This week, we are excited to feature Clara Jones, a dynamic and vibrant product photographer and stylist based in Utah. Her photography bursts with color and life. For the past three years, Clara has lent her creative talents to Crumbl, capturing their delectable treats, all while managing her own business during evenings and weekends. Join us as we dive deeper into Clara's world in our Q&A session below:
1. What inspired you to become a product photographer and stylist, and how did you get started in this field?
I’m always noticing how light can dance across colors, textures, and shapes (to the point that my friends and family chuckle when I point it out)! My heart gravitates towards being in complete control from the vision, lighting a scene, playing with colors/textures/shapes and I’m obsessed with composition and making ideas come to life!
I started out in the portrait and wedding industry years ago when I was studying photography at UVU. I was even honored enough to learn from and work with the “Masters” at Busath Photography for a few years! Looking back, I always knew I wanted to do something with product, but I didn’t know where to start and was scared to make the leap when I already had a good thing going. Fast forward to 2017. I saw an opening for a freelance photographer for “The House That Lars Built”. I’m forever thankful that Brittany took a chance on hiring me because that’s where it all started!
Soon after, another opportunity came my way to shoot full-time for American Crafts. I worked there for a few years shooting and styling imagery for social, packaging, signage, etc. That was the perfect stepping stone for me learning and getting my foot in the door with product photography. In 2020 I vividly remember feeling this urgency to start my “new” instagram account “ClaraJonesPhoto”. I started from scratch, and a few months later Crumbl had a full-time in house photographer position open up (the first photographer position they created). I lucked out by getting it, and have been at Crumbl for 3 years. I have learned so much and have loved being able to elevate myself and the brand! I worked my way up to “Director of Photography” and helped build out an amazing photography team with talented people. Since having a baby last year, I decided to step down into a Sr. role and focus on the instagram feed (which has been my baby since the beginning) and am loving it each day!
2. Color consistently shines through in your photography, what techniques do you use to achieve such a vibrant look?
Oh wow, that’s so nice! This is something I’m always striving to improve on. The quality and direction of light is huge (obsessed with strobes, they’re a game changer). I really focus on lighting the scene well and getting it as good as I can in camera!
When editing, I organize my images and make my initial edits in Lightroom which has worked well for me. Then I pull them all into photoshop for my heavy editing. One thing that helps me in PS to make them "pop", is using the Curves Adjustment’s - Sample in image to set white point dropper (and playing with the opacity of that layer / brushing where needed). So random, but I love it! Layers and masks are some of my best friends ;).
3. You've worked with several brands, which one have you been the most excited about recently?
Ooh, that’s a hard question because I love my clients! Besides Crumbl, I have some really fun things coming out with Bumpin Blends + a big partnership, along with Maker Wine! I recently did some work for Babe Original, Kizik, and Zao which have also been a blast!
4. Can you describe a particularly memorable or challenging project you've worked on?
I feel like Crumbl presents some interesting and fun challenges on the daily. One of the biggest recently has been with the “brand refresh” and helping identify what Crumbl's brand identity is. I was able to learn from professionals in NYC, and bring learnings back to my team to help us elevate our brand. Each week as I work on the instagram feed or help with campaigns, I’m always trying something new when it comes to lighting, styling, composition, or editing techniques! It’s always keeping me on my toes.
5. What have been some of the most rewarding aspects of your experience working at Crumbl, and how has it influenced your approach to product photography?
One of the most rewarding parts has been working with so many amazing and talented people! Another highlight has been helping direct the “refresh” and making it come to life!
My favorite part of my job has been curating/creating content for Crumbl's Instagram feed and stories, and making it look like a beautiful portfolio of cookies! LOL, who wouldn't love that? It's been really rewarding to see our Instagram following grow from ~50K (when I started) to our current 4.7M followers (pinch me!), and seeing my work on Billboards across the Utah Freeways! The best compliment I get is when people say "Wow, your images made me go buy a cookie!" Means I'm doing my job!
Working at Crumbl has really given me the opportunity to try and learn new things ALL THE TIME! I learn so much by doing, so diving in all the time really helps me grow! It’s such a fast paced company, so I’ve also seen myself become faster and more efficient in my workflow. Over the past year, photoshop has also been really clicking for me on a deeper level, which has been so exciting. It’s been awesome to have a consistent reason to always push myself and practice and learn over the years! Can't wait to keep improving and learning!
Thank you, Clara, for taking the time to share your inspiring journey and insights with us. Your passion for photography and styling, along with your dedication to family and personal interests, truly shines through. We appreciate the vibrant energy and unique perspective you bring to your work. We look forward to seeing more of your stunning creations and wish you continued success in all your endeavors!
To see more of Clara's work, check out her website, or follow her in Instagram!
Get to Know Clara:
I'm a Utah girl through and through! Been married to the love of my life since 2017. and we now have a little baby bestie who just turned one! I love distance running, and can't wait to do another marathon (manifesting!). It's kinda ironic that my photos are so bright and colorful, when on a daily basis I can be found wearing black! My home decor is literally black and white too which makes me laugh at the extremes! I love baking on the weekends, traveling the world, driving around on a summer evening with the windows down and music blasting, and being with family and friends! I've been one of Crumbl's Photographers for 3 years, and run my business in the evenings and weekends! Xoxo