Color, Craft, and a Prism: A Pride-Inspired Jewelry Shoot

This recent jewelry shoot was all about celebrating color—both visually and symbolically. With Pride Month as a creative backdrop, I wanted to explore how light, shape, and surface could work together to amplify the personality of each piece. The result is a series that feels both minimal and full of energy—clean compositions with a dose of refracted color, thanks to some playful experimentation in the studio.

To create those vibrant splashes of light across the jewelry, I used a handheld prism in combination with high-speed sync lighting. That setup gave me precise control over the highlights and shadows while letting the color feel spontaneous and fluid. It’s a small detail that adds a lot of dimension—especially in still life work, where nuance carries weight.

For an extra creative twist, I brought one of the final stills into Runway to generate a short-form motion piece. It was a great way to translate a static image into something dynamic—useful for social, and also just a fun way to expand how we experience the work.

I’ve included some behind-the-scenes photos in the post as well, since I know many clients and fellow creatives enjoy seeing how these shoots come together. Whether it’s how the light was set up or what tools I used, the process is a big part of what makes this kind of work so rewarding.

If you're a jewelry designer, maker, or product-based brand looking for custom photography that helps your work stand out—especially in today’s visual-first marketplaces—I’d love to collaborate. You can see more from this shoot and others in my portfolio, or reach out directly to talk about your next launch.

Cheers,
– Matt Villanueva
Product & Still Life Photographer