They Say Shooters Shoot...

May 22, 2026

Shoot day shoot day shoot day! What a learning experience the entire concept of shooting has been.

Let me start from the beginning.

When I started mapping out the concepts for the shoots, I’ll be honest... my thinking was wishful.

I ran to my handy dandy Pinterest Board and got right to saving. Every creative shoot, every vibe I liked, every picture or concept that brought me even a little bit of excitement. Saved! Here’s the problem with that: there was no concept.

I’m not one to brag (she says as she prepares to flex a little bit) but I will say I’m pretty good at making things work creatively. I have a thought? I create it. I have a plan? I enact it. I see a vision? I follow it through.

But with this, it felt like a thousand tabs were open - mind going a mile a minute - trying to juggle stewarding this well and the time constraints. All that to say, nothing went according to plan for these campaigns. Like literally nothing.

The initial concept for the Kazini was very beachy - the kind of bag you used on a night out. Surrounded by fruits on a fruit stand or styled with a gorgeous mini skirt, the Kazini was meant otherwise be drowning in colour and sparkles on a beach somewhere. I drew a lot o inspiration from a shoot I saw recently by the brand Tofe. Their recent collection, SOLEIL, features a market-esque set where long-legged, bronzed models stood in colourful bathing suits, dresses, and garments. I saw it and thought our Kazini Clutch would look fabulous with one of the looks - thus the idea was born.

If I’m being completely honest, a lot of my campaign desires stemmed from nostalgia for home as well. As a brand rooted in our home, it’s important to me the photography and videography shows that too. Unfortunately, teleportation hasn’t been invented yet so my plans had to adjust. The market vibe in Tofe’s shoot reminded me of Toi Market, a street filled with stalls of clothes, shoes, and more right outside where my family’s home is. If I were in Nairobi for the shoots, I have no doubt a piece of the campaign would’ve been shot there, with the sun shining and some of my favourite sounds right at the heart of it.

Similarly, the Moo Moo campaign had a more vintage edge to it - reminiscent of an older Kenya. There’s a photograph of my Dani (my maternal grandmother) and her mummy that sits on a sill in her house in Rongo County. That picture is a black and white picture of the two of them smiling when my Gran was maybe around my age now (early twenties) - full of excitement and joy for the days ahead in a Kenya that was changing around her.

My Guku (my paternal grandmother) has two black and white photographs of herself that I found one day whilst going through some of my dad’s things. The pictures show her hard at work, then smiling at me (the camera) as she works in an office in what I think is the 1970s.

When I look at all of these pictures, the Moo Moo feels like the modernised way of thanking them both for the work they did. The way they showed up, the life they created, and an ode to the multifaceted nature that all women carry. It could easily fit in those pictures in some sort of way. A bag that fit then and now and could carry you through every moment.

Fashion has always run in my family. There are things in my closet straight from my Dani, my Mum, and my Aunts. To say they’re my inspiration is an understatement.

This campaign was honestly meant to show a bit of that and if I had my way would’ve been shot in our homes in Nairobi and the country, showcasing a working mum in rollers and her office best packing her bag for the city and the country.

I kind of hate to say it but I held on that concept pretty much the entire project. Up until the schedule forced me to adjust and reality slapped me with London’s environment haha. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

THE KAZINI

The Kazini Clutches were shot first, during my Easter holiday trip to Mykonos with some of the women in my family. With my Mum, my aunt (one of my many Bonus Mums), my baby sister, and my cousin (my additional younger sister) all ready for some sun-soaked fun, I thought I may be able to make the vision I had come to life.

Then the weather came. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to Mykonos in the spring but it ain’t no tropical vacation. Travelling from London to there was virtually no change, save for a warm two to three days and some real beaches and gorgeous sea.

Obviously, my plans had to adjust. The bright side was our AirBnB - the perfect location with a million mini locations for shooting. The downside? My oversight in not packing my Mum’s Canon camera for shooting because I thought a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 would be enough.

Now not to toot my own horn, but (like I said) I have knack for making things work creatively, so the final product - as you’ve probably seen - has a very Y2k-esque club/night out theme to it. Slightly unintentional but you know what, I’ll take it.

My little sisters (as they were trained to do over years of Instagram posting and styling to do) were my directors of photography and lighting and honestly my assistants the whole way through - I told you! I’m truly nothing without my family and friends.

Sometimes I wish I three hands if only to have filmed BTS of them filming and shooting everything haha. Better yet, if I could the video reel from heaven to watch back from time to time that would be great haha.

All that to say, I came away with a final product and proofs ready for editing and posting. What’s posted now was shot in the downstairs bathroom, with flashlights on me and the camera just snapping. Editing was made easy by the lighting, which did a lot of the hard work for me.

Darkening the contrast and edges of the photo (vignette) really made the colour of the bag and hazy nature of my shadow pop - adding to that upscale night out idea. Upping the saturation a tad, alongside the vibrancy made it perfect. The other proofs were taken in the downstairs closet area that was really beautifully constructed. Grecian homes are the kind of style that just belong by a beach and a window. The open concept made it easy to sit in and the back lighting basically set the ball rolling. These felt more personal for me - more sloppy and less planned - so I chose not to include them in the final campaign rollout, but as seen in the launch post, they made their appearance.

Keeping this concept going, I hope to bring more of the night club experience to the forefront with the bags. I think bringing in an Alté touch for make up and styling, while heightening the production quality just a little will really make the next colourways launch to their full potential. But for now? I’m happy and grateful.

THE MOO MOO / 28 April 2026

I wish I could say the Moo Moo concept came to me easily, but it really didn’t. As mentioned previously, I had big big plans. Plans, that at the end of the day, just ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.

But! We adjust. We adapt. We overcome! And let me tell you: everything about this campaign was sent by God Himself. I had no idea what outfit I was going to put on until one day I was half asleep - sort of praying, sort of drifting off - and the idea hit me: a cowl neck backless scarf top, ripped baggy blue jeans, and the Givenchy Shark boot dupes I have. At that moment, my mind went to an outfit I’d seen months ago when I was scrolling through Pinterest and had saved in my outfit inspo board with the intent of wearing it this summer. The beauty of this? I already owned the entire outfit. The even better bit? The download came with a location and vision in mind that I could actually replicate in line with my schedule and my budget!

*Cue the praise break!

What I don’t think I mentioned earlier in my outline of Cydneii’s Big Plans: The Novel was my desire to try and get models for my shoots too. Throughout my time building the brand, wearing my Moo Moo purse to uni and work, and planning out my dissertation, I had a response in the brand that I honestly didn’t expect. I think part of me always knew people would want the bags - I mean duh, I wouldn’t have gone through all this if I didn’t believe in it - but to want to be involved in modelling or guiding the brand to success?? I don’t know. I don’t want to say that I thought I was alone in this because I know for a fact I have never been and quite frankly never will be, so I guess I was just surprised at the level of commitment there was. I think that’s what also made me bummed about how far the shoots fell from my expectations. But, between me and you, I’ll be using the same vintage concept for another campaign shoot in the (hopefully, near) future.

Anyway, on to the day! POTOSHOOT (Hi Miya)!!

Remember Te’lyah - my gorgeous friend who helped me with the website planning and general schedule tracking of the campaigns, website, and backend of this project? Yeah, well she’s my photographer too and I’m here to tell you she’s currently not for hire because I’m openly gatekeeping. Yes, I make the rules. Yes, this is a Cyd-ocracy.

Honestly, when I explained the concept I had in mind to her on the day, she rolled with the punches in a way I’m not sure anyone else could’ve. She gets me, and I thank God for that. The concept, if you’re wondering, was a girl on the go. Very much inspired by Sex and the City, I wanted a sort of Carrie Bradshaw-esque approach to the shoot because I wanted our customers to know this bag is built for a life on the go. In today’s society where everyone and everything is go, go, go all the time, I know I want things in my life that add ease to that and can handle my busy schedule right along with me. The Moo Moo is just that.

When I say I used her for everything, I use for EVERYTHING. Work, uni, a pop to the shop after either one of those. It holds my laptop, my iPad, my planner/notebook, my water bottle, my lunch + snacks, my phone, my wallet, my keys, my touch ups, my hand sanitiser - my LIFE! And it has been for over a year now.

The way Carrie felt about her Fendi Baguette is the way I feel about my Moo Moo. Nothing can come between us.

This campaign was shot in three locations - two planned and one spontaneous. All fabulous. The first was a limestone-looking wall that I’ve taken outfit pictures at before, but only using my phone. Today, we had the Canon EOS R50 camera that my Mummy graciously lent to me for this project (I love you Mama!) and the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for another fun concept.

The first pics were honestly meant to shake the cobwebs off and get the ball rolling. I knew they’d have a good feel to them and could be easily relied on for backup so I think really went for it. The goal here was movement - organic and natural - that showcased the bag in its natural habitat. On the shoulder, on the arm, hanging low. This was probably the most editorial of the three locations and produced some of my favourite shots. Te’lyah is a master at finding a shot. Even as she sued the camera for the first time, she got the hang of it and commanded the presence a photographer needs on any shoot. For that, I was grateful. Having a small team can sometimes feel like you’re Lucy:

Her guidance and encouragement, alongside some really nice passersby made me feel less like a fish out of water and more grounded in the purpose of all of this.

Moving onto the second location - this was ALL about timing. This was the most Carrie the shoot was going to be and I wanted to get it just right. The aim here was to get papparazzi looking shots that someone could’ve taken as I was walking down the street, very @OOTD style. Honestly this felt a bit like being photographed for fashion week (which God willing will be seeing US in the next few years) and I loved it! Again, Te’lyah and her eye was on full display, catching shots as I crossed a busy crosswalk, as I ran in front of a (very far away) bus, as I moved around the station as if it was my own. It was easy to feel comfortable with her there - I trusted we knew what to do.

This location was also where I decided to try a little something ambitious. I saw a gorgeous campaign for Burberry shot my a photographer on Instagram called Javan Foss (@fossfilms_). In it, Victor Kunda leaned against a lamp post, grabbed (and spilled) matcha, caught the underground, and lived his London life with the trench on full display. But it was the way that Foss merged videography and photography in one go that felt significant to me, and very much something I wanted to replicate.

In all honesty, it did not work. But it is on the list for future projects so keep your eyes peeled. It did also give me an idea for how to film a fun “what’s in my bag” style video when this is all done so… yeahhh!

The final location came at a bit of a surprise. We were headed back to our flat and the sun was hitting a particularly aesthetic wall in a way that just screamed "You need to get a picture here." One look at each other and we know what we had to do.

Honestly, these are probably my favourite pictures because it's purely me and her shooting. No briefs, no expectations, just shooting. And some of my all time favourites came out of them.