Influencers! My interview with Slisha Kankariya, Fourmine.com

I recently spoke with Slisha Kankariya, co-founder and COO of Fourmine.com, http://www.fourmine.com .

Slisha Kankariya, Fourmine.com ©LisaRamsay

After hearing Slisha speak at a WeWork networking event for female entrepreneurs, we were curious to know more about her business and brand. Based in New York City’s diamond district, Fourmine allows customers to try on three different 3D printed engagement rings in their home, office or personal space. They also have an array of other diamond jewelry pieces such as  earrings, necklaces, and other ring styles.

LR: How did the company come about?

SK: My co-founder is my husband. We have been working on Fourmine for the last four years. My husband is a third generation jeweler. We wanted to do something different in the jewelry space, something that would disrupt it in a interesting way. When my husband and I were getting engaged, we went to jewelry stores and realized how uncomfortable it was, for us and our friends, to try on rings and make a decision on the spot. We looked on line for engagement rings and realized there had to be a better way to try on engagement rings. You could not touch or hold the rings seen online, lack of variety and there were a 30-40% markup on the rings. We wanted to bridge the best of online and offline experience with shopping for engagement rings, where you can try on the rings at your convenience. Give people a more personalized experience when shopping for engagement rings.

LR: Is it difficult in working with your husband?

SK: Some days it is and other days it’s amazing. We both have the same vision for the business and the same goals for making this experience the best it can be. We are both so committed and have the same mind set for this business.

LR: Fourmine is breaking with the traditional experience of shopping for an engagement ring, where the ring would be a surprise-purchased by one partner, instead of shopping together for a ring.

SK: Yes, 60% of women are helping with the shopping of the engagement rings, with the size of the stone, the metals, style. These women are letting their partners know what they want or what they are looking for. Some men are secretly shopping with the at home or office service to preview rings for their partners as a surprise to their partners. Women love trying on rings, sparkly things. The at home service is a great way for women to try on rings, at home, that would want in an engagement ring.

LR: What were some of the biggest obstacles when you and your husband started this company?

SK: We didn’t know the whole ins and outs of the e-commerce business in every sense. How complex it is, the marketing and the technology side of an ecommerce company. We are a venture backed company so we have to keep our investors happy and excited about our business. One of our challenges is to keep our results at a high level, not just for ourselves but for our investors also.

LR: Your website is very informative about the company history and history of diamonds.

SK: We love to educate our customers on diamonds and to let our customers know about us. We want to make them feel comfortable in working with us.

LR: Your customers are a wide range of women and men?

SK: Yes. Our customer base comes from small towns across the US, in addition to more dense populated towns and cities. In small towns, people may not have a wide variety of jewelry stores to choose from so our online store really gives them another choice for engagement rings or jewelry. California, Texas, Virginia and the whole east coast are our predominant client base. We love bringing our premium service to all of our customers.

LR: Your engagement rings are the only 3D replica rings right now?

SK: Yes. Engagement rings are the most emotional purchase one can make. It’s something you want to take your time to make this important purchase. We will in time move into expanding the 3D replica process to other jewelry.

LR: What trends are you seeing, for engagement ring styles?

SK: Classic styles are always in. They want something that will last forever. Halo styles are very popular right now. THe make the center diamond look larger-add more sparkle to a ring. Solitaire is the most classic style. More younger people are going for vintage styles. Something with personality, like they have. Rose gold is also a popular look these days. 70% of people prefer a round diamond and white gold for an engagement ring. We can make jewelry to someone’s specifications since we custom make every piece.

LR: Let’s talk about the rings. The 3D replica rings. Where are they made?

SK: The 3D replica rings are made in overseas with a company that specializes in 3D printing and jewelry. The rings are made of with a metallic aloette that is silver based, mixed with other metals so that it does not tarnish. The materials mimic white gold or platinum. The diamonds are lazer set with diamond simulants that are the highest quality available to simulate a real diamond rings sparkle. When you slip it onto your finger, you get to feel and see what a real diamond ring would be like on your finger.

LR: and the other jewelry, are they made in New York?

SK: Yes. Everything is made in house, in a two block radius of the diamond district. We want to inspect every piece that goes out, maintain quality control and make sure everything is done perfectly for someone.

LR: What other types of jewelry to you make?

SK: We work with all sorts of gemstones, ranging from rubies, sapphires and emeralds. We make beautiful pendants, earrings, necklaces and other rings. Since we can offer this 3D printing of jewelry and customize on the fly, we can make this jewelry very personal.

LR: What is do you see as to the next phase for Fourmine?

SK: We realized this home preview shopping concept for engagement rings is stress free. We want to keep expanding this shop at home experience for other types of jewelry, in addition to engagement rings. We want people to feel comfortable in shopping for jewelry, not matter what the price point or occasion, online. We want to be the one stop shop for jewelry online.

We are also expanding our at home preview to include a diamond see kit of different shapes and sizes of diamonds. With this kit,  you will be able to see how a certain diamonds may work for you and the ring shape you choose.

