Yes. Courtney Dailey collaborates with agency art directors, creative directors, and producers on beauty photography and video productions. She can work within an established creative concept, contribute photographic treatments, and help translate the brief into lighting, styling, shot lists, and final deliverables. Productions are planned around the agency’s approval process, usage requirements, and delivery specifications, keeping the creative vision consistent from pre-production through post-production.

Agencies can commission beauty photography and motion assets for campaigns, product launches, e-commerce, retail, and paid social, including:

• Campaign hero images and advertising photography.

• Product still life and styled product compositions.

• Skincare texture images and makeup swatch photography.

• On-model beauty and product application imagery.

• Sephora ready product photographs.

• Short-form product videos, GIFs, and stop-motion animations.

• Channel-specific crops and formats planned around the media requirements.

An agency brief should explain the campaign objective, creative direction, products, required assets, and where the finished work will appear. To brief Courtney Dailey, include:

• Brand and campaign goals: The audience, launch message, and what the imagery needs to communicate.

• Creative references: Mood boards, layouts, brand guidelines, and any established concepts.

• Product details: The number of products or SKUs, shade variations, and any texture or application requirements.

• Deliverables: Final image and video counts, aspect ratios, crops, and retailer or platform specifications.

• Production needs: Models, styling, props, locations, and whether photography and motion are needed together.

• Budget and timing: The production budget, preferred shoot dates, and final delivery deadline.

• Usage and approvals: Intended channels, licensing duration, territories, and who will approve the work.

An initial brief does not need to resolve every production detail. It should provide enough information to define the scope, identify open questions, and develop an estimate and production plan.

I always shoot tethered so that images can be live viewed as we create them, so images can be easily shortlisted. I also can shoot remote. I then provide a link to view the images on Pixieset, to make selects. Once selects are made, it takes 7-10 days for post production.

Courtney Dailey is a Los Angeles beauty photographer specializing in skincare, makeup and fragrance campaigns for beauty brands and agencies. She creates product still life, texture imagery, swatch photography, on-figure beauty and motion assets for launches, campaigns. Her client credits include K18, Sephora, Kate Somerville, Laura Mercier, Too Faced, Revlon, Urban Decay and Neutrogena, and she partners with agency art directors, producers and creative teams from briefing through final delivery.

Yes. A single production can be structured to capture multiple asset types when the shot list, product preparation, styling and production schedule are planned in advance. This approach helps teams create a consistent visual system across campaign, e-commerce and social channels.

Courtney photographs skincare, makeup, fragrance, cosmetics and haircare products. Each production is designed to highlight packaging, texture, color, finish and the visual positioning of the brand.

Yes. Campaign and e-commerce photography can be planned together so teams receive high-impact hero imagery alongside product-focused assets for websites, retailer listings, paid social and launch materials.

Courtney is based in Los Angeles and plans studio or location-based beauty productions around the brief, creative requirements, production scope and schedule.

Yes! Courtney has a Boutique style Photostudio in North Hollywood/ Burbank called The Saturn.

On styled product photography, on average, we accomplish 10-15 images per day. It depends on the complexity of the styling desired.

Beauty Shoots we can get so much more done in a day. For example, for FEL beauty we shot 3 models with 8 shades each on, plus group shots and editorial beauty.

Retouching takes on average 7-10 days after selects are made. We are able to do faster turnarounds on certain images or an entire shoot with a heads-up and an additional fee.

Yes! Courtney has a team of highly skilled makeup artists, hairstylists, and wardrobe stylists available in Los Angeles and many other large cities.

Please send three of each sku you intend to shoot: checking that all labels and screen printing look perfect. Try to send the best packages possible. If you have any wardrobe or props you would like to have in the shoot, you can bring them with you the day of the photoshoot, or if you are doing a remote shoot, feel free to ship them with your products.

Absolutely! Courtney works with brands all over the world: some clients prefer to fly in for a shoot while others are happy to do a remote shoot, viewing a live feed or doing frequent text updates. Courtney is also happy to travel internationally, she has an active passport and has teams to work with all over the world.

Beauty photography typically focuses on people, highlighting skin, makeup, hair, and the overall beauty look. Cosmetic product photography focuses on the products themselves, including packaging, shades, formulas, and textures. The two often work together in a campaign: on-model images show the product in use, while product photographs give customers a closer look at what they’re buying.

A specialized cosmetic photographer understands how to photograph reflective packaging, subtle shades, translucent formulas, and different product finishes. These details require careful lighting, styling, and color management to keep the product accurate while making it visually compelling. That expertise is especially valuable when a campaign needs consistent imagery across multiple products, shades, and formats.

Skincare product photography showcases skincare products, their packaging, and their formulas for advertising, e-commerce, and brand content. It can include clean product shots, styled still life, close-ups of creams and serums, and application imagery on skin. Together, these images help communicate what the product is, how it is used, and what its texture looks like.

A skincare launch typically needs a coordinated mix of product, texture, application, and campaign imagery. A practical shot list includes:

• Clean product images for product pages and retailer listings.

• Packaging views and detail shots that show labels, dispensers, and product design.

• Texture images that reveal the consistency of creams, gels, oils, or serums.

• On-skin or application images that demonstrate how the product is used.

• Campaign hero images for launch announcements, advertising, email, and social media.

Plan horizontal, vertical, and square compositions around the channels you’ll use, including space for headlines where needed. The final shot list should reflect the product range, launch strategy, and retailer requirements.

Appealing skincare texture photography starts with fresh product, careful styling, and lighting suited to the formula. Side lighting can reveal the shape of a cream swipe, while controlled highlights help communicate the shine of an oil or the translucency of a gel. Close-up photography captures details that packaging alone cannot show. The goal is to make the formula feel tangible without misrepresenting its actual consistency or finish.

The best photography style for luxury skincare is one that expresses the brand’s positioning while keeping the product recognizable. Minimal compositions, intentional lighting, refined color palettes, and carefully chosen surfaces can create a premium feel. A clinically positioned brand may suit crisp, precise imagery, while a sensorial brand may benefit from richer textures and softer light. Luxury does not require one particular aesthetic; it requires a cohesive visual approach and careful execution.

Makeup product photography showcases cosmetics such as lipstick, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, and mascara. It includes packaging photographs, open-product views, applicator details, swatches, and creative campaign imagery. Particular attention goes to color, pigmentation, texture, and finish so customers can understand the differences between shades and formulas.

Swatch photography helps customers evaluate makeup shades and finishes beyond what they can see in the packaging. It shows differences in color, coverage, texture, and effects such as shimmer or gloss. Consistently photographed swatches make shades easier to compare, while on-skin swatches across multiple skin tones provide useful context for choosing a product. Careful color management matters, although appearance can still vary across screens and lighting conditions.

Aesthetic still life photography uses deliberately arranged objects, lighting, color, and surfaces to create a visually expressive product image. For beauty brands, it can combine packaging with formula textures, sculptural props, or materials that support the brand’s identity. Unlike a straightforward catalog photograph, a styled still life also communicates a mood or concept, making it useful for campaigns, launches, and social content.

E-commerce photography helps customers evaluate a specific product, while campaign photography builds a broader visual story around the brand or launch. E-commerce images prioritize clear product details, accurate color, consistent angles, and retailer specifications. Campaign images allow more expressive lighting, styling, sets, and model direction. A coordinated production can create both, giving the brand practical product-page assets alongside distinctive advertising imagery.