We were lucky to catch up with Carrie Lloyd recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carrie, thanks for joining us today. Do you have any advice regarding quality control and maintaining quality as your brand grows?
Yes! Gap’s Photo Studio is always changing, and it is important to maintain quality control because the Photo Studio will never stop changing due to the nature of the business. I have experienced many evolutions of growth as a Photo Production manager of the Studio’s photo team. If not one brand, there was always another that was making changes to their brand’s look and feel; there is always a need to stay fresh in the retail industry. It is essential as a leader to maintain quality control with lighting standards, work process, and technology to move forward. There are several processes that can be put in place to keep quality control for the brand and maintain overall consistency by documentation, process maps, teaching/communication and technology.
Documentation of set information is one of the essential ways teams maintain quality. You need to outline the location of all physical lighting equipment measured on the set to help recreate the set repeatedly and reliably. Ensuring the lighting is fully documented and reproducible is paramount for the brand to achieve a consistent look and feel.
If there are many teams working on producing one image, using a clear shooting process map for each team is extremely beneficial. There was a time that the Gap brand’s image color was off slightly in the final image and no one could figure out the issue. To resolve the issue, I communicated with different set managers, and together, we then looked at each team’s process and decided we needed a clearer process map to improve and ensure consistency and quality. This improved the knowledge for seasonal freelancers on set, and ultimately by defining a clear process map we resolved future issues before they arose.
Another important aspect to quality control is investing in automation. Automation guarantees consistency which is beneficial to a fast paced business model, like Gap Inc. On the same hand, it is also important to recognize when technology should be applied and when it is essential to have a human’s eye on it.
Without a doubt quality control plays a large factor in the growth of your company. I recommend getting ahead of quality control early and forming an understanding of what quality control processes are needed, since it can make or break a company.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Throughout my life I have always found the beauty in overlooked details. My love of capturing the world around me with a camera has led me to a successful career as a photographer and ultimately, a Photography Production manager. Growing up in Davis, California my dad introduced me to the world of film by always documenting our family events using black and white film. I discovered my love for photography when documenting the overlooked beauty in the vast fields of corn that surrounded my hometown. I felt an urge to capture the untold stories of the natural world, similarly to how my dad captured every moment of our family. At that point in my life, I thought dreaming of becoming a photographer was unattainable.
It wasn’t until I enrolled in a course on photography at Sacramento Community College that I began to envision photography as a career path. I learned there were different specializations in photography, which opened my eyes to an entirely new path, food photography. The use of light, form, textures, shapes, composition and color to enhance food. My newfound love for food photography led me to study at Brooks Institute of Photography receiving a B.A. in Commercial Photography giving me my technical foundation and confidence. After graduating, I moved to San Francisco and began assisting food photographers and other specialized photographers where I was able to learn from the best and grow as a photographer.
I then transitioned from assisting and began to shoot my own jobs such as Bon Appetit, an editorial food magazine, and Williams-Sonoma, a retailer of cookware. I was just getting my business going when I was offered a full-time position at the Gap Inc. retailer’s in-house Photo Studio as a Still Life Photographer. Joining the Gap team came naturally. I was able to capture all the beauty and details in each garment and work with like-minded, creative, and talented people on teams aligned in the same goals to prioritize creativity, efficiency, and quality. The position also helped develop my expert knowledge on the many steps attributed to the Photo Studio production process. As a photographer I increased photography output while shooting banner ads, in-store posters, and shot a Gap Inc international ad for Vogue Magazine Fall Edition, which remains one of my most proud moments as a photographer.
As the business demands grew, so did my career. I became the Photo Production Manager and managed a staff of photographers and additional freelance photographers. I worked to successfully increase shot count, space utilization, and streamline production by altering the way the photo team worked. To accomplish this I introduced Creative Development Days to increase talent and motivate the photo team to take creative liberties while continuing to deliver high-quality imagery to the customer.
The implementation of Creative Development Days brought a newfound confidence to the team to try new ideas, pivot quickly into the unknown, and ultimately elevated a new brand identity for Banana Republic. There was a lot of change with new light, new work process and new environmental sets, learning new technology and it didn’t happen without its fair share of tough days. The look had to be beautiful and elevated in a unique environment, while simultaneously remaining consistent and accessible for everyday photography. All teams were utilized, from the front end to the backend retouchers, to refine the process. I take great pride in helping to facilitate the adaptability and quick thinking that I believe the Studio was able to embody.
As I reflect on my career, my attention to detail shines through. After all, many factors make a retail Photo Studio run smoothly and efficiently in the production process steps. You need to support your team, manage equipment needs, and problem solve technology. Undoubtedly, my love for the details and dedicating myself to learning new photography techniques is what has made me successful in my career, and I can successfully say I was able to make that unattainable dream a reality.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
It was March 19, 2020, and California had issued a statewide stay-at-home order for all nonessential workers to address the rising number of COVID-19 cases. This would be the beginning of the most challenging time in my career and illustrate my resilience as a photographer and Photo Production Manager, as it would take me to another level to support all the Gap brands. On March 18th I was notified the studio would be closing on March 19th. In a matter of hours it was all hands-on deck to facilitate the transition. The work process changed overnight. Most of the jobs in the studio are tactile such as set builds, set lighting, moving props in-and-out, camera equipment, and the samples that get moved into the studios. Suddenly now all those people were working from home or furloughed. Everyone was worried for their health, especially in the face of all the unknowns.
After discussion with leadership, a plan to continue a limited photo production was put in place. I was selected to be the sole photographer that shot priority photography. With the studio closed, we still needed to keep the site supplied with banner ads and product photography. Every day I was tasked with shooting a different brand, changing the lighting, and working with different Art Directors via zoom. I had to adapt and communicate troubleshooting technology issues. I also continued to support my direct reports via zoom who were worried about their families, work, and what was to come next. It is safe to say during those early months the way work was done changed completely. I was, without a doubt, running on fumes and emotionally exhausted.
Being the sole photographer keeping the retail site current was the most challenging time in my career. It made me acutely aware of all the background details involved in getting the shot. During normal times the Studio’s teams seamlessly made it happen. I was surprised by my natural aptitude to resilience and I am confident in my ability to tolerate quick pivots and face uncertain changes with drive.
My resilience and leadership in the face of an unfathomable situation did not go without notice, and once the photo team resumed work in the Studio I was recognized for my contribution with a Gap Exceed Award. Today, I have a personal understanding of what is really needed to keep a Photo Studio’s photo production operational and I know I have the confidence to get it done.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn is prioritizing my individual creative vision over the Photo Studio’s overarching creative vision. As a photographer, I was taught to showcase my creative vision by making my own light to enhance the product’s beauty. However, after working as a photographer at a large retail company I have learned you also need to follow the creative decisions already established, and make joint decisions with the creative team around you. Relinquishing some creative control can be difficult for creative talent, and I assure you it was a challenge for me as well.
I learned to embrace the creative community I am a part of and take joy in sharing new ideas with one another to form a greater creative vision for the Studio as a whole. Working in a Studio is a team environment first and foremost, and there is a need to embrace the team’s combined creativity and work collectively to deliver the highest quality.
Contact Info:
- Website: carrielloydphotography.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrielloyd/