Creating with Intention — A Lifestyle Branding Shoot Featuring Picnic with Me
Palos Verdes has a way of finding you before you find it.
I’ve been photographing different live stories and milestones on these cliffs for years — proposals, weddings, families, first birthdays, branding sessions, editorial work. The light here is magical, especially in the late afternoon: it comes in low and warm off the Pacific, catches the coastal sage and the wild grass, and makes even the simplest setup look considered. It’s the kind of location that is a fit for many transition of live stories.
When Meirose reached out about a brand shoot, I knew immediately where we were going when she requested a location with intention and organic.
Meirose Marquez is the founder of Picnic with Me, a curated picnic and event setup company based in Southern California. She’s been doing picnics for over four years — but before that, she was an educator for two decades. And before this shoot, she had stepped away from her business for two years to figure out what she actually wanted it to be.
This shoot was her return. And it was exactly the right place for it.
What inspired you to start Picnic with Me?
Meirose, founder of Picnic with Me: “I’ve just always enjoyed going on picnics. And this is really how it started — just going on picnics with friends and family. I had no idea that I would turn my passion into a business. But prior to my picnics, I was an educator for 20 years. And who knew that this would be my life today?”
Why did you step away — and what did that break teach you?
Meirose: “After doing picnics for several years, I just realized I needed to slow down. Transporting inventory, setting up — it just made me realize that I need to reassess where I wanted my business to go. And it was really hard, but it was something that I needed to do.
It really taught me to be more intentional as far as what exactly I wanted my setup to look like. I didn’t want to have to set up big picnics and go everywhere. I wanted just something simple. Just like this. Very simple.”
What does “simple” mean to you?
Meirose: “Simple means not having a whole lot. It’s really about the moment. And it really made me realize that sometimes you don’t need a lot to really enjoy life or enjoy the moment. I’ve always enjoyed going on picnics like this. It’s just really nice, especially if it’s a beautiful place. And again, it doesn’t necessarily have to be anywhere spectacular. Just having something small, I think, is sufficient. As long as you’re with someone special — your friends, family, your significant other.”
How is your approach different now?
Meirose: “Instead of focusing on large setups and going everywhere, I wanted to curate a beautiful tablescape, an intimate gathering — and especially a proposal, because a proposal is very intimate. And so I want to be able to just focus on that. Because that’s a milestone. And that’s essentially what I want to do. You see a setup, but the moment that will last a lifetime — that’s what’s important. You can have a setup in any beautiful area, but it’s essentially that moment that will stay in your hearts forever.”
What does your ideal collaboration look like?
Meirose: “I want to work with someone who shares the same vision as I do — whether it’s a photographer, the vendors, the clients. Most especially, I would like that we are on the same page, because then I’ll have a better idea of how I can curate their setup based on what they like.”
What are you most excited about for this next chapter?
Meirose: “I want for this next chapter to align with my life right now, which is a slower life — just more intentional. I want it to be very meaningful. A meaningful collaboration with the clients and the vendors. And I think if it’s intentional, it will just come. It does not have to be anything grand. I think just something simple. Just like this. This next chapter is creating with intention. I look forward to being able to create something memorable and special for you.”
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Your brand deserves imagery and visual that’s as authentic and intentional as the work you do — let’s create together.
