W Cosmetics — Charlestown Square
Retail & Brand Photography for National Store Expansion
Client: W Retail Group (W Cosmetics)
Location: Charlestown Square, Newcastle NSW
Project Type: New Store Launch
Services: Retail & Brand Photography, Videography
Usage: Website, social media, launch communications, brand marketing
Project overview
Prestige Property Photography was commissioned by W Cosmetics to capture photography and video for the opening of their Charlestown Square store, marking the brand’s 52nd location nationwide and its official entry into the Newcastle market.
The project formed part of W Cosmetics’ continued expansion across Australia, supporting the brand’s mission to create immersive retail environments that introduce customers to global beauty trends — particularly from the Japanese and Korean cosmetics industry.
Brand Context
W Cosmetics positions itself as a “Beauty Wonderland” — a one-stop destination bringing together sought-after global beauty brands within a carefully curated retail environment.
Their stores are designed to feel:
Bright and immersive
Visually rich without clutter
Contemporary, trend-driven, and welcoming
Consistent across locations while remaining site-specific
For this project, imagery needed to reflect not only the physical store layout, but also the brand experience customers encounter when entering the space.
The Brief
The brief prioritised store presentation over product focus, with an emphasis on how the space feels, flows, and functions during live trading.
Key requirements included:
Clean, architectural imagery of the store interior
Accurate colour reproduction aligned to the shopfit and brand palette
Minimal distraction in still photography
Some natural customer movement permitted
Short-form video suitable for launch and social channels
Fast turnaround to support immediate post-launch marketing
Photography and videography were scheduled to take place as the store opened, with customers entering shortly after commencement.
Our Approach
Brand-Aligned Capture
To ensure colour accuracy and consistency with W Cosmetics’ visual identity, reference imagery and shopfit cues were reviewed in advance. A ColourChecker Passport was used on site to lock in accurate colour during capture and post-production — critical for a brand whose environment relies heavily on tone, lighting, and finish.
Working Within a Live Retail Environment
Shooting during opening hours required an efficient, low-impact approach:
Clean framing to preserve visual clarity
Strategic angles to minimise visual noise
Selective inclusion of customers for motion footage only
Still photography focused on presenting the store as polished, calm, and considered — while video incorporated subtle movement to convey energy and engagement.
Video Direction & Refinement
A cinematic walkthrough video was produced to support launch communications. Music selection and pacing were refined collaboratively to better match the store’s retail tempo, ensuring the final piece felt aligned with brand energy rather than lifestyle or residential tones.
Delivery & Outcome
Final photography and video assets were delivered within tight launch timelines and prepared for immediate use across digital platforms.
The imagery was subsequently used by W Cosmetics across their website and LinkedIn channels, announcing the Charlestown Square opening and reinforcing their national expansion narrative.
Client feedback confirmed the success of the project:
“The photos look amazing — thank you so much for providing such high quality photography for us.”
— Penny P, Marketing Team, W Cosmetics
Selected imagery
Why This Project Matters
This project demonstrates Prestige Property Photography’s capability to deliver brand-safe retail imagery under launch conditions, where:
Timing is non-negotiable
Visual consistency is critical
Brand perception extends beyond the physical space
It reflects experience working with multi-site retail brands, aligning visual output with both marketing objectives and real-world customer experience.
Services Provided
Retail & Brand Photography
Interior Architecture Photography
Cinematic Walkthrough Video
Brand-aligned colour grading and post-production
Planning a Retail or Brand Launch?
If you’re preparing a new store, showroom, or branded environment, we work closely with marketing teams to create imagery that supports launch campaigns and long-term brand presentation.
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