The Difference Between Pretty Photos And Photos That Actually Sell, With Peita From Bloom Creative

Peita – Bloom Creative (00:00)

If your images look DIY, people are going to question the quality of your product. They’re going to question if your brand is trustworthy, especially if you’re new.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (00:11)

Hi and welcome to the Bright Minds of eCommerce podcast. I’m Dahna, founder of Bright Red Marketing, and I created this podcast because I wanted to bring you the best advice from Australian experts in eCommerce and eCommerce store owners. If you’re wanting relatable stories and actionable advice, as well as the latest Facebook advertising strategies, you’re in the right place. So let’s get into today’s episode.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (00:32)

Welcome to the Bright Minds of eCommerce podcast. Today we’re here with Peita from Bloom Creative. Welcome Peita, it’s so good to have you on this show. Before we jump in, can you please just give everyone a quick intro into who you are and what you do?

Peita – Bloom Creative (00:37)

Hi guys, so happy to be here! Of course, I’m Peita, the mind behind Bloom Creative. I’m a commercial photographer for product-based businesses, and I like to focus on strategic storytelling — really nailing the content that helps brands connect with their consumers in a powerful and aligned way.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (01:04)

We love that. When you say you’re talking about storytelling through photos, what does that mean for you?

Peita – Bloom Creative (01:10)

It’s really about conveying the story behind the product — whatever the product is, we want to show what it can do for consumers and how it will change their lives. The more we can communicate that through photography, the stronger it connects with the consumer.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (01:32)

Yeah, when clients do that it makes our job as Meta specialists so much easier because there is such a difference. In terms of the actual output, what’s the difference between pretty photos and photos that are actually good for eCommerce because they’re doing that storytelling? What does that look like?

Peita – Bloom Creative (01:37)

It’s really important to capture the reason behind the product. It should convey the lifestyle behind the product, which then connects with consumers on a stronger and more powerful level.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (01:57)

Yeah. What does that end up looking like? What are you doing differently to ensure that gets done?

Peita – Bloom Creative (02:07)

When a new client comes on board — because I mainly work with beauty brands and wellness brands — we really want to go deep on the product and what makes it different. We want to focus on their unique selling point and capture that in our shoots. For example, I was recently working with a makeup brush brand, and we focused on the textures of how the brushes apply product — liquid moisturisers, blushes, bronzers, all those sorts of textures. So each client shoot will come with a different goal, and it’s our job to come up with a strong strategy for how we’re going to break that down and shoot it.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (02:58)

Yeah. How does an eCommerce brand go about knowing what that is and what it’s going to look like? Is that very much your specialty where you go, I’m going to help you work this out? Or is it something that an eCommerce brand needs to come to you with already? Like, is it a bit chicken and egg, or is it your job or their job to work that out?

Peita – Bloom Creative (03:26)

It really depends on where they’re at when they come to us. Some brands really know what their brand is all about, what their product does, how it changes their consumers’ lives. Some brands don’t have any idea. When they come to us in that position, we can help guide them on what they want their shoot to be about and what message they want to convey.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (03:34)

Yeah, I think that’s so important. There are so many eCommerce brands — we actually had another podcast guest earlier where we talked about this — the eCommerce space is so crowded now that we really need to find those points of difference and be able to articulate them, and in your case, show them. I do think that sometimes showing is better than telling, which is exactly where you come in.

Peita – Bloom Creative (04:08)

100%. What’s that saying — a picture says a thousand words? Definitely.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (04:11)

Yeah. And obviously we’re ads specialists, so that’s what we focus on. It just makes such a difference when you have the right creative — a photo shoot that really articulates something rather than just being pretty.

Peita – Bloom Creative (04:27)

There’s a big difference. Photos that are based on strategy can always result in pretty pictures, but as long as there’s that strategy behind them — a reason for why we’re doing it — it’s not just a pretty photo.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (04:43)

Wonderful. If a brand is looking at getting new photos done, what are some of the things they can do to get the most out of that photo shoot? Obviously having a plan is really important — is there anything else they can do to really get the most out of working with someone like yourself?

Peita – Bloom Creative (04:57)

100%. When they come on board, we have a very strong pre-production procedure, because if you don’t plan, you’re planning to fail, isn’t it?

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (05:03)

We’re just full of quotes and clichés today, I love it. It’s true though.

