Elevating UGC and visuals for big brands with creator Steven

When it comes to effortless creativity and passion, Steven Busby tops our list. Based in sunny Los Angeles, California, Steven is a photographer and videographer whose work balances polish with personality.

He began behind the lens taking headshots for fellow actors, a simple start that quickly grew into something much bigger. Today, he has produced standout content for major brands, and since joining Creatively Squared, he has crafted fun, high-quality visuals for M&M’S, Lindt, Vaseline, BIC and many more.

Steven not only shines in product and lifestyle photography, but he truly stands out in creating elevated UGC and videos. Whether he appears in front of the camera himself or enlists his talented network of friends, he consistently delivers clean, premium visuals that stay true to every creative brief. Reliable, collaborative and endlessly inventive, Steven always brings that extra spark that elevates every project.

Let’s explore Steven’s creative journey and discover what drives the man behind (and in front of) the camera.

Let’s chat with Steven

Hey everyone, I’m Steven Busby! I got my start in photography taking headshots for fellow actors - it was a great way to make ends meet in the down season. I still take headshots, but I’ve been able to expand into other areas of photography and videography that have been a ton of fun to learn.

I love working on lifestyle content, where people are interacting with the products. I always find the human element to be the most interesting part of product photography. I tend to shoot with a little bit of drama. I enjoy contrasting lighting and fun shadows.

In my downtime, I love to play guitar, hike, hang out with my cats (and wife)…but I may love to shoot most of all, so I feel very grateful that my day job is something I enjoy so much.

Steven’s beautiful content captured for Vaseline. Source: Creatively Squared

Journey with Creatively Squared

I was asked to join Creatively Squared by an old friend who I’ve worked on creative projects with before. It seemed like a great fit and I’ve loved the entire process. Creatively Squared gives you the opportunity to shoot for big brands while maintaining a sense of freedom that you don’t often find with clients of that size. I’m so glad I joined the community.

My favorite projects so far have been for Lindt and M&Ms, because of free chocolates 😉

Super sweet visuals captured by (and featuring) Steven for Lindt Chocolates and M&Ms. Source: Creatively Squared

Tools of the trade

Depending on the project, I will shoot stills on a Canon R5, video on a RED, my tripod is a Sachtler, which I love. I’m an Adobe editor through and through, for both stills and video, but Resolve has changed the game for color grading!

I love shooting in my kitchen, or any kitchen. I think food is so naturally beautiful and you often have great textures and lighting on the countertops.

I’m very lucky to have a studio in my home and my wife has styled our home in a way that makes shooting in our living spaces a breeze.

‍

[#cta]

‍

Steven’s creative process

It’s hard to feel like I’m winging it when the team at Creatively Squared preps their briefs the way they do. I barely have to think about anything most of the time!

But if a creative block does happen, I take a nap. Sometimes completely removing myself from consciousness is the best way forward, ha ha.

I usually work by myself on the shooting end, but I have a roster of beautiful, talented friends who have made appearances in Creatively Squared projects.

Steven captures this bright and fun content for M&Ms. Source: Creatively Squared

Finding inspiration

I think that Sam Newton does a nice job creating engaging, cinematic content.

Top creative tip

Imitate! Find images or videos you love and try to recreate them exactly as you see them. Then, find ways to improve upon them. There are no shortcuts!

Lastly, what’s next for you?

I think there are so many brilliant product photographers on this platform. I would love to improve upon my studio product photography, particularly which it comes to intricate staging and designing the scenes.

Here’s an ad we created using Steven’s amazing content for Vaseline. Source: Creatively Squared

Thank you Steven for being a reliable and inspiring creator in our community! We appreciate your work and forever grateful to have you in our creator team.

Follow Steven on Instagram @stevenleebuzz to see more of his amazing work!