By Ranyia C. Photography — Fashion Photographer in South Florida (West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County)

As a commercial fashion photographer based in South Florida, one of my favorite parts of this job is getting to work with local brands and helping bring their vision to life. There’s something incredibly rewarding about collaborating with businesses that are growing right here at home, especially when they’re passionate about what they create.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with FJ Swim, a Miami-based swimwear brand, and it became one of my favorite commercial productions to date—not just because of the final images, but because of everything that happened behind the scenes.

How It Started

Idith, the owner of FJ Swim, reached out to me through Instagram asking what it would look like to work together. Before we even scheduled a call, I spent some time looking through the brand. Immediately, I noticed that FJ Swim already had a strong identity. Their bikinis are handmade right here in South Florida, and Idith personally sews many of the pieces herself. She even shares behind-the-scenes videos of her sewing process, which I absolutely loved. As someone who enjoys telling brand stories, seeing that level of craftsmanship instantly made me want to work with her. The brand already had a solid foundation.

My job wasn’t to reinvent it, it was to build on what was already working.

Understanding the Brand Before Picking Up the Camera

During our discovery call, we spent a lot of time talking about the business instead of photography. We talked about:

what was working
what wasn’t
where the bottlenecks were
the type of content she felt was missing
where she wanted to take the brand moving forward

One thing that stood out was how she described previous photoshoots. She explained that previous sessions often felt rushed. Although they were booked for an hour, the actual shooting time felt much shorter, and while she received usable images, she wanted something that felt more intentional, more creative, more memorable, and more representative of the personality of FJ Swim. That conversation completely shifted how I approached the project. Instead of thinking about simply taking photos, I started thinking about creating a production.

Rethinking E-Commerce Photography

One of the first ideas we discussed was changing how her e-commerce images looked. Traditionally, product photography is often done on a white backdrop. While that certainly has its place, after learning more about the brand, it didn’t feel like the best fit. During our conversation, Idith mentioned how much she loved the color and vibrancy of Miami. She wanted the website to feel alive. So instead of photographing the swimwear against white, I suggested something different:

What if the beach became the backdrop?

By using natural scenery, the website could still maintain clean e-commerce functionality while feeling much more immersive and lifestyle-driven. Instead of sterile product pages, customers would immediately associate the swimwear with sunshine, beaches, and the South Florida lifestyle. That became the foundation of the shoot.

Building More Than Just a Shot List

Once we finalized the direction, I wanted to show Idith what working with me looked like beyond photography. So I built a complete creative presentation. The deck included:

the overall campaign objective
visual references
inspiration images
creative concepts
mood boards
content priorities
sample layouts
examples of campaign imagery
a mock social media feed
production planning

The goal wasn’t simply to present ideas. It was to demonstrate what an organized creative production process looks like from start to finish. She loved it. After receiving her feedback, I expanded that presentation into the full production deck for the campaign. From there, I created:

a detailed shot list
a production call sheet
model agreements
timelines
location plans
prop lists
production logistics

Everything was designed so that once shoot day arrived, everyone knew exactly what was happening. Then, everything went wrong. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. The original location was South Beach. On paper, it was perfect. Colorful Art Deco buildings. The beach. Miami energy. Unfortunately, one very important detail slipped through the cracks. The shoot landed on Memorial Day weekend. By the time we arrived, South Beach was completely packed. Traffic was unbelievable. It took over an hour just to find parking. There were police everywhere because of the holiday weekend and the air show happening nearby.

Even if we had managed to shoot, there were simply too many people in every direction to execute the vision we had planned. Instead of forcing the production under poor conditions, we made the decision to postpone. At the time, it was frustrating. Looking back, it was probably the best decision we could have made.

One of the Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned

That experience completely changed how I approach commercial productions. Before this project, most of my planning revolved around creative ideas. Now, location logistics are equally important. Things I now check before every production include:

permit requirements
local events
holidays
expected crowd levels
parking logistics
walking distances
weather backups
changing areas
accessibility
backup locations

That one experience made me a better producer.

The Rescheduled Shoot

When we rescheduled, we moved everything to Palm Beach County. Instead of South Beach, we used quieter beach locations and nearby colorful architecture to recreate the same energetic feeling while having far more control over the environment. Ironically… I think the final result was even stronger. The shoot flowed much more efficiently, and we were able to focus on creating instead of constantly working around crowds.

My Favorite Concept

Hands down…The sunburn concept. Before the shoot, I printed FJ Swim’s logo onto adhesive sticker paper and spent time cutting it out by hand with an X-Acto knife. Let’s just say… My desk definitely paid the price. The entire process left tiny cuts all over my work surface—but honestly, it was completely worth it.

On set, we placed the stencil onto the model’s back, lining it up carefully with the bikini. Using makeup brushes and the model’s own bright red lipstick, which perfectly matched how her skin naturally burns—we slowly built up realistic sunburn coloring around the stencil. The key wasn’t making it bright red. It was blending the edges until it looked believable. Then came my favorite part. Removing the stencil.

Watching the logo reveal itself against the “sunburn” looked incredibly satisfying, and once photographed, the concept looked surprisingly realistic. It’s still one of my favorite commercial concepts I’ve created.

More Than Just Taking Photos

Looking back, one of the biggest realizations from this project was how much work happens before the camera ever comes out. This wasn’t a two-and-a-half-hour photoshoot. It involved:

discovery calls
brand strategy
creative direction
campaign planning
mood boards
production decks
shot lists
timelines
location scouting
model coordination
contracts
logistics
prop sourcing
production management
editing
gallery delivery

The photoshoot itself was only one part of the overall project. That’s what commercial production really is.

The Best Feedback I Could Have Received

A few days after delivering the gallery, I scheduled an off boarding call with Idith. During that conversation, she told me that the images turned out exactly how she envisioned them. Hearing that meant everything. Because at the end of the day, that’s always the goal. Not simply creating beautiful photos. Creating images that accurately represent a client’s vision while helping move their business forward.

Final Thoughts

This project reminded me why I love commercial photography. It’s creative. It’s collaborative. It’s challenging. And every project teaches me something new. Working with FJ Swim pushed me to think beyond photography and continue growing as a creative producer.

As much as I love taking photographs, I think what excites me most is helping brands build something bigger than a single photoshoot. Because the best commercial work isn’t just about capturing what’s already there. It’s about creating visuals that help tell the next chapter of a brand’s story.

Looking for a commercial fashion photographer in South Florida?

If you’re a fashion, beauty, swimwear, jewelry, or lifestyle brand in Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami, or anywhere in South Florida, I’d love to learn more about your business and explore how we can create content that not only looks beautiful, but supports your brand’s long-term growth.

From Discovery Call to Campaign Day: What It Was Like Producing a Commercial Swimwear Shoot for a South Florida Brand