Yes, this gelato is 100% Plant-Based and Gluten-Free.

Folks this gelato is made with a lot of love!  And the taste is as delicious as it looks.  Imagine all the taste without the guilt.

I met with Susan Sbicca the brilliant chief who is the creator of Millie’s Gelato to do a photo shoot of her vegan gelato for her website and promotional pieces.

Our challenge? How to show in the photos the benefit of this gelato?

The idea behind the photo shoot was to really showcase the fresh organic ingredients that go into each batch of Millie’s Gelato.  We wanted to show the contrast that there are no dairy, eggs, soy or gluten included.

It’s all about styling

It is very important to put together a mood board, they are great way to communicate photography design ideas.

This is the best way to know that you are on the same page as your client.  This helps get the juices of ideas and creativity going.

For a good layout start with with a large item and slowly add items the design around it. Intuitively I try to use the “golden ration” in the design of the layouts and I pay close attention to color harmony, use complimentary colors where I can.

That’s not all …

Susan and I talked about the look and feel she wanted for her brand. She was thinking to keep things natural and simple so the fresh ingredients and the gelato would really stand out.  I was envisioning different textures and muted colors.

Once we decided on the look, we both went on the hunt for the perfect props.

It is always better to buy more than what you think you will need, to have several options.

Wonder how we mixed it up?

We both went shopping for props for the photo shoot sending each other photos of things we have found.

I found some beautiful cutting boards and wooden bowls.  I also found some place mats and runners that had nice texture and muted colors.

Susan found a nice variety of bowls and some linen textured place mats.

.. and we mixed it up with a lovely collection of vintage dishes that I thought could add a fun feeling of a dessert party.

Before you take the first photo know your client’s passion.

Susan is so passionate about the gelato she makes and the ingredients that go into it.  When I talked to her about her gelato and the process of making new flavors her eyes just light up and the sense of passion comes through.  She searches at farmers markets and organic stores for only the finest ingredients that are fresh and organic.

I wanted to add this passion to the photos as an invisible layer.

It’s melting ….. !

We had to set up each shot so it was ready to go for the gelato.

The melting factor kicks in quickly so we had to move fast.  I think the biggest challenge was the shot with all the flavors in the old vintage frame.  We had to make sure it looked balanced, tasty and pretty.  This ended up being one of my favorite images from the shoot.

You know that every pint is packed full with fresh goodness and taste.

“I created Millie’s Vegan Gelato because I wanted to share a decadent dessert that is delicious to all kinds of food lovers-vegan, vegetarian, carnivores and everything in between. I hope you enjoy Millie’s Vegan Gelato as much as I enjoy making it.”  – Susan Sbicca

The best part for me…..all the leftover gelato!

Yes, this is vegan! 

Susan is a joy to work with and we had a great time creating ideas for the shoot.