My photography

Finally, I managed to put together some of my non jewellery photos and create a Flick r photostream. What seemed to be an easy task ended up being not so easy... which photo do you choose when you have so many? ..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/carla_monteiro/

Bead Paradise

Few weeks ago I went on a trip to Istanbul, a beautiful city I ended up falling in love with. So many highlights  so many photographs to take,so many things to see, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Spice Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Bosphorus cruise and the Gran Bazaar, to mention just a few.

And the element of surprise.....After visiting the enormous Gran Bazaar and just when you think the visit is over, as soon as you come out  a complete new adventure starts... one jewellery shop after another where they sell beautiful Silvery pieces  followed by  one Bead shop after another  full of beautiful semi precious beads.... A true delight...a bead paradise.

A star has gone

Sadly, last week the world said goodbye to one of the true beautiful sirens of the silver screen, Elizabeth Taylor. Her beauty and violet eyes were unmistakeable and her love for jewellery was an obsession. She possessed an amazing jewellery collection which includes some of the most spectacular jewels in history - an antique diamond tiara, the Taj Mahal heart shaped yellow diamond necklace, the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, the 33 carat Krupp Diamond ring, the 69 carat Taylor-Burton diamond, the Grand Duchess of Russia emeralds and La Peregrina Pearl.

"I'm fortunate to have some very important pieces of jewelry. I don't believe I own any of the pieces. I believe that I am their custodian, here to enjoy them, to give them the best treatment in the world, to watch after their safety, and to love them."   Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry

RIP Ms Taylor

"Every artist was first an amateur" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wired Pendants

A true goddess

Like many people, last night I watched the Baftas on TV. It's always nice to see the beautiful and Glamorous dresses the stars wear  and allow our imagination to dream ...

 My favourite gown was without any doubt Jessica Alba's  electric blue Versace dress and her gorgeous blue beaded vintage necklace.  She looked absolutely beautiful. A true goddess.

Another quote

A nice quote can sometimes be inspiring and help us believe in things. Here is my choice for today.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams " 

Eleanor Roosevelt

Wood beads

For some of my latest creations I used wood beads, really like them and  I should try to use them more often. They might not be as appealing as other beads because they do not have the sparkle or  shine of  glass or metal beads but they are also very beautiful and should not be taken for granted.  They come in many shapes and sizes, they are very colourful and  versatile and create beautiful jewellery.

Bookmark

For a while now I wanted to personalise my own bookmark. Finally decided to do it and the result is  a pretty silver plated bookmark decorated with gorgeous semi-precious Mookaite beads and a silver plated star.

Photographing jewellery

One of my New Year resolutions is to improve the photographs of my jewellery so  I am currently reading a book by Tom Ang " Digital Photography Masterclass".

Taking pictures has always been one of my secret passions  and  If you make jewellery like me or intend to do so, then photography will have a very important role in the whole process, unless you can afford to pay a professional photographer to do the job for you.  The main aim is to obtain a good photograph because without quality you won't  be able to present your work. Your photos have to mirror your pieces, it's not easy  but it's not impossible either.

I personally love to photograph my pieces outdoors and use nature as much as possible. When I have to take indoor pictures I look around the house for things
I can use as props and sometimes it works. You need to try and find the best light, control reflections and aim for a quality photo. Most important thing is that you don't need to spend much to do so, you can use a piece of paper, a scanner, make your own jewellery displays and so on.

For now I leave you with some videos from professional photographers I found on You tube that might be helpful.