Ben Kane
Between 2014 and 2016 I worked closely with @yoga_girl who, at the time, had the world’s largest yoga-related Instagram account and social media following on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and SnapChat. In real life, @yoga_girl is Rachel Brathen – a Swedish native who lived on Aruba.
I was the photographer for her New York Times best-selling book, travelled with her to 7 different countries and 9 U.S. states, built a thriving online yoga platform, created thousands of instructional wellness videos, and produced photos and videos for her various social media accounts, as well as for dozens of media outlets. During my time with Rachel her social media following more than doubled to over two million followers on Instagram alone.
oneOeight
In 2015 Rachel built a subscription based online platform dedicated to health and wellness called oneOeight.
Starting with a successful Kickstarter campaign which raised over $430,000, I acted as producer and sole content creator for this project from its inception until the end of its first year.
This includes producing, shooting and editing more than 1,100 individual videos for the site, featuring more than 20 world-class yoga and wellness teachers, as well as providing all of the imagery and photographs used for publicity.
View Kickstarter Campaign
Instagram Content
I created hundreds of social media-ready photos used by @yoga_girl and dozens of other leading yoga teachers around the world. Some were part of creative shoots, others were photo journalistic, and all were delivered quickly for regular social media updates.
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- Total project duration: 24 months
- 21% of @yoga_girls’s Instagram posts featured content by Ben Kane
- 350 Total published images and videos on @yoga_girl
- 1,000,000 followers added
Click below for a sample gallery of some favorites.
Instagram Gallery
“Yoga Girl” (2015)
A New York Times Bestseller and published in over 15 languages, I provided the bulk of the images, including the cover. In addition to lifestyle-type photos, I also provided the food photography as well as stylized instructional photos for yoga poses.
“To Love and Let Go” (2019)
A followup to Rachel’s first book, I provided the cover imagery for all editions, worldwide.
Magazines
I provided cover and editorial images for various publications, including Yoga Journal, Yoga Digest, Elle, Shape Up, Thoughtfully, and more. These shoots were directly contracted by the publications and consisted of new, customized material – not just re-used social media content.
“Yoga Girl” on Amazon
Selected Video Portfolio
oneOeight Kickstarter Video (4:00)
The flagship video for the oneOeight Kickstarter campaign, this contains scripted and planned elements as well as collected elements from previous productions. This video and the accompanying photographic elements were key to helping to raise over $430,000 (on a $108,000 target) for this project .
oneOeight Kickstarter Trailer (0:30)
The companion 15-second version of the oneOeight Kickstarter campaign video. Created for use on Instagram, this video was designed to grab attention and inspire people to watch the full video. This was published on numerous social media accounts and reached millions.
Yoga Girl in New York – YouTube Vlog (4:00)
Throughout the spring of 2014 I travelled with Rachel Brathen on her book release tour of the U.S. documenting the journey through video and photos. One of the elements I produced from this was a series of vlogs for her YouTube channel. These were shot, edited, and delivered within a day or two each. New York was the first one, and set the tone for the series.
Yoga Girl on the West Coast – YouTube Vlog (6:00)
A vlog type video covering a few days of Rachel Brathen’s book tour in California. This was shot on the run and edited in hotel rooms for timely inclusion on Rachel’s YouTube channel. I was responsible for all of the filming, audio, equipment, editing, and publishing.
Yoga Girl Treasure Hunt – Special YouTube Vlog (4:20)
A special vlog created for the “Yoga Girl Treasure Hunt”. Rachel Brathen was an early adopter of SnapChat’s “My Story” feature and in early 2014 already had a significant following. While in New York we used that platform to give away copies of her book to her followers in a unique way. This interesting vlog was shot and edited in one day, and features footage shot on DSLR, captures from Rachel’s SnapChat feed, and images from Instagram.
Wine and Yoga – Special YouTube Vlog (1:50)
While on the book tour, we experimented with producing shorter videos and releasing them more quickly. This was a glimpse of 24 hours in Napa. This was shot, edited, and published on the same day.
oneOeight Yoga – 10 Minute Core Boost (10:00)
This is an example of one of the instructional videos I produced, shot, and edited for the oneOeight platform. I completed over 1,100 such videos (and their trailers) in the first year of business, under extreme budgetary and time restrictions. We filmed over 20 teachers in various locations around the world including Aruba, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Stockholm. Strong emphasis was placed on the quality of the instruction and the video’s ability to present the lessons clearly and effectively.
oneOeight Yoga – 10 Minute Core Boost Trailer (0:15)
Each finished instructional video for oneOeight had an accompanying 15 second trailer optimized for use on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The trailers were designed to be attention-grabbing and dynamic, enticing viewers to watch the full video.
© 2024 Ben Kane