Through Her Lens: A Creative Collaboration That Elevated My Brand
What began as a conversation over coffee has blossomed into a creative partnership rooted in trust, vision, and artistry. This journal shares how my collaboration with photographer Shell Eide helped elevate my brand and bring the heart of Anél Heyman Designs to life.
A quiet, powerful image from our European shoot. Even across oceans, Shell brought my vision to life with grace and precision.
Some collaborations feel destined. As though they were quietly waiting for the right time, the right season, the right people.
When Shell Eide reached out to me via Instagram in mid-2024, I instantly felt a spark of possibility. She messaged to say how much she loved my work—soft words that landed with real presence. Curious, I explored her photography and was immediately captivated.
Her work had a lightness I was drawn to—fresh, refined, and effortlessly artistic. There’s an intimacy in her imagery that doesn’t just capture a subject; it honours it. Shell’s portraits felt like whispered stories told through light and shadow. There was elegance, there was soul—and I could feel, instantly, that she saw the world in a way that resonated with how I create.
At the time, Shell was still in Germany—she splits her time between Europe and Australia—but she told me she’d be arriving in Australia in November and would love to meet. We finally sat down for what was meant to be a short catch-up at a local French café… and talked for over two and a half hours. From the very first moment, it felt like we had known each other for years.
The ideas flowed effortlessly. Our values, aesthetic sensibilities, and dreams for what was possible all aligned. There was excitement—but also ease. We both felt it: this was creative alignment, pure and simple.
One of the things that stood out the most to me was Shell’s genuine interest—not just in my work, but in me. She asked questions that showed care and curiosity. She listened with intention. Her aim, as she put it that day, was to elevate my brand and help the world see my work as it truly is: artful, powerful, and worthy of attention.
She made me feel like I matter. Like my work matters. And that the world needed to see it through her lens.
We left that meeting with dates locked in, hearts full, and a mutual feeling that this would be the beginning of something meaningful. And it was.
We wanted more than a website. We wanted a story.
When we first sat down, I thought we’d brainstorm some photo ideas. A shot list, a moodboard, maybe some locations.
But Shell had other plans.
She didn’t just ask me what I wanted to see—she asked me what I wanted to feel. What I wanted others to feel. What the goal was—not just for the shoot, but for the business. For the brand. For me.
She dug deep. And in doing so, she helped me go deeper. She wasn’t just there to take pictures. She was there to tell a story—and to draw it out of me with care, intention, and a kind of reverence I hadn’t experienced before.
Captured on the quiet streets of Europe, these portraits reflect the elegance, strength, and storytelling woven into each Anél Heyman Designs headpiece. Photographed by Shell Eide with a timeless, editorial sensibility.
I told her I was craving something different for my brand. Something that felt more like an editorial spread than a template. Something that looked and moved like my work—alive with elegance, refinement, and emotion. I was tired of the stock-standard website feel. Tired of being boxed in by designs that didn’t match the spirit of what I create.
I wanted my website to feel like a magazine you linger over. A window into my world. A digital space that told stories instead of just selling products.
And Shell got it—instantly.
She didn’t offer pre-made answers. She held space. She listened. And then she helped me build something that didn’t just look like me—it felt like me.
She saw the vision—before I could.
In the weeks leading up to the shoot, Shell poured herself into preparation. She created detailed mood boards filled with inspiration, story arcs, colour palettes, and visual rhythms that I hadn’t even considered. She offered up ideas that felt bold—editorial scenes, unexpected locations, and concepts that would stretch the way I saw my own brand.
Some of the places she suggested felt a little out of reach at first—beautiful, yes, but a little surreal. Could we really pull it off?
But Shell saw the vision before I could. And more importantly—she helped me see it. She didn’t just show me what could be done; she made me feel what was possible.
A sculptural, artful approach to showcasing millinery—captured through Shell Eide’s lens. These portraits feature me as the model, intentionally styled to let the pieces speak as standalone works of art.
