Exclusively for the french jewelry post, Tom Claisse and Karina Rikun (AlmaKarina) photographed some high jewelry pieces; these pictures perfectly show their photographic style.

Who’s behind AlmaKarina ?

We are self-taught. Jewelry came naturally because photos do not always do it justice… Sometimes too confused, often too dark. We work together as one.

Karina: I design mood boards, sketches if necessary and product selections.

Tom: I do the lighting and determine the shots. Overall, we feel more comfortable in the setting up still life shoots because they require fewer people.

How do you define your work?

The images created especially for the french jewelry post perfectly reflect our style. The perspective creates illusion, a surreal floating feeling. Extremely pure, the images emanate at the same time a certain poetry that works with the lighting and dark backgrounds. As we went along, it became our trademark. There is no better way to magnify the colours and natural textures.

What’s outlawed?

The flash that destroys the natural beauty of stones, and after effects, both are in total contradiction with our naturalistic style. In any case, the existing photos just cut out are enough!

Who are your main clients today?

In press: the Asian L’Officiel, Haute Living and Haute Time. We work a lot with independent designers like Daniela Villegas now in Los Angeles and Al Fardan in Doha. And we have projects with French jewelers in 2016.

Do you have special sources of inspiration?

These images are inspired by old botanical illustrations, particularly those of The Temple of Flora by Robert John Thornton. Monumental and bathed in a magical light, they are major masterpieces made by some of the greatest artists of the late eighteenth century. The compositions of Dutch painters in the Louvre have much guided us to find balance and harmony, like those from the Renaissance. Another source of inspiration: still lifes from the 50s. Among our favourite subjects include fauna rich in fur and feathers, and flowers…

Flowers have a central place in your work…

Tulips, mimosa, roses, lilies… Whatever the variety, flowers pop up as a leitmotif. In the images published in the french jewelry post, exceptional pieces of jewellery are mingled with and intertwined in stems, leaves and velvety petals, to the point where they become extensions. Flowers seem to combine well with precious stones and metals, without really knowing why, maybe because they too are wonders of nature.