful and helped us light in a way that was perfect for the campaign. Also, I shot both stills and video myself to meet the budget, which is something I love doing.
Similar to arranging a perfect bouquet, each image was carefully created, leading to a successful project that exceeded expectations.
I grew on this shoot. I felt like I took a step forward in creating natural, authentic moments on commercial productions, which is sometimes difficult because there are so many moving parts. I’m excited to bring this experience to future productions.
See more of Eli’s work on his website.
Credits
Client: 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC.
Agency: Filmkraft
Creative Director: Samuel Rimland
Producer: Dasha Khritankova
Digital Tech: Josh Robinson
Gaffer: Jared Watson
Grip: Stephen Szmed
Prop Stylist: Raina Kattelson
Prop Assistant: Sarah Bloom and Aliza Sternstein
Wardrobe Stylist: Paulina Castro
HMU: Jarrett Brandon
PA: Arturo Daza, Laura Sala
Talent: Malika Miller, Dominic D’Angelica, Nick Piacente, Lauren Pisano, Georgia Kate Haege, James Bizon
Further Reading
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