Peita – Bloom Creative (05:12)

It’s such a big one. Depending on the style of shoot, we usually do a half day, a two-hour shoot, or a full day. You’re on a time limit, so if you haven’t nailed down your pre-production, you’re not going to get maximum value out of your shoot.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (05:33)

Is there anything you do differently knowing where the images are going to go? For instance, if they’re doing a campaign specifically for a website, socials, or ads — is there anything different you do for those different areas?

Peita – Bloom Creative (05:48)

It really depends on their goal for the shoot. We’ll go through where the images are going to be used and what style of image will work best in each area. A lot of the time, our campaign shoots are more lifestyle-focused — we’re on location, shooting more lifestyle content. Those are great for ads and great for website banners. It’s just about making sure we’re shooting both portrait and landscape depending on the intended use of the images.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (06:20)

Yeah, I think that’s the big one we notice — oftentimes we’ll get photos and they’re all landscape and we need them to be story-sized. It does make it difficult. I suppose that’s pretty standard practice for you guys, but I think it’s worth noting for people listening who are maybe preparing for their first photo shoot — you need to think about where the images are going. If you need them for ads but also for your website, you need to make sure you articulate that you want them in different formats.

Peita – Bloom Creative (06:31)

Yeah, definitely.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (06:48)

If you were planning the ideal shot list for a 2026 campaign — and I know this is very broad — what would be your essentials if people want really good results from their shoot?

Peita – Bloom Creative (07:01)

That’s a great question and something my clients always ask me, because they do come on board not knowing. I would always recommend your product-based images — so that’s eCom shots on a plain white background or a coloured background if they prefer. I would always recommend a lifestyle image as well. I think they’re the strongest images you can use to convey what the product is, what it does, and how it will change your consumers’ lives. It’s also the biggest point of difference because you can’t really duplicate a lifestyle shoot — when people see it, they can really recognise that brand. Then you’ve got your product shots, which are fun. We can really elevate those with a strong product focus, and that’s when we can add ingredients and elements like that. Those are the main three types of images I would recommend starting with.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (07:59)

I’m loving those answers because I’m like, yep, I need those, and those, and those — they tick all the boxes. I think a lot of people don’t have all three and it’s really hard to work out where to start, especially when budget is tricky with new brands. What point do you think someone is past the DIY stage and needs to start getting a professional involved?

Peita – Bloom Creative (08:35)

This one’s a tricky one because I’ve been there. When I first started, I was actually an eCom owner myself with a homewares brand — that’s actually where I learned product photography. That’s where I learned what makes a good photo versus a bad photo, what sells, and what connects with an audience.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (08:44)

Oh, you’ve got a story — okay!

Peita – Bloom Creative (08:59)

Yeah, it makes a massive difference. I always say this to DIYers — I know it can come down to budget, but trust is the major thing online. You want to convey that with strong images. If your images look DIY, people are going to question the quality of your product. They’re going to question if your brand is trustworthy, especially if you’re new. I think that’s the biggest difference. Even if you’re doing some things yourself, I would always 100% invest in quality product photography.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (09:37)

Yeah, it makes a big difference. We’ve got a client at the moment who is launching a new product and they tried to do the launch shoot on their own, and we’re just like — we need you to do this again, please and thank you. As you said, it’s so important to be building trust in those early days.

If you’re not able to tell that story or articulate what you do visually, that’s where so many people are getting their first experience with your brand. They’re not talking to you at a shopfront — they’re seeing an ad, they’re on your website, they’re on your socials. They really need to feel like your product is good, and so much of that comes from your photography.

Peita – Bloom Creative (10:15)

Yeah, definitely. It really does convey the quality of your product, and you want to come across as very trustworthy, especially in those early days when no one knows your brand yet.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (10:25)

Yeah, for sure. We’re going to take a slight segue here because you mentioned you used to have an eCommerce business and now you’re an eCommerce product photographer. We have a lot of eCommerce business owners listening to this — what prompted that journey? Because that’s fascinating.

Peita – Bloom Creative (10:28)

I actually discovered that my true love was creating the content behind the brand rather than the products themselves. I used to source and stock a lot of small product-based items, and I quickly discovered that my passion was more about creating the content and taking the photos.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (11:06)

I love this. A lot of times people get into business because they’re really passionate about something, and then they start their eCommerce business and have a great time. Other times, like me, we like being on this side. I just love that your journey was to start an eCommerce business but actually find what you’re passionate about through that process.

