Photoshoot Wedding Ring Making

Photoshoot Wedding Ring Making

Photoshoot Wedding Ring Making

Natalie and Stella – Wedding Ring Making

I’m so excited to show you the photos from a recent shoot when Natalie and Stella came to my Brighton workshop and made their wedding rings.  We were so lucky that Gemma from Betti Confetti Photo was able to come and document the wedding ring making with her clever wedding photography skills too.  

Gemma photographed the day

If you’ve been following me on Instagram you’ll know I now run wedding ring workshops where couples can do all the wedding ring making themselves. With all the expert advice from me on hand you don’t need any prior experience. Well, earlier this year I took part in the happily ever after wedding fair at Brighton Racecourse and chatted to couples about my wedding ring workshops.  At the fair I shared a stand with Gemma from Betti Confetti Photo. You’ve probably heard me mention Gemma before as she has done some wonderful product photography for me and more recently a successful model jewellery photo shoot too. You may have read my blog post interview with her here?

At the wedding fair Gemma and I teamed up to ran a giveaway contest for one couple to win a make your own wedding rings workshop including a pre-wedding photo shoot.  One of the couples we chatted to at the wedding fair in Brighton were Natalie, from Wilding Wedding Planners, and her partner Stella. Natalie and Stella, who are currently planning their True Romance inspired wedding, entered our competition and won!

It was a giggle

After discussing what ring designs Natalie and Stella wanted we arranged for them to come and make their wedding rings at my jewellery workshop on the border of Brighton and Hove.  We had such a fun morning heating, hammering, soldering and polishing the metal. By the end of the session they had produced the silver and gold wedding rings that they had dreamt of.

Time to celebrate!

Once Natalie and Stella had completed their wedding rings they celebrated with a glass of bubbly whilst they tried on their rings.

Love was in the air

Delighted with the results Natalie and Stella wandered off exploring the nooks of Brighton where Gemma captured some beautiful photos of them admiring their newly made wedding rings. I love the inscriptions they added to their rings!

The love between this pair is pretty obvious and I really wish them all the best for their wedding next year. I’m so happy to have met Natalie and Stella and to have helped them to design and make their wedding rings for their big day.

Could you do it?

In four short hours, having been guided step by step through the wedding ring making process, Natalie and Stella handmade their rings from scratch.  They had no previous experience of ring making or traditional jewellery making techniques. The resulting rings are totally what they were after. The wedding rings made in sterling silver, rose gold and yellow gold are unique to them and very cool!

If you’re getting married and I thinking about wedding ring making yourselves you can read more about what to expect here. If you have any questions about wedding ring designs, the ring making process or anything else feel free to contact me here or leave your comment below. Thank you.

If you like the photos from Natalie and Stella’s pre-wedding photo shoot hop over to find out more about the services on offer from wedding photographer Gemma.

And if you love Natalie’s style why not find out how her wedding planning works here.

Meet photographer Gemma Taylor

Meet photographer Gemma Taylor

 

Heart Ring – Sterling Silver Ring with Hand Cut Floral Heart – Click for details

 

 

Please introduce yourself…

 

Hi, I’m Gemma Taylor. Photography is not just my job, it’s my obsession! I like creating beautiful, artistic shots – who doesn’t! – but for me what’s exciting is that they are also practical or serve a purpose. Shooting for independent designers and makers allows me to work with people to develop a brand image. The practical side of it may be to show off the craftsmanship and detail to increase online orders, for example, or to produce a set of lifestyle pics for Instagram, or create a look-book for stockists.

How did you become a photographer?

 

I’ve always been a writer, and I still love writing, but whenever I got paired with a photographer for an assignment I always wanted to be doing what they were doing! So after thinking that a number of times, it was time to make it happen! It was around 7 or 8 years ago when I began photographing professionally.

What’s your inspiration?

 

It’s all about the storytelling. From what’s the inspiration behind a jewellery or ceramic design, to a story about people or places. I shoot and write about things that interest me, and I hope my enthusiasm comes through in my work.

