Ceramics business owner Leah standing behind a table filled with colorful handmade bowls in her kitchen, surrounded by houseplants.

For years, Leah Herskowitz has been a visual artist and animatoR..

the kind of person whose eye for color and pattern didn't just show up in her professional work, it followed her home, onto pinch pots and glazed bowls she'd been making on the side. When she decided to launch Handmade by Leah Bee, her ceramics business, she needed photos that actually looked like her aesthetic: maximalist, warm and a little whimsical!

Three-photo collage of Leah: a close-up portrait, sitting cross-legged holding a ceramic bowl, and holding a potted plant in floral overalls.

Close-up of Leah's hands fanning out a set of her original watercolor paintings.

We chose to shoot at Leah's home

which is chock full of plants, whimsical artwork and gallery walls that fit her brand's vibe (plus it eliminated the need to transport lots of items!) and we built the shoot around her own palette: mustard yellow, deep avocado green, teal. She showed up in a floral overalls and a canary cardigan, held her own plants and pottery like she'd done it a thousand times (she basically had), and somewhere between the checkered ceramic plate and the oversized bowl held up like a toast, it stopped feeling like a "brand shoot" and started feeling like just Leah, in her actual life, surrounded by the things she loves. We made sure to capture some of Leah's paintings and her dog Damien even made a cameo in a few photos as well.

Three-photo collage of Leah seated in front of a gallery wall, painting up close, and surrounded by artwork and plants.

We then headed to The Pottery Studio in Sherman Oaks

for the part every ceramics business needs: real process shots. Hands in clay, the wheel spinning, the kind of concentration on her face mid-throw that no styled flat lay can fake. Karla handled hair and makeup before we headed over, so Leah could focus on being present instead of self-conscious in front of the camera, which mattered a lot for someone more used to being behind a screen animating than in front of a lens.

Overhead shot of Leah throwing a pot on the wheel, hands in wet clay, wearing a denim work apron.

Three-photo collage of Leah at the pottery wheel: shaping clay, holding a finished bowl, and standing near studio shelving.

Leah needed images that could speak to two different audiences

at once, mainly her ceramics customers who want warmth and whimsy, and just a few for the LinkedIn/professional world that wanted at least one genuinely clean, current headshot (her last ones were from 2022). We planned for both from the start, and totally pulled it off.

Four-photo collage of Leah in a mustard cardigan and floral overalls, posing against blue, yellow and green backdrops.

Here's what Leah had to say afterward:

"I absolutely loved working with Keturah! I literally cannot say enough good things about her and her work. Initially I was uncertain about purchasing a brand package, especially since my business is still in its infancy, but Keturah walked me through all of the different services she offered and really put my mind at ease... I'm in love with the photos she took of me (something I never thought was possible) and now I have a new zeal and excitement to continue developing my brand!"

Leah standing arms crossed in a pottery studio, wearing a clay-streaked denim apron in front of a brick wall and drying shelves.

Three-photo collage of hands passing a ceramic bowl, Leah holding artwork, and seated in front of a gallery wall.

Want to see more of Leah's work?

Check out her pieces on Instagram @handmade.by.leah.bee.

And, if your creative business is in early stages of launching, that's not necessarily a reason to wait on professional photos - it might be the best reason to start now!

Leah seated on the floor surrounded by her handmade ceramic bowls and a potted plant, smiling against a teal backdrop.

Leah: A Whimsical Ceramics Brand, AND WHY SHE DIDN’T WAIT