Welcome to our Latest Story

To celebrate the launch of our latest greetings cards collection ‘Keepsakes’,  we’re inviting you to come along behind the scenes on our recent photo shoot, as we take you on a journey back in time to recreate the romance of cherished days gone by.

Take five and enjoy this little read, as we share how we created the perfect setting to capture the essence of this heartfelt ‘story’. Plus, read on for our tried and tested top tips, if you happen to be planning your own photo shoot.

 

Recreating the Past

 

‘Keepsakes’  is a love story to those joyful, nostalgic memories from the past. This stunning range of 18 heartfelt greetings card designs are the result of months of hard work and passion,  lovingly hand crafted in our small, London based design studio.

The overall sentiment is a modern take on vintage charm. Taking inspiration from the past but with a contemporary touch that feels both relevant and modern. Our founder Niccy is hopeful that these cards will become keepsakes themselves, secreted away for years to come and saved as treasured memoirs.

Everything we create at Type and Story is carefully curated with purpose and intent, with the brief for the shoot day very much an extension of the collection itself.  Drawing on fondly remembered collectibles, the collection features ornate glass objects, decorative picture frames and treasures, embellished with delicate hand drawn antique roses, deep red love hearts, romantic lace, ribbons and all the trimmings. 

The colour palette focuses on soft pastels of dusky pinks, lavender and antique white and cream hues, complimented by bold reds, gold and accents of dark blue. 

The nostalgic sentiment of the designs evoke treasured memories that keep us so closely connected to the past.

 

 

Hunting for Treasure

 

At Type and Story it’s no surprise that we are big on story telling. And, sourcing the right props is a huge part of being able to bring each of those stories to life. 

In the run up to the day, as well as taking a trip down memory lane in our grandparents attics, we could be found, happily hunting for treasures, rummaging around vintage shops and antique markets for inspiration. The originality aspect is super important to our brand, enabling us to create something truly bespoke and from the heart. 

One of our favourite finds was a pair of ornate gold swans which perfectly encapsulate the sentiment of the story. Be sure to look out for them in our imagery. Another great find came in the shape of a vintage glass jelly mould, full of regal decadence and grandeur and the inspiration behind one of our beautiful designs. Typically we didn't use it in the shoot as the jelly collapsed on the day!

 

 

 

Lights, Cameras and all the Trimmings.

 

To help bring the shoot to life, we called upon talented friend and renowned stylist Camilla Bracewell of @thisbrighthouse whose work has graced some of London’s grandest department stores, including the infamous Selfridges. Camilla and I used to work together at Selfridges so I knew the chemistry would be just right.  We always shoot with the amazing photograher Diana Stainton in her London studio as her eye for detail is impeccable along with her being able to capture gold foiling just perfectly. My team was officially set.  

With the clock ticking, it was very much all hands on deck – spray painting the plynths, placing the props and positioning the backdrop to shoot each design. 

We were really passionate about experimenting with interesting angles and textures. Using rose petals helped to bring a romantic vibe to the setting that was authentic without feeling gimmicky.

 

 

The romance was further enhanced with the use of textured backgrounds, bringing in tactile elements such as lace and ruffles sourced from local markets and Etsy. We utilised our existing brand colour palette, cleverly layering in a new complimentary shade, to reflect the new collection. 

Some of the stunning backgrounds for this shoot were provided by Capture by Lucy, another talented artist who I have used for years with professional backdrops. Take a peek at her range of captivating photo backdrops for all occasions. 

Starting with product shots, created using a ‘flat lay’ technique we then moved onto group shots – taking care to focus on the purpose of the images by audience and appropriate media type.

The group shots were organised by celebration/occasion: birthday cards, in sympathy, romantic occasions, wedding greetings. 

 

 

Adding that personal touch with the help of colour, props and backgrounds  is what makes this story so wonderfully unique. 

We are thrilled with the final results and are excited for you to discover this collection. Our hope is that our greetings cards provide a window into a different way of communicating and connecting ourselves to others. From weddings to funerals, family birthdays, religious occasions and gestures of love – our desire is to help people tell stories and express feelings through meaningful exchanges.

 

 

 

 

Top Tips on Planning a Photo Shoot.

 

Plan Ahead – Research is key. Create a Pinterest board or consider making a mood board with cut outs, fabric samples and textures and examples of styling and angles to share with your team. Get out and about for inspiration and collect samples that both bring your vision to life and can also be used as props. 

Be Prepared – Putting together a shoot list and making time for a pre shoot meet with your team will ensure the day goes as smoothly as possible. It may also be helpful to assign roles so that everyone knows what they are doing on the day. This can also help minimise any additional costs for going over the allocated or agreed time and definitely makes for a calmer, more harmonious experience and a better, more productive outcome overall. 

 

 

Brand Awareness – Stay true to your brand by creating an identity that is unique to you. No matter how big or small your brand, using the same logo, colours and design in your marketing efforts will all help to create brand recognition the more you use it, so that it becomes synonymous with your products and who you are.

Personal Touch – Tell your own story.  Bring your shoot to life with props and details you have sourced yourself, rather than relaying on generic props.

Have Fun – Enjoy the experience,  it will show in the outcome. If you put in the energy and passion, the final results should speak for themselves. 

Shop the Keepsakes collection featuring purposeful greetings cards for every occasion. From birthdays, family members, anniversaries, wedding celebrations, Valentine’s and general declarations of love, as well as generic designs that can be individually personalised.

 

Follow Our Story

 

We hope this little read has inspired you to express thoughtful sentiments through our intentional designs, typography and storytelling. 

Tune in to our other blogs and features for more creative inspo and stories. For the latest news and offers (plus 20% off your first order) you can sign up to our newsletter. Be sure to follow along on Instagram too.

You can shop the full range of greetings cards, gift wrap and tags for every occasion from Type and Story online.

Type and Story has featured in a number of prestigious publications, including House Beautiful, Wallpaper,  Suitcase and Stylist Magazine. The brand has won a number of coveted industry awards and was shortlisted for the Henries ‘Most Promising Young Designer Award’ 2021.