Photo Art Director

About the role

We are seeking a highly experienced and creatively driven Photo Art Director to lead the visual direction and execution of product photography for a major brand's reimagined Product Detail Page (PDP) imagery. This role is ideal for a seasoned Art Director with extensive on-set photography experience, particularly in still-life product photography, beauty, personal care, home fragrance, or high-volume retail environments. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional visual taste, strong technical photography knowledge, and the ability to translate brand strategy into compelling, elevated product imagery. This is a highly autonomous, hands-on role requiring someone who can confidently direct photoshoots, collaborate with creative and production teams, and maintain visual consistency across a large assortment of products.

Responsibilities

• Photography Art Direction & Creative Execution
  • Lead on-set art direction for PDP product photography, ensuring imagery aligns with the brand's evolving creative vision and visual standards.
  • Direct photographers, stylists, and production partners to achieve high-quality, commercially compelling product imagery.
  • Oversee still-life photography of products such as bottles, packaging, personal care items, beauty products, and home fragrance.
  • Develop creative concepts, mood boards, visual references, and photography guidelines to communicate artistic direction.
  • Ensure consistency in lighting, composition, styling, color, and overall visual presentation across high-volume product assortments.
  • Provide hands-on creative direction throughout pre-production, photoshoots, and post-production.
• Brand & Creative Collaboration
  • Translate brand strategy into cohesive visual storytelling that elevates the digital shopping experience.
  • Partner with Creative, Marketing, Design, and Production teams to execute photography initiatives.
  • Develop compelling creative presentations, concepts, and visual references that communicate artistic direction.
  • Maintain brand consistency while introducing fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to product photography.
  • Stay current on emerging trends in beauty, personal care, fashion, photography, and digital commerce.
• Production & Quality Oversight
  • Manage creative execution across multiple product categories and high-SKU photography projects.
  • Review imagery to ensure consistency, accuracy, quality, and alignment with brand standards.
  • Collaborate with photographers and retouching teams to refine final imagery.
  • Balance creative excellence with production timelines, operational efficiencies, and project budgets.
  • Identify opportunities to improve photography workflows and elevate the overall quality of PDP imagery.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional Art Direction experience, preferably within retail, beauty, personal care, home, or consumer products.
• Extensive hands-on, on-set photography art direction experience.
• Demonstrated experience directing PDP/e-commerce product photography, particularly still-life imagery.
• Strong understanding of photographing physical products, including bottles, packaging, and reflective or transparent surfaces.
• Experience supporting high-volume photography production or brands with large product assortments.
• Exceptional visual judgment with expertise in composition, lighting, color, typography, and image curation.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Experience developing mood boards, creative concepts, photography references, and presentations.
• Ability to work independently, make confident creative decisions, and manage multiple priorities.
• Portfolio demonstrating relevant photography art direction and PDP product imagery is required.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience within beauty, fragrance, personal care, home fragrance, or lifestyle brands.
• Strong background in still-life product photography, including packaging, bottles, and beauty products.
• Experience with large-scale e-commerce photography operations and high-SKU product catalogs.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted creative tools and image-generation techniques.
• Experience with on-figure, lifestyle, or portrait photography in addition to still-life product photography.