Ever head to an Instagram page or blog that made your mouth water just looking at
it? Well then you might have just stumbled on Anita Chu’s Instagram page or her
amazing blog Dessert First (which is a name I can get behind)!
Branding shoots are one of my personal favorites. Being a photographer, I am able
to see people through the lens of my camera, which is a perspective not everyone
gets to experience. I learn about my clients first from our consultations and
brainstorming sessions, but once we head to our locations or start shooting in the
studio, their unique self always starts to evolve throughout the shoot.
Getting to know Anita during her branding shoot was incredible. We were able to
head to multiple pastry and food hot spots in San Francisco that related well to
Anita’s brand. From the pastel color theme throughout her blog and Instagram feed,
to the beautiful desserts she creates and posts, our goal was to continue that scheme through our shoot.
We wanted to make sure from our brunch shots at Le Marais Bakery, to the pastel
colored macaron pictures we took at Chantal Guillon, that we were going finish with
images that were authentic to Anita and her blog. We also headed to my studio, to
take some portraits in a few different spring attire looks. In addition, we took some
fun pastry shots in the studio to highlight Anita’s baking skills. We finished with
more options then expected! It was hard to choose ones not to edit, which is a good problem to have!
A little background on Anita: She is a Bay Area native and as the name of her blog
states, you can imagine she has a slight sweet tooth. Anita graduated in 2005 from
Tante Marie’s Cooking School six-month professional pastry course and then
worked full time in a local bakery. While doing so she began to photograph her amazing baked goods in and out of the bakery. Out of the oven soon popped, Dessert First, Anita’s blog!
Dessert First is inspired by Anita’s daily baking at home, cookbooks, pastry chefs she admires, restaurants she heads to and even the smells on the street! Her goal is to give people at home the opportunity to learn how to create professional-level pastries while also giving her bakery reviews on tools, shops and more in between. Anita’s blog has brought her some amazing opportunities, including not one, not two, but THREE cookbooks: Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy and Lollipop Love.
As Anita says on her blog, “I was extremely lucky to get the opportunity to do these books, and it was all because of my blog. You’ll never know where life takes you, so just get out there and start doing it!”
Her message is truly magnetic. When someone has a passion for something they do, their energy is contagious!
For more information on Anita Chu head to her blog here: https://dessertfirstgirl.com/about-pastrygirl
Stay tuned for more images from our branding shoot together on my social media!
