Inside Genest Concrete’s Biddeford Showroom: A Documentary Approach to Commercial Photography
Some assignments are less about finding a single moment and more about staying ready for whichever one shows up. That was the case at Genest Concrete's Biddeford showroom, where Humble Moments Studio was brought on for a half-day documentary-style assignment covering the retail and design center alongside the yard operations out back.
Genest supplies concrete, hardscaping materials, and the tools that go with them to contractors, designers, and homeowners across the region. Their Biddeford location functions as both a showroom and a working yard, which meant the assignment naturally split into two very different environments. The showroom itself displays actual Genest products, including a variety used in the building's own landscaping and hardscaping, so the space doubles as a working example of the materials it sells. Inside, the interior is modern and sleek, with workbenches set up for staff to review samples alongside clients, designers, and contractors. Natural light mixes with warm and cool fixtures throughout, giving the space an atmospheric quality that made the documentary and lifestyle work easier to shoot. Outside, the approach shifted to environmental, following the yard crew as they staged and loaded materials for pickup, from bagged concrete and cement to pavers, crushed stone, and full slabs, moved by forklift, front loader, and truck depending on the load.
Participation came from a mix of sources. Some customers, contractors, and designers were friends of the company who'd volunteered ahead of time, while others were approached in the moment and asked if they were comfortable being photographed as they worked through their selections with the Genest team. One customer, mid-conversation with a consultant at the workbenches, paused and asked for direction on how to pose. The answer was simple: he was already doing exactly what the shoot needed. In the yard, staff would give a heads up whenever a truck was being loaded, which meant staying alert and ready rather than directing the action. The result is a set of images that reflect how the showroom and yard actually operate, not a reconstructed version of it.
The shoot happened on a rain date, which comes with the territory when working outdoors in Maine. The day that finally came together was warm, sunny, and about as good as summer light gets for a half-day split between indoor and outdoor work. Gear stayed simple by design, one camera, one lens, no flash, which kept the movement between the sleek showroom and the working yard fast and unobtrusive.
Genest's own words after the fact capture the spirit of the assignment well. In a review posted afterward, the team highlighted the transparent pricing and clear communication leading up to the shoot, along with the flexibility that made the day easy for everyone involved on their end. They also noted the final gallery arrived on time with a few extras included, and that they're already planning to bring Humble Moments Studio back for an upcoming project.
That kind of response is the goal with every commercial assignment. A retail and design center runs on trust between staff and the people walking through the door, and a yard runs on timing and coordination that can't really be faked. Documenting both authentically, rather than posing around them, is what makes the resulting photography useful for a business like Genest to actually put in front of their own customers.
If your business runs on the kind of daily work that's easy to overlook because it's just how things get done, that's usually exactly what's worth documenting. Humble Moments Studio works with businesses across Greater Portland and Southern Maine on assignments like this one, capturing the real operations, interactions, and people behind the brand. Reach out to talk through what a documentary-style assignment could look like for your business.