LR: What would be your advice to other women to get their start-up off the ground?

SK: It’s really important to be confident and comfortable in your own skin. Do not to be afraid to take your voice and experiences into your business. Your story is one of your strongest selling point. Be confident and believe you can do it all.

Influencers! My interview with Jerry Vezzuzo.

As a suggestion from a Photography Agent, I am starting a new blog series named Influencers-the people who have influenced me in my career and as an artist. The first person on that list is my mentor, former teacher and friend Jerry Vezzuzo.  Jerry is a master photography printer who created prints for many famous photographers. He teaches photography related classes at the International Center of Photography, School of Visual Arts and Teacher's College at Columbia University. He draws, create videos, paints and produces art prints with the print making process with woodcuts and silk screening. You can view some of his art work on his website: www.jerryvezzuso.net. 

I met Jerry many years ago, at ICP (International Center of Photography) when ICP was located on the upper east side of New York City.  Since the first day of meeting him, Jerry and I became fast friends. We had a similar sense of humor, loved old movies and loved creating art work of different genres. We both had a strong family upbringing with Italian-American tendacies. Laughter, sarcasm, respectful and encouraging are just a few adjectives I would describe our relationship.  We have gone on art walks, had meals together and supported each other as artists and individuals. It was my pleasure and honor that he sat down with me in the sculpture garden at Museum of Modern Art on a balmy November 2017 evening.

Me: There is a huge body of your work that is family centered. Was that a conscientious choice or something that evolved?

Jerry: Yes. My work is family centric. It was not conscious at first. I got my first camera in 1968. I was photographing work beyond the super visual. My first job at LaMama, an avande garde theater in the East Village, I came out of my social closet. The personal at La Mama approved of my photography work. And I learned that doing work (photography) does not always mean it has value. I worked at La Mama for 8 years. Then I started to photograph my family on a regular basis. I remember 1993-Christmas time as a pivotal point in this body of work. My father was waning, physically. I wanted to capture those every present moments I had left with him.
After 9/11, my subject changed. Those intense moments I wanted to capture came from visitors who walked upon the wooden platform that over looked ground zero. At first I photographed everything and everyone and saw I was not focused on anything. But I watched hundreds of participants walk up and down these wooden stairs, watched their reactions and listened in on their conversations. I turned my lens towards these visitors, tourists and family members. This is my best project that reveals trust like a family would.

Me: You traveled to Mexico.Why Mexico?
Jerry: In 2006, I traveled to Mexico City. I had heard how great it was. I created a body of work of street photography there, which lasted for two years. I also began creating cyanotypes in my bathroom!

Me: You have went back to drawing.
Jerry: Yes. In 2012, I started drawing again. My series Venti, was completely drawn in a Starbucks. That series was published in the publication, Dear Dave.

Me: Who are your Influencers?
Jerry: W. Eugene Smith. photographer. He was a wonderful black and white printer. His work had a simplicity that was curious, lovely and profound. Edgar Dega, the french painter. He paintings had movement, romanticism and subjects you did not regularly see. Paul Cezanne is another important painter for me.

Me: How long have you been teaching?
Jerry: 25 years! I have noticed of late that the age difference between me and my students are further apart than ever.

Me: How would you describe yourself?
Jerry: I am an artist! An artist that makes art. I have a gallery now. I always wanted to be a musician and perform at the Met Opera!

Me: What advice do you give your students, current or former?
Jerry: Have patience. Give yourself a decade to build a solid body of work. You can not measure success by reviews-your success should be measured by your work! Enjoy making art, photography, whatever art you love. Do it for the satisfaction of it, for the love of it. It gives you life.

Intro to Continous Lighting and Continous Lighting Tools

Your photography studio experience can be enhanced with continuous lighting. Some photography jobs are much easier to finish and produce with this type of lighting. When at Women’s Wear Daily, we almost exclusively used tungsten lighting for a variety of still lifes-makeup, shoes, clothing, fabric and gift items. Recently I used Halogen Quartz Lowell lights for an nude art series for a group art show. It was easier for the models to reveal more emotion with a steady stream of light as opposed to a strobe light popping in their eyes.

One big advantage of continuous lights is that you can see their effects on the setup as you view the scene directly or on the camera's monitor. As you move the lights, you can see the highlights and shadows change on the subject. This allows you to interact with the lighting setup much more than you can when using strobes. It's almost as if you are painting with light. You are not blinding your subject either. In certain situations when I am the photographer and videographer, continuous lighting is the best way to capture your subject both ways. The only real problem with continuous lights is the heat that some kinds of bulbs throw off—specifically tungsten and quartz-halogen bulbs.

Light Balance:

Although a digital camera's white balance control can capture normal colors under a wide variety of lighting conditions, you should be aware that different types of lights cast different colors on a setup. This is why when shooting in homes, photos often have a warm reddish cast, while those taken under some florescent lights look greenish. When choosing studio lights, especially continuous lights, you should investigate two color-related terms used to describe them—color temperature and color rendering index. White balance is crucial for any type of image capture. Continuous lighting bulbs can have varying degrees of strength and color. Let’s take a look at your camera’s white balance icons and the light color they are associated with:

I would capture one or two test images with the appropriate WB setting icon that matches your lighting choice. Some camera bodies can have variations of each WB icon to match the wide variety of bulbs that are on the market.

