I've been trying to figure out how to shoot a gradient behind my jewelry. Can you tell if these have been shot direct or photo shopped? 

How do you do this?

After being inspired by a book of ancient Egyptian jewelry, I cut, formed, and torch-fire enameled these beetles. I had them sitting in a cup for about a year, while I tried to decide how to connect them. I'd think about them periodically, but couldn't decide how to put them together, so I just didn't do it. Finally, last week I decided that I'm just going to sit down and do it!!! It took me about a half hour! (If you don't count that year of indecision!)

Retake

After photographing this piece about 400 times (ok maybe only 40 times!) I think I finally got one!

The Story of Evolution

I've been taking new pictures. My friend Sefla is helping me get some photos ready to try to get into a show. I thought I had some good ones, but when she looked, she thought they should all be on black backgrounds. Ok, I'll retake them. I hadn't been shooting any photos on black backgrounds, and I kept getting too much light in them so the black wasn't black anymore. I'd finally get it dark enough to work, but I couldn't see what I was photographing, but they would come out! Go figure! So I've spent about 15 hours the last couple of days retaking and retaking. It's good for my evolution.

Check out Sefla's prints and watercolors at www.seflajoseph.com