Founded by Shelby Edwards and James Whitney in 2015, littledrill is an incredible photography studio based in Brooklyn, New York. I first discovered littledrill on Instagram and was immediately mesmerized by the scroll-stopping photos published on their account. I had the pleasure of collaborating with Shelby and James for my clothing line, Shop The Zeitgeist, and I’ve included some of the pictures below. In fact, I filmed a behind the scenes video of my photo shoot. Shelby serves as the Creative Director of littledrill, while James is the photographer. The power duo work together and always follow their fantastic motto, “Have fun, get weird.”
Many of the studio’s photographs garner hundreds of comments on social media due to their quirky, minimalist aesthetic– the studio’s Instagram account has now skyrocketed to 118,000 followers. I have so enjoyed collaborating with Shelby and James, and I am thrilled to introduce The Zeitgeist’s readers to such a talented and creative pair. In her interview, Shelby discusses everything from the story behind littledrill’s name to the biggest challenge she faced when first starting out.
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in photography? What inspired you?
I was a stylist and James was a photographer. We wanted to do something creative together, so joining forces just made sense.
What’s the story behind the studio’s unique name?
It was my nickname given to me by my dad back when I was very young. He called me ‘little girl’ first and when I repeated it back it came out ‘little drill’. It’s stuck ever since.
What is the best thing that has happened to you since founding littledrill?
Getting to be our own bosses! Owning your own business can be extremely stressful at times, but it’s far more rewarding than we ever could have imagined.
Although you have collaborated with numerous amazing brands, are there any which you still wish to work with?
So many. We’ve worked with a lot of tech companies and accessory brands, which are so much fun to get creative with. Fashion and interior design are two industries that we are attracted to personally, as well as professionally, and we would love to focus more on these in 2017.
Does your home’s interior design mirror littledrill’s minimal, colorful aesthetic?
Yes and no. We love color in our home but tend to use it more as an accent, keeping the space mostly white, with minimal styling. This creates a peaceful energy that we love coming home to after a long day.
What are some of the challenges you faced when first starting out, and how did you overcome them?
Leaving our day jobs to exclusively work with littledrill was one of the most terrifying and stressful experiences. Someone once told me that when you’re uncomfortable, you’re growing. Leaving Seattle to live in Brooklyn really helped us grow because it pushed us out of our comfort zone – new city, new home, new people. Through this experience, we met some of our favorite clients, and our business grew more than we ever expected.
Where do you find inspiration for your incredible photographs?
We love pop art, coastal cities and 90’s design. Inspiration can strike at anytime; you just need to be ready for it.
Is there anything in particular that you look for when composing a photograph, or is it different every time?
It’s really different each time. One of the things we pay closest attention to is composition– making sure there is a balance and flow with the objects in each image.
What piece of advice do you have to share with young entrepreneurs?
Make your own rules, and then follow them to a T.
What’s next for littledrill?
We recently purchased a commercial building just outside of New York. We’re slowly but surely remodeling it and turning it into littledrill headquarters. It’s a pretty big space, and a lot of work, but when we’re ready to expand and bring on more team members, we will have an amazing space ready for them.
