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Welcome to the team header for Coastal Moss Creative, new Live Like Locals member, over an illustrated historic Savannah street and square

Member Spotlight: Coastal Moss Creative Helps Savannah Women Business Owners Show Up as Themselves

Welcome to Live Like Locals, Coastal Moss Creative.

Savannah runs on small businesses. Walk down any street and you will pass a salon, a studio, a boutique, a coach, a cafe, all built by someone who took a chance on an idea. In a town that full of local talent, the question every owner eventually asks is the same: how do you stand out? For Christen Martin, the answer starts with a camera. Through Coastal Moss Creative, she helps women business owners create intentional, authentic brand photos that show who they are, what they do, and what makes their business unique. We are glad to welcome Christen and Coastal Moss Creative as the newest members of the Live Like Locals community.

From Practice Shoots to Her Place in Photography

Before Coastal Moss Creative, there was Hostess City Travels and Photography. Christen launched it in the fall of 2024 out of two loves: photography and showing people around Savannah. Her signature offering was a walking tour of downtown that doubled as a photo session, with Christen sharing the city’s history and culture while capturing guests in its most picturesque spots.

Her path into brand photography started the way a lot of good things do, with practice. “When I started in photography I was looking for people, places and things to practice on,” she says. Along the way, those practice sessions kept bringing her face to face with women who were building small businesses around Savannah.

As word of mouth spread among local small businesses, she found she loved those shoots as much for the people as for the pictures. “I loved learning about their businesses and connecting with people in the community,” Christen says. After a few sessions, she wanted to do more than take nice photos. She wanted to create images that helped those owners tell their stories. That idea became Coastal Moss Creative, a brand photography company built around one belief: your brand is more than a logo. It is how your business looks, feels, and shows up.

“And I have found my place in the photography world,” she says.

Christen Martin of Coastal Moss Creative photographing a Pilates instructor and client during a brand session in Savannah
Christen at work, directing a brand session at a local Pilates studio.

What Coastal Moss Creative Does

Coastal Moss Creative takes the stress out of creating brand photos. Christen guides every session from start to finish, so business owners can show up and be themselves while she handles the rest.

  • Planning and prep. A discovery call, a client prep guide, and a plan for the shoot built around your business and your goals.
  • Styling and photo direction. Christen directs the session so the images feel natural and on brand, not stiff or posed.
  • Professionally edited photos. A finished library of images sized for each platform, with a usage guide so you know where each one works best.
  • Short-form video. Video direction and reels for businesses that want motion content alongside their photos.

Packages range from a quick Brand Refresh to a Complete Brand Library and a Complete Content Experience that pairs photos with short-form video reels. The goal is the same at every level: give owners a collection of images they can confidently use across their website, social media, email marketing, and other promotional materials, so they save time, stand out, build trust, and attract more of the right customers.

Brand photo by Coastal Moss Creative of a skincare professional performing a microneedling treatment
Showing the work itself: a skincare professional mid-treatment.

The Values Behind Every Session

Christen runs Coastal Moss Creative on five values: intentional, communicative, authentic, fun, and dependable. Each one shows up in how she works. She plans every shoot with purpose, keeps clients in the loop from the first call to the final gallery, and makes sure the photos look like the real person behind the business. She also wants the session to be something clients enjoy, not something they dread.

Being dependable matters to her most of all. She has built a reputation in Savannah for following through, and she promises clients they will always hear back from her within 24 hours. On being intentional, she is just as clear: “I refuse to rush the process simply to check a box.”

For a business owner, that means fewer surprises, a session that feels easy, and photos that actually get used.

Brand portrait by Coastal Moss Creative of a makeup artist holding makeup brushes in a champagne flute
Personality on camera: a playful portrait for a local makeup artist.

Rooted in Community

Coastal Moss Creative grew out of Savannah’s small business community, and it serves the same people who inspired it. Christen works with owners across Savannah and the Lowcountry, helping them put a real face on their business so customers can get to know them before they ever walk in the door. That is exactly what Live Like Locals is about: helping neighbors find and support the local businesses that make this place home.

Connect With Coastal Moss Creative

If your website photos are out of date, your social feed needs a refresh, or you are launching something new and want images that feel like you, Christen is ready to help. Start with a discovery call through her website. Sessions are by appointment.

Help us welcome Coastal Moss Creative to the Live Like Locals family. When you support local, you live like a local.

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