Inside the Chaka Cacao Product Photography Shoot

Lifestyle photography, Amazon product photography, how-to video, and a process built around your brand.

This was my second shoot with Chaka Cacao, and it's one of my favorites to date. Ceremonial-grade cacao rooted in ancient ritual and modern mindfulness — this brand has a world, and building it on set is a pleasure every time. Here's how the day came together.

Before I touch a camera, every shoot starts with a collaborative shot list. I build a curated Pinterest board of references, moods, lighting styles, and prop ideas tailored to the brand, then send it to the client for approval before we lock anything in. When we arrive on shoot day already aligned on direction, the session becomes about execution — not last-minute decisions. For Chaka, the approved direction pointed toward earthy textures, warm organic tones, and a grounded ceremonial aesthetic that carried through every choice we made.

Over years of photographing everything from skincare to candles to food and wellness products, I've built a full studio of props — ceramics, botanicals, textiles, wooden surfaces, natural elements. For Chaka Cacao the selection leaned into the brand's roots: raw wood, hand-thrown ceramics, dried botanicals, linen, stone. Props that communicate where this product comes from and the intention behind it, without saying a word.

Lifestyle photography: studio and on-site

Every Chaka shoot covers two kinds of lifestyle work. The studio images give us full control — deliberate compositions, a morning ritual setup, hero product shots, close-up texture work, all building toward a cohesive visual identity. The on-site work brings the product into real environments with natural light and a more editorial feel. These are the images that tend to perform best on Instagram and Pinterest and make a homepage feel lived-in and aspirational.

Amazon product photography

After lifestyle wraps, the products come back to my dedicated home studio for Amazon listing photos — pure white background, every SKU, clean and conversion-ready. Getting a truly even white background with proper product exposure and accurate color takes a purpose-built setup. As an Amazon product photographer in Austin, I shoot all listing images in a consistent controlled environment so that if Chaka expands their line, new SKUs match the existing catalog seamlessly.

The how-to video

Every time we shoot together, we also film a how-to video — a visual walkthrough of how to prepare and use the ceremonial cacao. Because we're already set up and lit from the photography session, it flows naturally as part of the day rather than feeling like an add-on. For any brand selling a product with a preparation ritual or learning curve, this kind of content answers the question every new customer has before they've even clicked Add to Cart.

What one shoot day delivers

Styled in-studio lifestyle images, on-site lifestyle images for social and editorial use, Amazon white background listing photos, and a how-to video — all shot in one day with one cohesive visual language across everything.

Let's shoot your product

If you're a product-based brand in Austin looking for a photographer who handles lifestyle, studio, Amazon photography, and video in one production, reach out to talk about what your brand needs. Let’s chat!