As photographers, lovers of light, appreciators of detail, and constant observers of the world we wander through, I think many of us fall into a category of people who gravitate toward other artistic professionals.  While I’ve no doubt come across artists (photographers and otherwise) who see creativity in others as a threat, I’d say on the whole, creative people enjoy and are inspired by other creative people.

Every eye is another vantage, every vantage another opportunity to see from a different angle and from a variety of those angles, the more easily it is to be inspired and grow our individual craft as well as our appreciation for the craft of others.

Allison is one such creative whose skill is equalled only by her amazingly light and vivacious personality.  Her joie de vivre is evident as is her penchant for the rock and roll shadings playing to a slightly darker luminosity along that spectrum.  No one says you can’t have both, and Allison embodies and ties those two points together beautifully in her work.  You can tell when someone loves what they do, and you don’t need to go much further in conversation with her than hello to understand that about her.  Come on in for more shots of Allison’s cryptic and beautiful, wearable artwork.

This shoot came about through our mutual friend, Erin.  Erin and I have collaborated before, and will no doubt be doing so again.  Of that, I am sure.  Us ELK Collective folks are continuing to conceptualize which I’m very excited about.  All shots here are for Allison Bartline Jewelry (visit her here), with Erin Cry on the styling, hair and makeup and our lovely friend and beautifully talented Rebecca Sheehan modeling, I set up a few lights and the rest just kinda became.

Allison’s passion is apparent through her design.  A love of, and infatuation with animals screams through in her work.  Many of her cast pieces are done so by way of building molds from actual animal bone, teeth, jaws and skulls.  This may seem a bit dark to the more pious or wholesome among us, but it brings an authenticity to Allison’s work that I’ve never personally seen in handmade, high end jewelry.  Plus, if ever you’ve wanted a conversation starter, what better way than a cat rib or bird skull to use as your jumping off point.  I guarantee you’d not come off as boring.

From rings bangles and bracelets to necklaces and earrings, each piece is created by hand and designed to largely be androgynous.  Beyond that, Allison regularly is commissioned to build custom pieces for clients as well.

For this shoot, from conceptualization through post production, our aim was to provide a compliment to Allison’s work, showcasing her jewelry in a way that would translate visually, the soul, and fun within each of her pieces.  Also, Erin has a lot of taxidermy and crucifixes which seemed to make sense.  I’m glad we pulled back on much of it though.  It could have gotten really, really weird.

Thanks for the read everyone.  I’d highly suggest stopping by Allison’s website (click here) to say hello, and have a look at her work.  While it certainly comes from a place seemingly enlaced in guitar licks, late night back stage parties and hedonism, isn’t it fun to indulge the corners of our psyches that have always longed to live that life of rock and roll?

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Happy shooting,

T