Creating Content for a Luxury Wellness Studio: 


Brand Photography and Video Production for The Sanctuary


The Sanctuary (&Soul) came to me with a clear goal: to build a visual identity that matched the space they'd created. Refined, elevated, and grounded in real community.


The project spanned three full shoot days between February and April 2026, one day per month, at their Shoreditch studio. The brief covered everything: stills for web and social, short-form video content, standalone clips, and a complete hero video for a new website still in production. Across three sessions, we delivered 275 stills, 40 social-ready videos, 45 standalone clips, and one hero film.

Woman in bikini top pouring water on sauna rocks with wooden ladle in a dimly lit wooden sauna.

The Approach


The creative direction came through clearly from the start. Nicole (Head of Marketing for The Sanctuary) had done so much prep work before we arrived. Their references pulled heavily from my previous projects, which told me immediately that we were aligned on aesthetic. The vision was specific: elevated, sexy, and grounded in real community.


We cast real members rather than external models. People who move through the space, take the classes, and belong to the community.


Each session was structured and prepared. Nicole had printed the run of show and shot list for every shoot day. Across each session we were running multiple video timelines simultaneously, moving between scripted pieces and fully formed social video concepts that each needed their own setup, execution, and energy. That level of production complexity requires everyone to be across the plan. Having a client who arrives that prepared makes it possible to work at that pace without losing quality.

The Results


The content has since run across every channel The Sanctuary operates: social, email, paid media, out-of-home, and their website. The social videos alone have reached over 175,000 people on Instagram (at time of writing).


The hero video, created for the new website, was built around a day-in-the-life framework. The goal was to capture the full offering of The Sanctuary in a single, cohesive piece. Across three sessions we accumulated a deep library of clips to draw from, which gave the edit room to breathe and tell the story properly.


The video library was built to work across every context: talk-to-camera pieces, high-quality campaign series, UGC-style trending content and standalone clips.


The response has been consistent: the brand looks more refined, more cohesive, and more premium.

A Note on The Lighting


I kept the setup deliberately simple: a single light throughout, shaped to match the mood we were after. Depending on what we were shooting and the quality of the space, that meant either a diffused light for softer, atmospheric images, or a harder on-camera light or flash where we needed contrast and presence. The goal was always the same: darker, sexy, high-contrast work that felt like the space rather than a departure from it.

Person placing appetizer on white plate at dimly lit restaurant table with candles and glassware.
Woman relaxing in a wooden sauna, holding a bowl, wearing a black swimsuit in warm amber lighting.
Woman in brown swimsuit reacting to cold plunge therapy session in dimly lit spa environment.
Woman with afro hair exercises using TRX suspension straps in a pink-lit gym with brick walls.
Tattooed person using a pilates ring on a reformer machine under pink studio lighting.
Three women relaxing and conversing on wooden benches inside a warmly lit sauna with red ambient lighting.
Person doing yoga beneath a glowing neon mandala light installation in a dark purple-lit room.
A yoga studio with cork floors, a bolster mat, and glass partition walls bathed in warm red ambient lighting.
Serene yoga studio with warm lighting, decorative rose window mural, aligned dark mats, and hanging lanterns.
Cozy cafe interior with yellow stools, round wooden table, and mid-century modern shelving unit against a warm beige wall.
Woman in beige top applying skincare in warm amber sauna light, skin glowing with moisture.
Woman with closed eyes relaxing in a dark pool at night, wearing gold hoop earrings and a necklace.
Smiling woman relaxing in a dark outdoor hot spring bath at night, enjoying a peaceful soak.

In Their Words


"Working with Des was an absolute pleasure. Her vision, professionalism and output are truly exceptional, far beyond any photographer or videographer I've worked with. She was able to capture exactly the aesthetic I wanted to achieve: refined, sleek and effortlessly sensual. Her work is incomparable, and she consistently brought fresh ideas and creative solutions to every shoot."



Nicole Fernandes, Head of Marketing, The Sanctuary &Soul

In Their Words


"Working with Des was an absolute pleasure. Her vision, professionalism and output are truly exceptional, far beyond any photographer or videographer I've worked with. She was able to capture exactly the aesthetic I wanted to achieve: refined, sleek and effortlessly sensual. Her work is incomparable, and she consistently brought fresh ideas and creative solutions to every shoot."



Nicole Fernandes, Head of Marketing, The Sanctuary &Soul

Silhouettes of people dancing under vibrant neon purple and orange glowing mandala art installation in dark room.

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