Photographing Jewelry in the USVI with Stephanie

St. Croix is home in my heart. I don’t live there anymore, but it remains the one place I really feel I belong. There are so many magical things about St. Croix and the Virgin Islands in general. One of them is the handmade jewelry. I have a bit of an addiction to the artistic yet rustic silver and gold pieces you can get from local jewelers such as ib Designs, Crucian Gold, Sonya’s and Joyia’s. But there are other up-and-coming jewelers inspired by all the natural beauty and flowing creativity on island. I was honored to get the opportunity to practice photographing jewelry by Alissa B. with my friends as models. In addition to having never done a jewelry shoot before, I was also challenged by the light. It was two hours or so before sunset, when the lighting would have been just right. So the sun was shining bright into my lens when I was using the ocean as my backdrop. You will see a difference in the photos with the ocean in the background compared to those with land in the background. But I love a good challenge. Check them out and let me know what you think!

This set of photos are of Stephanie Hamilton, who recently relocated on St. Croix after retiring as a fire chief in the States. She is a real hero and trailblazer, now living her best life on a tropical island.