Shae's Sourdough ~ Vancouver, WA ~ Brand Story Photography Session

Whenever I have a brand story photography session with a business owner, I always look forward to driving around the Pacific Northwest to capture them in whichever location they feel the most comfortable in!

Sometimes business owners feel the most “in their element” in their own work space, so that’s where we end up having the shoot. Other times, they might love the outdoors or prefer to have their session at home… Any of these options work perfectly with me!

It’s always my goal to make sure that whoever I’m working with feels comfortable and excited about the environment for their upcoming session… So when it came to working with Shae Powell, we definitely had a conversation about which setting would be ideal for her.

For this session with Shae, we ended up selecting a location that we usually don’t choose for a business branding session… My kitchen! I’m used to having clients in my home studio for boudoir shoots, but using my kitchen as a set was definitely a big change for me. It ended up being perfect for this type of session, though!

Shae is the creator of Shae’s Sourdough, and she bakes all kinds of delicious sourdough treats. This is why we agreed that using my home for the shoot would work out well… She could spend the day baking and using the kitchen, and I’d be there to capture it all!

Shae is a cottage-kitchen baker and typically works out of her home in Oregon City, Oregon, so spending the day baking somewhere else definitely switched things up for her! She was up for the change, though, and we were both SO excited for this session once we planned it.

On the day of the session, Shae was ready to go and arrived with everything she needed to bake some yummy goodies! As we got started, it was really interesting to see her process as she worked with the dough… While she prepared her sourdough loaf, it totally looked like a workout! I made sure to capture the different steps she took to get her dough ready for the oven, and I also wanted to take some photos of Shae with her work-in-progress.

On top of the sourdough loaf, Shae also planned to make her special hand pies! It was fun to see her process that included cutting the dough into round pieces, adding fruit, and crimping the edges of her pies.

As the session continued on and her creations went in the oven, we talked more about her business and personal story! Shae originally started baking back in 2010 when she was in college, and at the time, she imagined herself opening a cupcake shop. But fast forward to 2023… And things turned out a little different! Shae ended up starting Shae’s Sourdough after creating her own sourdough starter and making her first sourdough loaf for her family.

It was awesome to learn about her journey! She’s now baking sourdough instead of cupcakes, but she was able to keep her love of baking alive. Hearing this was absolutely inspiring!

Now, she provides delicious treats for Fat Milo’s in Sherwood, Oregon. She always prepares fresh loaves to be sold there, and she also sells her hand pies there! Depending on the season and month, the pies are filled with different fruits. Definitely stop by Fat Milo’s to see their current selection of hand pies. Plus, on a seasonal basis, you can find some special loaves… Think colorful, festive loaves for holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Easter!

At the end of the session, it was exciting to see all of Shae’s creations come to life! My mouth was watering while shooting the finished sourdough loaf and hand pies… Everything looked SO tasty.

One thing I can guarantee? Making these goodies is truly a labor of love! Shae puts so much hard work and care into each item she makes. If you’re looking to support a local business and also can’t get enough of fresh baked goods, make sure to check out Shae’s yummy treats!