Founder vision meets creative execution
When Dr. Amir Karam reached out in 2021, he wasn't just looking for product photography — he was building something from the ground up. A renowned plastic surgeon from San Diego with a vision for clinical-grade skincare that didn't look clinical, Dr. Karam needed a visual partner who could translate his expertise into imagery that felt both trustworthy and effortlessly refined.
The ask was deceptively simple: photograph five products — Rinse, Quench, Illuminate, Polish, and Enrich — in a way that communicated "fresh and natural" without relying on artificial color or overproduced lifestyle tropes. The aesthetic drew from minimalist leaders like Venn and Aesop: neutral palettes, ingredient transparency, texture over flash.
But there was a catch. Dr. Karam was doing this himself — no marketing team yet. Just a surgeon with a chemistry kit and a belief that his formulas deserved better than stock photography. That's where the real work began.
Collaboration as creative brief
Early conversations with Dr. Karam and his branding consultant, Patti Reilly, revealed a meticulous attention to detail. They provided mood boards, competitor references, and a shot list spanning product swatches, hero compositions, and lifestyle scenarios — but they also trusted me to interpret: to push back when a concept wouldn't translate photographically, to suggest alternatives when their references required adaptation.
We spent hours sourcing props that felt authentic to the ingredient story — aloe plants for Rinse's botanical base, fresh oranges for Quench's vitamin C serum, chemistry glassware to nod at Dr. Karam's formulation expertise. The palette of soft ambers, muted blues, and warm neutrals had to feel cohesive across 40+ images. The challenge wasn't just technical. It was narrative: how do you make five bottles feel like a system?
Solving problems in real time
Shooting reflective cylindrical bottles is where most product photographers earn their keep — or lose the client. Rinse and Illuminate's glossy plexi packaging created harsh glare, threatening to obscure the very branding we were showcasing. The fix: encasing each bottle in custom black paper cylinders during solo shots to eliminate reflections, then compositing them into lifestyle scenes where subtle cap highlights added realism.
The most valuable problem-solving happened in the margins. Dr. Karam's feedback was direct — "We need hero shots of the Trifecta. They have to feel like the centerpiece." Round two shifted focus: more groupings, more attention to how three products anchored each composition. That kind of honesty only works when trust is built. By week three, it was.
Mark Bowers is a commercial product photographer based in Austin, TX, working with consumer-goods brands and agencies on catalog, e-commerce, and campaign imagery. He operates as Thunderbolt Commercial Photography, LLC — shooting product stories built to move units.