A taste of the shoot. More photos are in the full gallery further down. Click any photo to see it large.
Gro Urban Oasis is a retailer inside big shopping centres, selling indoor plants, homewares and decorator items to people who want to make their home look good. When they opened a new store, they asked me for retail store photography they could use for PR, social media, their website and a new Google Business Profile, so local shoppers could find the new location.
The brief for a new store opening
The brief was clear and practical. Gro Urban Oasis wanted:
- The shop frontage.
- The team working in the shop.
- Each zone of the store.
- The new products.
They also wanted white-background product photos as part of the job. The photos on this page are the in-store ones.
Gro Urban Oasis has a sister brand, Eden Gardens, a large destination garden centre near Macquarie Shopping Centre. Both brands are owned by the same company. Eden Gardens is a big outdoor site.
Shopping centre retail photography: what I photographed
A store like this is all about the look. Every corner is styled, so the job was to show that styling the way a shopper would see it walking in.
- The frontage, with the gro urban garden sign, hanging plants and the chalkboard at the entrance.
- Wide views of the store, so people can see the layout and the space.
- Each zone: the lounge corner with hanging baskets, the seating corners, the plant wall and the counter.
- Products on the shelves: pots, planters, candles, cushions, ceramics and books.
- The terrarium workshop, with hands making a terrarium and a kokedama moss ball.
Styled seating corners like these help a shopper picture the products in their own home. That is what a decorator store is really selling.
Products in situ and products on white
A retailer needs both. In-store photos show products as part of a room, with plants, cushions and ceramics working together. They suit social media, PR and the website's home and category pages. White-background product photos are clean and consistent, and they suit product pages and online listings. Gro Urban Oasis wanted both, which is the right call for a new store.
Showing the workshops, not just the stock
A "Terrarium Workshop" sign sat on the counter. Close-up photos of hands at work tell people the store is somewhere to learn and make things, not only somewhere to shop. That is a good reason to visit, and it gives the social media team something different to post.
Tips for photographing a store inside a busy shopping centre
If you are opening a new store, this is the shot list I would start with:
- Frontage. Shoot the shopfront straight on and at an angle, with the signage clear. Shopping centre walkways are busy, so plan for a quiet time, ideally before the centre opens.
- Zones. Photograph each zone on its own, plus one or two wide shots that show how they connect.
- Products in situ. Style shelves and corners so they look full and tidy, then photograph them as a shopper would see them.
- Products on white. Plan these as a separate set, with consistent lighting and framing.
- Team. Show people helping customers, potting plants or setting up displays. Faces are optional, but people make a store feel open.
- Workshops and events. If you run classes, photograph hands, tools and the finished pieces.
Google Business Profile photos for retailers
A new store starts with an empty Google Business Profile. Good photos help shoppers decide to visit, and help them find you once they are in the centre. I would add a clear frontage photo so people recognise the shop, a wide interior photo, a few zone and product photos, and a team or workshop photo. Then add new photos as your range changes through the year.
Retail store photography in Sydney
Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos and a commercial licence included. See business photography in Sydney for what's included.
Shoot details
Client
Gro Urban Oasis
Industry
Retail: plants, homewares and decorator items
Where
A new store inside a shopping centre
Photographed
The shopfront, each store zone, products in store and a terrarium workshop
Also delivered
White-background product photos
Used for
PR, social media, the website and a new Google Business Profile
The full gallery
More photos from the Gro Urban Oasis store shoot. Click any photo to see it large.
Opening a new store?
I can photograph your shopfront, every zone, your products and your team in one session, ready for your website, social media and Google Business Profile. Business photography starts at $495.
