It is only when you begin to learn the art of production that you can truly appreciate what you see before you. We can enjoy the meal, but once we see all the time it took & steps to bring the beauty, nutritious, deliciousness to your plate that you can really really be appreciative. We can love a hand thrown bowl & think it to be very pretty, but only once our own hands have been wet with the cool grit of the clay, can we really appreciate what goes into building our said dish-wear.
I'd heard of product photography before I began making jewelry, but didn't pay it much mind. It sounded easy enough. Little did I know what a pain in the neck it could be; finding the balance where the product in question is clear; not backlit; free of shadows; no stains, dust or particulate on the background, etc. In other words: I had no idea that taking photos of jewelry would be so difficult!
I am constantly challenging myself to find a unique manner in which to present what I painstakingly create with so much love & attention, to represent it in a similar light. I want to represent whimsy and at the same time be grounding. I want the pieces to match well with both the forest, beach, small town, & big city. My aim is to create versatile wear that works in all environments & that always feels natural. This is why I always photograph pieces with a flower, leaf, or something from the great outdoors.
Yesterday was fun because we went mushroom hunting. Living in Portland has many benefits & one of them is that we are so close to incredible woods. We needn't drive far to get the sense of truly getting away. We tromped around the woods & turned up with lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, & saw a lot of coral mushrooms. This is the season! It was cold & clear, beautiful & refreshing.
I brought 5 rings, 3 pairs of earrings, 1 dog tag (new idea!), & 1 necklace to take photos of as well! Why miss an opportunity? It's funny because I pretty much always carry jewelry in my pockets now so that if a cool photo opportunity arrises, I am ready! I also make my friends model for me when we hang. It's nice to mix up some faces on my instagram! I suppose when I wind up learning how to goldsmith this business of carrying pieces with me will have to become an extinct habit.
For now, I'll take what I can get & there are some incredible places to hang earrings & the like. I am grateful to nature & mother earth always, and now this is just one more reason to give thanks.
If you have fun ideas for photographing pieces I would love to hear!
