STILLS ● MOTION
KARAM MD SKINCARE
FROM STARTUP TO STANDOUT BRAND.
Building a visual identity for doctor-formulated skin care through collaborative commercial photography and video production.
THE BEGINNING: 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, Enrich) in a way that communicated "fresh and natural" without relying on artificial color or overproduced lifestyle tropes. The brand aesthetic drew inspiration from minimalist skincare 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.
PRE-PRODUCTION: 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 brand's 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 color palette—soft ambers, muted blues, warm neutrals—had to feel cohesive across 40+ images while showcasing products that ranged from opaque white creams to crystal-clear gels.
The challenge wasn't just technical. It was narrative. How do you make five bottles feel like a system? How do you photograph a "Trifecta" so it reads as essential rather than aspirational?
PRODUCTION: 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 under studio lights, threatening to obscure the very branding we were showcasing. The fix required encasing each bottle in custom black paper cylinders during solo shots to eliminate reflections, then compositing them into lifestyle scenes where subtle highlights on the caps added realism without distraction.
Then there was the Quench serum. Described as "clear," it photographed with a faint golden cast under tungsten lighting—accurate to the formula but potentially misleading for customers expecting clinical transparency. After testing samples myself, I selectively desaturated the color in post while preserving a whisper of warmth, balancing visual truth with brand positioning.
But the most valuable problem-solving happened in the margins. After the first round of images, Dr. Karam's feedback was direct: "We need hero shots of the Trifecta. They have to feel like the centerpiece." I hadn't leaned into that hard enough. Round two shifted focus—more groupings, more attention to how the three products visually anchored each composition. Patti's note was equally sharp: "The Illuminate texture looks dry. Can we make it feel hydrated?" We re-shot with adjusted lighting and a creamier swatch pull.
That kind of honesty only works when trust is built. And by week three, it was.
