The secret to Kristen Meyer’s graphically pleasing work? “I am really meticulous,” she says. “Many of my pictures could come together much quicker, but I spend a great deal of time refining the details.” To establish clean lines, she often draws a light pencil guideline, which she later erases. She and her husband, Colin, work together on the images: She styles the look, he shoots with a Nikon D700, and they both edit. They prefer natural light, occasionally with fill, and use seamless paper for background. “I’ve really grown to love clean, solid colors as a backdrop for my work.”

Post-production is minimal. They usually replace the background with solid color, and sometimes shift colors throughout the image. “Often it would be much easier to rely more heavily on Photoshop, but there’s a special value in creating something with your hands, and we try to stay true to that.” The challenges? Wilting flowers and leaves. “I’ve learned my lesson enough times to know what to avoid working with,” she says. And finding inspiration, which isn’t always easy. “I draw inspiration from the shapes, colors, and textures in nature, but I’m also very inspired by modern architecture and clean city lines.” 

Amanda Arnold is the associate editor of Professional Photographer.