Embark on a Mystical Adventure Curated by Zachary Scott, Kiva and Stout

As artists, our photographers always look for ways to expand their craft with clients and creatives who share the same artistic vision. For Zachary Scott, this has led to a few strong, long-term partnerships that have carried through his entire career. One of those is with Stout SF, who called Zachary up for a branding campaign with Kiva Cannabis Confectioner. The importance of long-term partnerships is not lost on Zachary as he says that these collaborators allow him to do projects outside of his portfolio. Since the trust is there, they both know they will come up with something creative and unique together. 

And their work for Kiva is certainly that. Crafting bespoke scenes for the individual flavors of the product, sends the viewer on a mystical adventure to worlds undiscovered. Inspired by a combination of 17th century Dutch Still Life and cabinets of curiosities, each image aims to evoke feelings of whimsy through unexpected objects. We spoke with Zachary about this project and learned more about how it came together.

What was a memorable moment from this project?

I really believe that all the projects I work on are pretty interesting shoots because I often say, “I can’t believe this is really my job”. In this project that moment came during production when we got off the 2nd or 3rd conference call regarding the “casting" of the hero Cannabis plant. I had never considered the need to find the perfect plant to represent the brand, just like we need to find the perfect talent for a lifestyle campaign. The attention to detail really stood out to me.

 Also, this was shot mid pandemic, so it was the first time my crew and the agency had been on set together in months. It was so great to see everyone and I was grateful to be in studio making work again. 

What is something you want people to take away about you and your work after seeing this project?

Projects like this are a true gift and reinforce how lucky we are to work alongside innovative creatives. While I am know mostly known for my narrative portraiture, Stout saw something in my work that they thought could translate into something unique for Kiva. With our long work relationship, we have a history of problem solving unique creative briefs together, so the trust was there. I hope prospective creative partners see my willingness and desire to take on these types of new creative challenges in the commercial space. 

I want to the viewer to see this work as an example of my style, approach and problem solving that goes beyond subject matter.  A broader message about who I am as communicator and artist.  I’d like to be thought of as a creative strategist and image maker above all else. 

What was one thing you learned over the course of this project?

I garnered a true appreciation for the genius and subtlety of the Dutch still life movement.  The storytelling, symbolism, composition, detail, color, and light are just incredible.  I went through a bit of a phase after this shoot where I wanted to put a skull in every shot.