Cameoko
Water & Light: A Jewelry Shoot for Cameoko
There are shoots that feel purely professional, and then there are shoots that feel personal. This one was both.
Cameoko is a handmade resin jewelry line created by Camille Kohler — small-batch, meticulously crafted pieces that blend pigments, botanicals, and crushed gemstones with flecks of gold, copper, and silver. Each piece is genuinely one of a kind. The earrings catch light differently depending on the angle. The pendants look like little windows into something wild and elemental. They're the kind of jewelry that makes you want to be somewhere beautiful while wearing them — so naturally, we took them to a river.
We shot along an Oregon river with a small group of models, and the setting gave us everything: dappled light through the trees, dark water that turned into a mirror, the soft golden warmth of a late afternoon in the Pacific Northwest. The pieces — dangling spike earrings with deep teal resin cabochons, circular pendants with moon phase details, disc necklaces with glittering resin centers — all came alive in that environment in a way no studio could replicate.
Some of my favorite frames came from the water itself. Having models partially submerged, the necklace chain catching the light against the surface, shooting from directly above, it created an almost dreamlike quality that felt right for jewelry this tactile and handmade. The pieces don't just sit on the body; they seem to belong to a whole mood, a whole feeling.
Something I want to be transparent about, because it matters to me: I'm a Latina woman, and representation in the work I make is not an afterthought. When I'm casting for lifestyle shoots, I actively seek out models of different backgrounds, skin tones, and body types — because jewelry looks beautiful on everyone, and the images we put into the world shape who gets to see themselves reflected in a brand. For this shoot, working with diverse models wasn't a checkbox — it was the whole point. The jewelry glows differently against different skin. The light falls differently. Every frame tells a different and equally worthy story.
If you're a jewelry brand or handmade goods maker looking for photography that celebrates your work and the full range of people who wear it, I'd love to talk.
Leah Flores is a Portland-based commercial photographer with nearly 20 years of experience working with brands including Nike, National Geographic, and VICE News. She specializes in lifestyle, product, and adventure brand photography across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
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