The Jewelry Workshop

Had a chance to shoot around a jewelers workbench. It was refreshing on two levels - first, because this style of photography is so different from my usual style, and second, because I'm always interested in any artist's process.

These are stacks of ring molds. The jeweler uses these to form the wax ring you'll see in the rest of the photos.

From there, he refines the wax ring. I suppose it's not actually wax, but some sort of plastic.

I love the mix of tools - files, torches, wood blocks, a crock pot.

Everything to hand, everything well-worn and in regular use.

I don't usually roam around with a camera handheld, shoot in low light, use available light, or do more than one composition per set of photos. Sometimes the grass of the lifestyle shooter or documentarian looks so green...

The Neat-nick

I'm no Grand National Neat-nick, but I coulda been a contender. The boys have won though.

Real and Unreal

I met with an editor, who suggested that my photographs that have even a little bit of interest in the background, versus a plain background, are much more interesting. And I think that's true.

So, for the new Helpful Ideas for Busy Dads, I wanted to do a product side for the series, so I shot the objects on plain backgrounds:

And then I had that meeting with the editor, and I thought I'd experiment with different backgrounds.

Some of them turned out fine, and others turned out OK, but all of them are everything I hate about contemporary photography, unfortunately.

And then I remembered some other words I'd written, on compositing, and I realized that if I want to do more interesting backgrounds, I need to have them in the studio with me. Which really is a lot easier than this other thing, not to mention a better result.

There's a reason tabletop studios have entire rooms filled with backgrounds and surfaces.

Eye Candy vs. Big Ideas

I can be real dogmatic, in my work, when I'm trying to get to the expression of some grand or clever idea. And that's, you know, useful. At the same time, I always seem to have some line on something more abstract, more open-ended and maybe just pretty. Which, pretty is important too.

In advertising, there's pressure to make efficient photographs, with an instantaneous message, that will sell a product. And so, in an advertising photographer, there's an inclination, maybe a habit, to avoid spending effort toward something that seems mushy, compared to the hard glitter of an ad photo.

Of course, there is great advertising that uses art without a point, or even art that doesn't have anything to do with the product. It's not axiomatic. Just a current that babbles along.

Mucking About with Precious Objects

I suppose it's a reliable question: put expensive things with cheap things, or put expensive things with expensive things? Contrast or complement? Tension or calm? It's not like you have to commit to one path or another for a lifetime, but within one photograph, you do. 30" Pearl 

Strand with Diamond Clasp at Kathleen Dughi

Sapphire Cabochon White Gold Ring with Marquise Diamonds at Kathleen Dughi

South Sea Pearl Earrings with Diamond Settings at Kathleen Dughi