Ready for my close up with photographer Sophie Mutevelian

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to be able to book the amazing photographer Sophie Mutevelian to take some photographs of my 2017 latest collection. Sophie is a renowned visual storyteller has worked all over the world and regularly shoots for big productions in the TV and film industry so needless to say I was pretty thrilled when she agreed to shoot my jewellery for me.

A family affair

Along with some crystal clear photos of my new pieces I really wanted some model shots too. So we can show how the jewllery drapes and falls when worn. Many jewellery designers hire professional models but my daughters are a big part of my business, they have been with me every step of the way and wear my work so well it felt completely right to have them model for me. 

We had such a fun afternoon and hopefully this shows in the images Sophie captured which now feature in my collection

Portrait of a jeweller

Unlike my daughters I'm not a natural in front of the camera, I feel much more comfortable at my workbench but Sophie persuaded me to have my photograph taken too.

She makes you feel so at ease and natural, it really wasn't the painful experience I'd expected at all.  So here I am, I've even been brave enough to put this image on my about page.

Having images of me on my site is something I've been avoiding for a while, but I came to realise that connecting with a maker is an important part of the commissioning process. Getting to know the person creating a special piece for you is part of the selection process. And for me, knowing my customers helps me create the piece that works for them so from now on I'm going to try to be a bit more visible for my customers too. Well just a little anyway.

Why pay for product photos?

I'm often asked why I bother with a professional photogragpher. Many jewellery designers take their own photos and they work perfectly well, but for me. The added luminescence that an expert like Sophie can bring to the photos is worth its weight in gold (sorry pun not intended).

Many of my clients are based in America and as much as I'd love to pop over to show them my pieces on a regular basis, it's just not feasible or financially viable.

So by having great crystal clear images of my work I'm able to show the sparkle of the gems I choose, convey the carefully looped handmade links and ensure my customers can see defined detail of my work and commission new pieces with confidence. I'm not at all certain this would happen if it was me snapping them on my phone. 

If you are looking for a photographer then I can't recommend Sophie enough - you can find out more about her here.

And if you want to see the pieces she shot for me - head to my latest collection here.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Alison

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