Peita – Bloom Creative (11:22)

Yeah, it was really good. I discovered what images connected with my audience and it was really interesting seeing it from that side of things.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (11:33)

I love that for you. Wonderful. If you had to give advice to a founder who is really overwhelmed by content creation — it’s obviously not their calling like it was yours — what would you suggest for someone who is totally lost on where to start?

Peita – Bloom Creative (11:35)

I remember being an eCom owner and wearing all the hats — packing orders, creating all the marketing, doing all the admin. My thing is: if you can outsource it, especially if it’s not something you’re passionate about, you’re not going to put the love into it and your audience is going to be able to see that in the images and content you create.

But this is where you can lean on so many different types of creators as well. There are product photographers, there’s UGC, there are so many different people. And if you are DIYing it in the early days, there are still people out there — newer UGC creators who can assist you at lower rates and things like that.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (12:20)

I think that’s the thing too. A lot of people want the very best for their business, which I appreciate, but you don’t always have to go for the very top tier. There are people starting out who are still really good at what they do. And like you said, you started your eCommerce business and found your passion was taking photos — so you were good at it. If you’re starting your eCommerce business and you despise taking photos and it’s your least favourite job, it’s going to show. You’re better off finding someone who actually loves that to get the end result.

Peita – Bloom Creative (13:09)

Definitely. It’s like anything in business — if you’re not passionate about it, you’re not going to get the results you want.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (13:17)

Yeah. And photography is just so important. You touched on creators, content creators, UGC — how do you find that mixing in with the professional content? Because I’m team you-need-everything. But obviously it’s hard to get everything. How do you feel those pieces fit together?

Peita – Bloom Creative (13:34)

Same, definitely. Everything is online now. We’ve got to give it to Instagram and all our social media — if we didn’t have these platforms, brands would still have to do TV commercials to get their name out there. So it’s great that we have these spaces to spread awareness.

Using all different kinds of creators is so important because you’re showing your product through different avenues. UGC is very important — it’s actually something we include in our packages with our campaign shoots. We can do UGC-style videos too, so I try to cover all the bases.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (14:12)

You’re like, I am going to solve all of your problems in one package!

Peita – Bloom Creative (14:30)

I try to answer all the questions!

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (14:34)

On our end, it’s beautiful to have those really high-end lifestyle images — the aspirational content. But from our perspective, if you don’t have the UGC, the less polished, more real content, it does struggle. You kind of need both. One is very trust-building in a high-end way — look how polished we are, our product is beautiful. But you also need that relatability. You need the photo someone took at home of their messy makeup station or their mirror selfie. You need both, but you obviously don’t want the mirror selfie as the hero image on your website. It’s about knowing where to place everything.

Peita – Bloom Creative (15:20)

Definitely, I agree. And while we’re on that topic, let’s also touch on AI images.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (15:27)

Do tell. What are your thoughts? Let’s go.

Peita – Bloom Creative (15:30)

Let’s talk about trust again, because the more we see AI coming in — and it does have its advantages, especially in editing — there’s a time and a place. Any brand I have seen using AI images, especially with models for skincare, health, or wellness, is getting absolutely slammed by their audience. If you’re using it for skincare, how is that actually showing your consumer what your product does? You’re showing it on an AI model.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (16:08)

I mean, we already have such a distrust for makeup and skincare brands especially. Go back to the days of mascara ads that were photoshopped to unimaginable extremes — to the point where they now have to put warnings at the bottom saying this is not real. I actually want to see what your product does.

Peita – Bloom Creative (16:20)

100%.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (16:29)

It needs to look good, and there’s the perfect example of something done beautifully by a photographer and makeup artist that looks top tier — but I also need to know what it’s going to look like on me, someone who does not have perfect skin and does not have mile-long eyelashes. What does your product actually look like?

Peita – Bloom Creative (16:47)

That’s where different types of shots come in as well, like your texture shots. You’re also selling the product experience. Your consumers actually need to see what the product is, what it does, and what it looks like on real skin.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (16:52)

Yeah, 100%. Look, I’m all for AI as a tool. I like it as a support. I like it to help me do my job better. But I am very anti it doing everything. I’ve seen a bunch of ads lately saying you don’t need a photo shoot — just upload your product photo and it’ll do the shoot for you. And it’s like, well, it’s not going to have any of the things you talked about. It’s not going to have the strategy, it’s not going to be able to showcase the lifestyle and USPs of your product. It’s just going to be AI garbage.

