Personal Branding Photography: Molly Cantor, the fabulous potter.
The Quintessential New England Pottery Brand
In the charming community of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, Molly Cantor is a beloved artist. Her gallery shop sits fittingly near the entrance to the iconic Bridge of Flowers. It is filled with functional porcelain dinnerware, serving pieces, and vases that are decorated with block print-like imagery inspired by plants, animals, and life in New England. She has made a name for herself in the pottery world with her distinct and playful designs.
I met with Molly on a sunny day in February. We took advantage of the gorgeous light coming through the windows of her shop to begin her personal branding photo shoot.
I asked Molly what inspired her to create her business.
“Pottery making attracted me with its perfect blend of art and function. Before I started my business, I was contemplating what sort of career would make me happy, and realized that making pottery was the one thing that I could happily do every day and never tire of it. My goal in sharing my pottery is to connect my customers with human made objects that add beauty and fun to every day life.”
“Gathering and lingering around the table, sharing food, community and conversation have become precious acts in our fast paced world. I like to imagine my work playing a small part in these precious acts.”
Giving Back to the Community
Molly also founded and directs The Handle Factory, a community clay studio, also in Shelburne Falls. The Handle Factory is a beautiful, fully equipped pottery studio where experienced potters can work independently as members, or adults and children of all levels of experience can take classes.
“I created The Handle Factory to make a place where people can come and dive into pottery to whatever level serves them- to be creative and express themselves, build skill, learn new things, launch a new career, get out of the house and play, relax, or find community.”
Molly Cantor in her downtown gallery in Shelburne Falls, MA.
Photographing the Artist
I was super excited to photograph Molly and her intriguing pottery. Molly, on the other hand, had some reservations about being photographed.
“I generally don't like pictures of myself, mostly because I'm self-conscious and uncomfortable in front of a camera. "Posing" feels impossible for me. I think I often look stiff, uncomfortable, or goofy. So I'd say MOST pictures of myself I don't love.”
Having a great eye and technique as photographer is super important, but it isn’t enough when it comes to personal branding photography. It’s all about the relationship with my clients, and getting them to feel at ease and confident. The magic trick where I make the camera disappear.
After showing Molly the photos I edited and presented to her, I asked her about the experience.
“I had fun during the shoot, you were great at finding ways to make me laugh and feel comfortable. I actually like how I look in some of the images you selected for me! I've already had 2 requests for pictures of me at work in the few weeks since my shoot, and am really happy to have some that I like to share.”
Molly’s Secret to Success
Make what you love, and observe what resonates with people. Then keep doing that!
Advice for Entrepreneurs
As a branding photographer, I am always interested in how entrepreneurs grow their business. I asked Molly to share some advice.
“I think loving what I do has been key. Also, starting small, with low overhead and growing organically has been essential to my success. Starting the business felt a bit like jumping off (a small ) cliff - I think choosing to do what we love for a living is always risky, because if we don't feel successful at it, it can feel like a rejection of our true selves. But it was much easier and less scary to do it feeling like I didn't have a huge financial investment to lose.”
Molly Cantor with her dog Luna sitting inside the wood fire kiln at her home studio in Shelburne Falls, MA
The Home Studio
The second half of our shoot took place at Molly’s home studio. She just build a huge outdoor wood fired kiln on her property which she wanted photographed. There was snow on the ground and it was chilly outside, but we got her sweet dog Luna to join us and headed out to take some photos.
“The big news at my studio this year is that we have a beautiful new wood-fired kiln! When my friend and colleague (and one of my guests on this year's trail) Ben Eberle, asked me last winter if I'd consider putting a wood/soda kiln on my property, the answer was a big yes! For many years I fired entirely with wood and salt, and I love the rich, warm (and also cool), organic, glowing surfaces that can be achieved with this type of firing. With a little help from our pottery community, and mostly a LOT of hard work on Ben's part, our new kiln (dubbed the "Karma Kiln" for the way all of the pieces fell into place) has become a reality. I love the work that's come out of the preliminary firings, and am so happy to add it to my repertoire along with the black and white work I've been doing for years.”
”Preparing for and firing a wood kiln is a very labor intensive process, so it really is a joint effort. I love how firing this kiln has gotten me out of my insular studio practice, and has me collaborating with other potters in the firing process, working to create something extraordinary together. I can't wait to share the results with my customers!”
Afterwards we went back inside where it was warm and cozy, and Molly spun up her potter’s wheel so I could get a few photos of her skillful hands in action. There is something so grounding and meditative about watching the wheel go around and seeing her lovingly create form from of a lump of clay.
It was really a joy to work with Molly, and provide her with images that she can share with her fans. If you find yourself in Shelburne Falls, I highly recommend you check her gallery out and say hello!
“Having good images to use for your business can be useful in ways you don’t even know about yet, and can be a good investment in your business! I think in addition to sharing a bit about who you are with potential customers or clients, a great picture of yourself can help give you a little more confidence to put yourself out there.”
Are you a business owner looking to build your brand?
A personal branding photoshoot provides you with images to share on social media, newsletters, and all the places you interact with your clients. Plus, it builds confidence and brand awareness. Reach out for a free consultation to find out how a branding photoshoot can benefit your business!