 

Silver Stackable Rings – Squares Drop Earrings – Sterling Silver Square Necklace

 

How would you describe your style?

 

I like to keep things simple. Although often what looks like a simple shot can mean a lot of work behind-the- scenes – from compiling an inspiration board and defining a colour palette, through to frothing coffee, or experimenting with textures and props, to achieve the desired look.

Additionally, I will work with natural light whenever possible, and incorporate dramatic light and shade in the pictures – so long as the brief suits it. Other than that it’s difficult define my style, as my starting point with product photography is the designer or maker’s style. What’s their inspiration, who’s their customer, how will they use the photos, what do they want to achieve? That shapes what the end result will look like.

 

Your favourite thing about Brighton?

 

I really enjoying living sandwiched between the sea and the South Downs, with a creative city in the middle. It means I’m not just spoilt for choice with brilliant independent designers to work with, but also where’s best to enjoy a cold beer!

 

Any recent achievements?

 

I’ve been working on a few different things, and not all product photography. One project – curating an exhibition for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance – was just awarded Brighton Fringe Festival’s 2017 Visual Arts Award. The exhibitions were judged by Brighton’s Artist Open Houses and HOUSE, so that’s a nice connection back to the product photography. My work can seem quite diverse in what I cover, but what underpins all of it is wanting to create memorable photos and an interesting story or brand image.

 

If you could pick anyone to photograph for who would it be and why?

 

I don’t get starstruck, I’m much more intrigued by ‘ordinary’ folk, as they never are! I’m working on a local project, where I’m looking for people who have ‘pet’ seagulls that regularly visit them at home, typically for food of course! If I can work animals or nature into a shoot somehow I will… another idea I have for a jewellery shoot involves animals, and would work fabulously for someone who has very bold, neon jewellery designs – so sometimes it can work the opposite way round where I have a concept and then will look for someone whose brand matches that idea.

So if you know a neon wearing, seagull loving type of person, point them my way! My website is in the making… but you can find my contact details here for now: www.gemmataylorphoto.com

Heart Ring – Sterling Silver Ring with Hand Cut Floral Heart

Thank you so much Gemma, it was great to get to know you.

If you enjoyed reading Gemma’s story and have any questions or know any seagulls you can comment below!

Ilana Richardson and Guests – Artists Open House

Ilana Richardson and Guests – Artists Open House

Ilana Richardson and Guests – Artists Open House

Please be invited to my next show, which happens all through May 2017, part of Artists Open Houses in Brighton. I’m so pleased to have been invited back to Ilana Richardson’s house for an exhibition of Art, Ceramics, Photography and of course my Jewellery designs. The show will be hosted by established watercolour artist Ilana in her own home. Ilana’s artwork always makes me yearn for travel as she captures beautiful Mediterranean locations that bring back happy holiday memories and chilled sunny vibes.

Ilana richardson artists open house
Ilana richardson artists open house colleen slater
Ilana richardson artists open house elizabeth anne norris

The exhibitors

It’s going to be a great show, as always, with work from some new and returning exhibitors detailed below:

To RSVP or just register your interest in our Artists Open House exhibition please visit My Event Page Here.

Ilana Richardson artists open house Jessica jordan
ilana richardson artists open house 66 langdale gardens

Find us

The show, Ilana Richardson and guests, is free and open to all, every Saturday and Sunday in May from 11am-5pm. You’ll find the location at 66 Langdale Gardens, Hove on the West Hove Art Trail. There is easy parking and disabled access. The show is a selling exhibition, all works will be for sale throughout May and Ilana offers card payment facilities too. 

You can see my my work and established jewellery collections here. Information on all this years Artists Open Houses will be announced on 11 April on the main AOH website here.

Have you visited Ilana Richardson’s artists open house before in previous years? What did you think? Who was your favourite artist or maker? Will you be visiting this year? Please leave your comment for me below.

For more information leading up to our show you can register your interest and RSVP here. 

I look forward to seeing you.