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They say necessity is the mother of invention. The story of Altadena-based Danielle Salmon’s business called Octimber certainly attests to this proverb.
It all began in 2018 when Salmon, a Jamaican-American, was searching for a photography background for her food photography blog — a background which was portable, foldable and durable.
With no options available in stores, she decided to create her own background after having conversations with her carpenter uncle and neighbor to understand woodworking.
She made her first photography background out of wood and became satisfied as the backgrounds, she said, elevated her food photography. Eventually, she launched Octimber and made more photography backgrounds using wood – pine to be exact.
“Once I figured it out, it was the most fun and most exciting thing I could ever do,” Salmon said. “What inspired me to make it was I needed it for myself and turns out other people needed and wanted them as well.”
Salmon said the photography backgrounds she offers, which has different colors, textures and sizes, could be used to change the environment without changing where one lives.
“With other background companies, what you get is really a printed image on vinyl tile, and they all look the same,” said Salmon. “There’s some personality and textures and tones and differences within my background.”
Aside from being durable, Octimber photography backgrounds are also foldable and water resistant. All materials used to create the product are sourced from local shops in Los Angeles.
Aside from photography backgrounds, Salmon also sells thoughtful jars of affirmation that come with grass, dried flowers including lavender and 24 affirmation cards with encouraging words. The affirmation cards are customizable.
“You could really customize them to be what you want them to say. So they’re more heartfelt in coming directly from you to the person you care about,” she said.
Salmon said she created the mason jar after facing a difficult time where she needed positive affirmations.
“They helped me out and it ended up being something where other people were asking for them and buying them whether they were for gifts or for somebody who may be passing away, it turned out it was a great gift just to give for any reason.”
Salmon has a professional background working in public affairs for a major healthcare organization and five years running a restaurant website prior to launching Octimber.
While she admitted that her business was something that is challenging and intimidating because of her lack of woodworking or carpentry experience, Salmon said she is happy with what she has been doing.
In fact she plans to launch more items including serving boards or charcuterie boards in the future.
“Making the backgrounds, building the website, coming up with everything that is really the heart and soul of the business, has been incredibly fun. And it’s really rewarding whenever somebody buys an item because they find a fit for say a jar for a friend who just got hired at a new company and they’re so excited or a person who’s taking the leap into photography and they want a background.”
“When I see those come in and I get the chance to help somebody in their journey or a friend of theirs along their journey, I’m so thankful. And it’s really something that I’m like, if I could do this for the rest of forever, that would make me so happy.”
To view Octimber’s products, visit: https://octimber.com/about/
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