Field Notes
“No. Photograph it the way you think is best.”
He looked at me, unsure what to say.
This was the first conversation I had many years ago with Ryan Loh, then a young, up-and-coming photographer. He has since become our long-time collaborator. Whenever we work with a photographer or filmmaker, we tell them the same thing: no mood boards, no reference images. Follow the story and shoot it like a documentary.
I see my role as a creative director not as someone who dictates ideas or imposes a process but about finding the right people, helping them understand the goals, and supporting them in doing their greatest work.
Apparently, this is an unusual method. I’ve heard from photographers, filmmakers, writers, and illustrators that they find this way of working uncommon. Typically, when they work with a designer, art director, or creative director, they are given mood boards, reference images, or Pinterest boards to show what the client wants.
This approach has never made sense to me.
We hire people because they’re better at something than we are. We admire how they tell stories and see the world and want them to bring that magic.
At the start of the project, a kickoff meeting at their office turned into a four-hour deep dive. The brief was to brand their alternative surfaces company, with one condition: keep the name, Corns and Calluses, a reference to the physical marks on the hands of the craftsmen. I agreed.
Well, sort of.
We started the project by interviewing potential clients, past clients and their team to develop an understanding of how the company saw the world and how the world saw them. We prepared an insights report to share our observations and recommended a strategy. At the end of the presentation, I added a “one more thing,” which was a new name for the company. I showed them why and how it would help. They agreed. We renamed the company from Corns and Calluses to unOrdinary Surfaces.
Again, I agreed. Sort of.
Our process was similar: interviews with the founder, team, and clients, followed by an insights report and recommendations. During the call, they half expected another bonus slide with a new name. But this time, instead of changing the name, we changed its meaning. From UnlikeNormalOnes (Uno) to uno, meaning "one" in Spanish. It reflected their beliefs: one team, one vision, one seamless process, and the ability to bring different people together in one direction.
Whatever work you do, whether you're a client hiring a studio or an agency commissioning creative work, go easy on the mood boards and reference images.
You might end up with what you want, but not what you need.
These images are from a photo essay Ryan shot for Uno and unOrdinary. The brief was to tell their story through three themes: People, Places, and Objects. We didn’t want polished or perfect shots like you often see in architecture or interior design portfolios. Instead, we wanted something natural and candid. Real people, real spaces, everyday moments, captured as they are. Imperfect, but full of life.
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Felix Ng
Co-founder, Anonymous
@felix.anonymous