Peita – Bloom Creative (17:13)

Yes, there’s a time and a place.

Peita – Bloom Creative (17:37)

And sometimes those product photos they upload — the label looks wrong, or the bottle turns out different. It’s just not a true representation of your brand.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (17:45)

Yeah. What are your thoughts on how some photographers are using AI — for instance, taking a beautiful product shot and using AI to add elements or give you more creative freedom with the images? And also give you more to work with, because photography can be expensive and you’re only getting a certain number of shots. Being able to extend what you get from one shoot — where do you stand on that, both in terms of it being your work that’s being used, and in terms of brands using it themselves?

Peita – Bloom Creative (18:36)

This is such a great question because it’s actually a very new area for product photographers. In our contracts, we now have to specifically state what can and can’t be used for AI. It’s actually to do with licensing. A lot of the AI programs that brands use — the licensing is so up in the air at the moment in terms of where those generated images are coming from. There are copyright questions too. It’s such a grey area right now.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (19:05)

Yeah. Where are you landing on that? If a brand has photos from you, what’s your current stance?

Peita – Bloom Creative (19:18)

In my contract, I’m happy for cutouts. If a brand wants to use the image and cut it out, that’s fine. But it can’t be changed, because as a product photographer, it is our creative work. Cutouts are fine for eCom product shots — that’s expected because it’s going to be used for marketing. Otherwise, why would you do it? But if we’ve specifically done a styled shoot and you’re changing backgrounds or changing colours, then that’s altering our creative artwork. And per our contract, that’s not allowed.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (19:54)

Yeah, that’s very fair. And what about you using AI for that kind of creative extension and experimentation? Where do you stand on that one?

Peita – Bloom Creative (20:07)

I love the idea of using AI to extend what product photography can do. Even in Photoshop now, you can add certain elements so much more easily than physically trying to create them. I did a Halloween shoot recently where we were adding green potion to a cauldron, steam effects, things you wouldn’t necessarily be able to create in real life. So you can easily do things like that, but it’s totally up to the client and yourself as to what you’re willing to add in and what the end result looks like.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (20:42)

Yeah, or the effort it would take to actually do that in real life would just not be worth it.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (20:55)

I think it all comes back to what you were saying earlier around strategy and why you’re taking these photos. Is this your first photo shoot and you just need a starting point — web images, ad images, some socials? Or is this your hundredth shoot and you’re like, there are only so many ways you can photograph a bottle, so we need to play and be more creative? It really all comes back to what we were talking about at the start — why are you doing this and what do you want to get out of it?

Wonderful. That brings us to the end, but if people are wanting to follow your work, learn more from you, or work with you, what’s the best way for them to find you and reach out?

Peita – Bloom Creative (21:27)

Our socials are bloomcreative.au and our website is bloomcreative.net.au — quite easy to come and find us!

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (21:50)

I highly recommend checking out her Instagram — she takes some beautiful photos. We have a couple of questions we ask everyone before we wrap up. Do you have a favourite business book or podcast?

Peita – Bloom Creative (21:54)

Thank you! Yes, I’d love to recommend two podcasts. One is by my mentor, Jess Williamson — she has a great business podcast called Unstoppable Success. She goes into the behind-the-scenes of business and mindset as well, which is a really strong one. The other one I love listening to is Georgie Stevenson’s Rise and Conquer, which covers a lot of mindset content that ties into business as well.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (22:25)

Fabulous.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (22:30)

And what’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

Peita – Bloom Creative (22:34)

This one’s a tricky one — I feel like there’s so much advice out there. But one that has really stuck with me is setting boundaries. I think it’s so important, especially for women founders, because we tend to be people pleasers. It’s something I think everyone can relate to. Just setting your boundaries in business — such a strong one.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (22:58)

Yeah, it really is. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. It’s an absolute pleasure having you on the show.

Peita – Bloom Creative (23:06)

Thank you so much for having me.

Dahna Borg – Bright Red Marketing (23:08)

Thank you for listening to the Bright Minds of eCommerce podcast. As always, you can find the show notes on our website at brightredmarketing.com.au — just look for the podcast page. Thanks for listening!