Every step of the way, she kept the energy high, the creativity flowing, and the doubts quiet. And when uncertainty crept in—as it often does in any creative process—she was there with calm, grounded reassurance: “It’s all going to come together. You’ll see.”
And I did. Because I trusted her. That trust, that synergy, became the foundation for everything we built together.
Creation in the heat of it all—literally.
The shoot days were full-on. We were in the thick of the Australian summer—35 degrees, humid, intense—but Shell never wavered. She moved through it all with focus and grace that steadied everyone around her.
She had everything planned, yet stayed open. She brought forward fresh ideas, unexpected angles, and a flexible mindset that allowed us to pivot quickly when something didn’t work. We’d try a setup, see it through the lens, and say, “Hmm… not quite.” And then—almost instantly—something else would land. And we’d feel it: “Yes. That’s it.”
Moments from our campaign shoot with Shell Eide. From intense heat to moody skies, these images capture elegance, movement, and a story unfolding.
She looked after us—not just creatively, but physically. Ensuring the model and I stayed hydrated, cool (as much as we could), and well-paced. We took breaks. We laughed. We breathed. But we also moved fast—because when you're shooting outdoors, the light and weather wait for no one.
And then came the storm.
We could feel it in the air before it arrived—the shift, the tension, the sky thickening with colour and promise. We had to move quickly, wrap things up…
But the storm gave us magic. Clouds rolled in like painted brushstrokes. The sky exploded into colour. The mood shifted from elegant to ethereal—and Shell captured everything. Each time we glanced at the back of her camera, we gasped. The emotion. The movement. The power.
Behind the scenes
Shell didn’t just shoot what was in front of her. She saw through me, through the folds and textures of each piece, into the story beneath.
A glimpse behind the lens—Shell Eide in action capturing the magic of our collaboration. From dusty paddocks to light-filled studios, every shot was grounded in intention, joy, and creative flow.
She captured the elegance. The tension. The pause. And she made it all feel effortless.
We laughed, we hustled, we swatted away mozzies. We climbed, crouched, tiptoed, and wiped sweat from our brows. This was work—but it never felt like it.
The work that crossed oceans.
The European shoot was different. I wasn’t there physically—but in spirit, I was fully present.
Shell handled everything—from casting the model, to scouting the location, to navigating bad weather and early starts to catch quiet European streets at dawn. She sent updates. Shared sketches. Kept checking in to make sure every frame would still hold my story, even across oceans.
I trusted her completely. And once again, she delivered. The results were… glorious. My vision, through her eyes, came to life in ways I never imagined.
A shared vision, brought to life.
We worked on the website for months—refining layouts, choosing the perfect images, writing and rewriting until every word felt aligned. We didn’t just want to build a digital presence—we wanted to craft a space that felt alive. That felt like me.
Every page was carefully considered. Not just to showcase my work, but to showcase our work—because this was just as much Shell’s artistry as it was mine.
We launched on 1 July 2025, and the build-up to that day was a slow, simmering joy. There were hits and misses. Tweaks and rethinks. Late-night messages. Long phone calls. Conversations that spiralled from fonts and flow to purpose and vision.
And every time we hit a wall, we found a way through. Together. Because this was ours. A co-creation that became a mirror—not only of the brand I’ve built, but the artist I’ve become.
There were moments where Shell’s images left me in tears—happy tears. I’d look at a photo she captured and feel something in my chest crack open. Was that really my work? Could something I created truly look and feel that powerful?
Yes. Because Shell didn’t just take photos. She saw what I was too close to see. And she reflected it back with clarity, care, and beauty.
Now, when someone visits my website, I hope they feel invited. Into a space that is warm and elegant. Into a world full of life, light, and possibility. I hope they feel like the story is speaking to them. And I hope it stirs something inside them—the same way it stirs something inside me.
I want them to feel curious. Moved. Seen. I want them to feel their heart bubble with joy and say to themselves, “Yes. I am ready to bloom.”
“Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life,
you can barely remember what life was like without them.”
~ Anna Taylor
Photography: Shell Eide
Models: Chona Allen & Ynma Lindez