Hogs Breath Saloon | Key West Restaurant Marketing and Branding Photography
Upgraded Marketing Photos for the Iconic Key West Bar
After new owners took over Hog's Breath Saloon, the iconic Key West establishment that's been a staple of island life for decades, I received a referral from another client to work with them on their new branding and marketing photos. The saloon’s website is getting a fresh makeover, and they’re embarking on some bold and exciting new marketing endeavors. I was excited to be on hand to capture the content that will be part of this new campaign.
Not Your Average Brand Shoot
Doing photography for a restaurant is always for me a unique adventure from my normal shoots. Unlike a hotel venue where we can easily just schedule the shoot on a day they don’t have any events, or a boutique where we can section off a space, at a restaurant you’ve got an actively open and bustling business with real life talent on stage and actual customers using the space.
To incorporate multiple times of day from afternoon to evening, we scheduled the shoot in three separate blocks of time with multiple visits spread out over the entire day. The goal was to capture the daytime crowd that is generally there to get lunch and grab a drink, the afternoon crowds who are generally in from a day of fishing or sightseeing and want to unwind with friends around the bar while listening to live music, and the evening crowds where it gets much busier, the groups are much more boisterous and the music has a bit more of a concert vibe to it.
It's about finding the perfect balance between the spontaneity of whatever would normally be happening during those times of day, but also checking off the shot list and making sure I could get everything the client needed with what was available to me throughout the day. For a branding photographer where normally all the variables, people, talent, timing, and lighting are 100% under control, these types of shoots stretch me both logistically and creatively.
“Little Bit Of Everything” Lighting
On the subject of creative challenges, the diverse lighting in the space was a big contender in how I shot the scenes. The entire layout is a mixture of so many lighting situations, with overhead sky peeking through slits in stretched canvas sails for shade, backlit entrances on either end of the venue, darker and moodier areas in the back, fluorescent lighting in the store and merchandise area, as well as open shade streaming toward the sound stage and the north end of the bar, keeping me on my toes the entire shoot.
With its mix of natural light, neon signs, and shadowy corners, it was a photographer's playground and challenge rolled into one. But after a bit of tinkering and a whole lot of patience, I got some shots that aimed to capture the true-to-life ambience of each area of the place.
Talking to Strangers
Hands down the best part of the shoot were the people. I admittedly was a little unsure of how best to involve the crowds and the guests of the establishment when I first arrived. While I have tons of experience interacting with complete strangers doing street photography for things like Songwriter’s Festival, Fantasy Fest, and other more journalistic-type photography jobs, remember this was a brand shoot….the outcome will make or break the marketing (for no bar or restaurant wants to promote their location with pictures of people looking skeptical, bored, or disinterested)….but these people are not professional models and actors trained for this type of shoot, and also they had no idea this was happening until the very moment I walked up to them!
But it turned out, that did not matter! From the regulars who make Hog's Breath their second home to the tourists soaking in the Key West vibes, each face had a story to tell. My goal with the photos was to capture an authentic experience with real patrons and guests, but do so in a way that did not detract from their enjoyment of their meal, drink, friends, etc.
My approach became to identify people or groups who looked like they were enjoying themselves. I would go up to them (camera in hand) and start by simply finding something to kick off engagement with them. One couple had brought their dog with them, for example. One person had ordered a particularly delicious-looking cocktail. A group of people had gotten loud and rowdy so I made a joke that I’d made it into the right section of people clearly having fun… and so on. Inevitably someone would say “wow that’s a big camera” or they would have noticed me taking photos elsewhere in the space and ask what I was up to. I would then use this as the opportunity to introduce myself and explain what I was doing. Nearly every single person I interacted with then actually asked me if they could be in the photos as well, and I proceeded from there. If they didn’t ask me, I had at least broken the ice enough to be able to comfortably say “I’d love to include you guys in the pictures if you’re up for it?”.
Having buy-in though did not - I knew - give me license to turn their day into a lengthy photo shoot. I needed to direct them quickly and efficiently with as few instructions as possible (remember, it’s a bar with live music ; not exactly the space to dole out detailed requests) without turning their experience into a bothersome distraction. If I had a specific shot I knew I wanted to get, I made sure to line up my composition, test my lighting, and be totally ready to go before I asked the staff or patrons to participate, which allowed me to require only a minute of their attention in order to nail the scene before moving on to the next area of the very large facility.
That’s A Wrap
With the energy, dance moves, and rowdy activity of the evening segment wrapped up and in hand, it was time to pack up for the day and head out.
As these photos make their way onto Hog's Breath's shiny new website and social media feeds, I can't help but feel a sense of pride at being part of this iconic brand’s new look going forward. Because at the end of the day, the work that I do is not just about pretty pictures and entertaining video clips —it's about contributing to my community and the businesses in it so that we can all succeed together. By capturing moments for Hogs Breath that people can connect with and which compels them to visit, stop by, and make part of their Key West experience, that’s a result that is good for all of us.
Karrie Porter Bond is a Branding Photographer and Content Creator based in Key West, Florida. Since 2001, she has brought her experience in business, design, and promotion to her clients with the vibrant style, sage perspective, and energetic personality she’s known for. Get more info HERE