Bringing Founder Stories to the Front of the Pack
In CPG, the front of your package is a promise.
It’s the first handshake, the moment a shopper decides, in seconds, whether they trust you. It’s not decoration; it’s a signal. And signals matter.
Seth Godin says, “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.” Packaging is where that story begins.
Over the past few years, I’ve been able to work closely with founders who are building thoughtful, meaningful food brands. Some of the photos I’ve shot now live on the front of their packaging, their websites, and across their retail ecosystem.What I love about this work is that it’s human. It’s collaborative. It’s scrappy and creative and grounded in the reality of CPG: limited time, limited budgets, real constraints, and the need for clarity above everything else.
Packaging as Strategy (Not Decoration)
James Richardson writes in Ramping Your Brand:
“Premium CPG brands win on the shelf by offering a clear, credible promise, delivered consistently.”
“Premium CPG brands win on the shelf by offering a clear, credible promise, delivered consistently.”
That’s velocity.
And velocity doesn’t come from being louder, it comes from being unmistakable.
And velocity doesn’t come from being louder, it comes from being unmistakable.
A simple, true story well told.
Photography that communicates trust instantly.
A visual identity that makes a promise, and keeps it.When I work on packaging projects, I integrate directly with the founder and their designer. We iterate quickly. We adapt constantly. And we build from the inside out, the kind of approach Emily Heyward champions in Obsessed:
“The strongest brands are built by starting with what is true and meaningful, not what is trendy.”
Photography that communicates trust instantly.
A visual identity that makes a promise, and keeps it.When I work on packaging projects, I integrate directly with the founder and their designer. We iterate quickly. We adapt constantly. And we build from the inside out, the kind of approach Emily Heyward champions in Obsessed:
“The strongest brands are built by starting with what is true and meaningful, not what is trendy.”
Authenticity Is the Real Competitive Edge
Good packaging feels inevitable. It feels honest. It feels like it could only belong to that product and that founder.
Seth Godin frames it perfectly:
“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing.”
“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing.”
The goal isn’t to blend into the shelf.
The goal is to signal truth to the right people, your people.
The goal is to signal truth to the right people, your people.
Here are some of the brands I’ve recently shot for:
Konscious Kitchen – https://konsciouskitchen.com/
The Little Cacao Co. – https://thelittlecacao.co/
Snack Conscious – https://snackconscious.com/
Culcherd – https://timdbmit.com/culcherd-packaging-website-brand-update
Eat Up! – https://timdbmit.com/packaging-eatup
Nud Fud – https://timdbmit.com/nud-fud-packaging-photography
The Little Cacao Co. – https://thelittlecacao.co/
Snack Conscious – https://snackconscious.com/
Culcherd – https://timdbmit.com/culcherd-packaging-website-brand-update
Eat Up! – https://timdbmit.com/packaging-eatup
Nud Fud – https://timdbmit.com/nud-fud-packaging-photography
Each project has reinforced the same pattern: thoughtful founders build thoughtful brands, and thoughtful brands win slowly, steadily, and honestly.
Or as Richardson puts it, “Sustained growth isn’t an accident. It’s the outcome of disciplined brand building.”
If you’re building in CPG and want photography and packaging that actually work, that tell the truth, signal value, and support real velocity, I’d love to connect.
