A Serious Photo Shoot and SAF Convention in Orlando
No agenda this week — just Vonda and Lori catching up after weeks apart, and somehow that turns into one of the most revealing looks yet at what actually goes into professional product photography, plus a preview of the SAF convention in Orlando and some very big personal news. If you've ever wondered why your own website photos don't look quite like the pros', this episode explains it.
Anatomy of a "serious" photo shoot
Vonda spent the week at a Flower Clique photo shoot preparing member imagery for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Julie Poeltler joined for the first two days of nonstop designing — cranking out arrangements between running her own shop's events — then Ellie arrived to shoot. Vonda admits something rare for her: she massively underestimated how long it would all take. Her planned Monday flight home became an 11:30 p.m. finish and a 6 a.m. flight the next morning, McDonald's drive-thru dinner included. The final count, per Ellie's text: nearly 200 finished images — which, as Lori points out, means well over a thousand actual shots once you count the dozen-plus frames and careful culling behind each one.
The preparation is just as intense: detailed binders for everyone on site mapping every design, background, and close-up. Team member Allie Packer, attending her first shoot, put her finger on the lesson for every shop owner: now she understands why so many DIY website photos fall short. It's not just lighting and a light box — it's the time, the trained eye, and the humbling truth that an arrangement can look beautiful in person while the camera exposes every hole. Vonda and Ellie tweak each design in turns before the shutter clicks, and even navigated a genuine creative split — two visions for the backdrop bokeh, settled by a blind vote from Abby, who only afterward asked, "Whose side was I on?"
Cash-and-carry bundles: a trend worth watching
After the shoot, members immediately wrote in asking for more photos of plain wrapped bundles — several are selling more cash-and-carry style bundles than ever. Vonda notes it's a very European habit: customers abroad often bring their own premium vase to the shop and carry home a hand-tied spiral bouquet ready to drop in. American shops have always leaned toward sending designs out professionally arranged in water with flower food, but if your customers are reaching for wrapped bundles, you're not imagining the shift.
Technology giveth and taketh away
Meanwhile, back home, Lori was recording Real Life Retail Florist course content with shop owner Abby Chick — including a fascinating module where Abby lays out her complete vision of the perfect flower shop interior. They nailed a high-energy 40-minute take, and then Abby texted: "I can't hear you." A frayed microphone cord meant Lori's entire side of the conversation never recorded — leaving a recording of Abby talking to no one and agreeing "yeah, me too." The reshoot is still pending, because Abby has a store to run and, as Lori confirms, nobody wants eight-o'clock-at-night Lori Wilson voice.
Orlando, PFCI, and a can't-miss experience zone
The back half of the episode is pure anticipation for SAF Orlando. The headline: Lori and Ellie are being inducted into PFCI — Professional Floral Communicators International — a goal Vonda achieved years ago and encouraged them toward. As she explains, PFCI tells the industry you're an expert willing to share your knowledge, and your expertise doesn't have to be design: Lori's is sales, community, and personality; Ellie's is branding and marketing. Vonda and Lori are also teaching an interactive 25-minute "experience zone" session on selling Thursday afternoon, seeded with cringe-worthy real customer-service moments that members submitted to the Facebook group — some confessed by the owners themselves. Lori's personal mission: meet author Barry Gottlieb, whose SAF session on wellness and mindfulness she'll attend front row and center, and talk him into coming on the podcast. And the reunion factor is real — Cammy hasn't seen Vonda or Ellie face to face since Flower Clique launched in December 2019.
Key takeaways
- Great product photos are earned: planning binders, rented equipment, a trained eye, and a dozen shots per image — budget real time or hire it out.
- The camera sees holes the eye forgives; always review designs through the lens before calling them done.
- Watch the cash-and-carry bundle trend — wrapped, hand-tied bouquets are gaining ground with customers.
- Test your tech before recording anything important; one frayed cord can erase an entire session.
- Show up to industry events — state or national — and consider PFCI if you're passionate about speaking and sharing, whatever your specialty.