Color Temperature:

Let’s take a look at Color Temperature. This subject usually has my students perplexed or a little nervous. It is very easy to comprehend with some practice. Color temperature describes how cool or warm the light source appears. For example, incandescent lamps have a warmer, more reddish appearance than colder, bluer HMI lamps. Color Temperature is expressed in degrees Kelvin (K). Daylight on a clear day is about 6500° Kelvin—a mix of direct sun at 5500°K and skylight at 9500°K. Lights with lower color temperatures look red; those with higher color temperatures look blue.

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a relative measure of how colors shift when illuminated by a particular lamp as compared to a reference source such as daylight. Daylight has a CRI of 100, the highest possible CRI. The closer the CRI of a light source is to 100, the "truer" it renders color.

Equipment:

Tungsten lamps, especially photofloods, throw off a lot of heat. Some also have an unusually short life span—as low as 3 hours. Because these were the only bulbs available when continuous lights were last popular, they account for the alternate name for continuous lighting "hot lights". I love a Arri Junior 300 Fresnel Light,BK hanging Model $505.75 at Adorama, with barn doors, for beauty and fashion photo shoots. You can shape the light with the barn doors around your subject or behind the subject. The Fresnel light is very intense-think of old Hollywood portraits with the super strong main light source or crafty background light. This light is great for products also. Dark fabrics that suck in light like felt need a strong light to make it pop.

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• HMI (Halide Metal Oxide) lamps are small, very expensive arc lamps that generate four or more times the light of tungsten bulbs with less heat. The light is also perfectly daylight balanced. HMI’s are used a lot on movie, tv and fashion shoots. The light they project is beautiful and very easy to adjust. The K 5600 Joker Bug 1600W Beamer Kit for $2,216.00 at Adorama, is a great kit to use for group portraits, fashion and location shoots. Barn doors can be added to shape the light and add colored gels to add some variety to your shoot. This type of light comes in varying degrees of power and intensity.

Fluorescent bulbs are inexpensive, cooler, require 90% less power, and last 100 times longer than tungsten lights—up to 10,000 hours. They can also be dimmed to 3% of their full power and provide a more consistent color temperature. A new type of fluorescent bulb, called a compact fluorescent (CFL) comes in a variety of color temperatures. The 6500°K bulb emits white light commonly called "Cool Daylight" and 5000°K bulbs match midday light. Banks of fluorescents bulbs are generally used on video or television shoots. Lamp units with individual bulbs are sold at a reasonable price and give off only a certain amount of light. I personally love the Flashpoint 17” Fluorescent AC Powered Dimmable Ring Light for $109.99 at Adorama. This light is so flattering and easy to use. The ring light it produces, in your subject’s eyes if used directly in front, is very nice. You can change the intensity of the light with the dimmer. It also works great with video shoots. It is shadow free lighting and works with every system.

LED’s-Light-emitting diodes or LED’s use a fraction of the wattage than your average bulb. When the LED is switched on, electrons and electron holes come together. The result of this process is a release of energy in the form of photons or light. There are a more choices to choose from with this type of light now a days. Most videographers use this light for all sorts of shoots. The light is very flattering for all skin tones. I have used a few variations of this light at different studios. The light I recommend is the Flashpoint CL-1144R LED Circular Light for $229.99 at Adorama. THe soft glow is perfect for lighting people and the head is easy to adjust on a stand. You can achieve a softbox look by using the elastic rimmed cloth diffuser. An umbrella channel is built into the adjustable mount if you want to soften and spread the light further.   

Tripods and Light stands. Both are essential for continuous lighting shoots. Tripods and light stands come in a variety of weight and materials. I use a lighter weight tripod that is made out of carbon fiber for most of my location shoots. The heavier Manfrotto tripod I have is used in the studio. Some photographers and videographers love the quick release tripods, while others like a ball head one. It is personal taste and what works best for your work.

Light Stands are made out of better materials these days. The Westcott Pro 8” Free Sliding Light Stand with ⅝ Mounting Stud for $ 35.00 at Adorama, is very easy to use and can handle a big, heavy duty light with ease. The height of your stand is important too. You want to make sure you have enough coverage with your light beam if you have to extend the light section of the stand.

C-Stands are great light stands to own. They have adjustable legs and an extension arm that can give more control and options for your lighting. The Interfit Century “C” Stand with 4” Boom Arm for $139.59 at Adorama is a nice choice for a C-Stand.

Sandbags are a must for any light stand. YOur lighting equipment is too expensive to have fall over because it is top heavy or the legs are not positioned correctly. Sandbags are like added insurance for your equipment. I own a few Flashpoint Weight Sand Bags for $12.95 at Adorama, that hold 10 lb.s.of sand. Place over one of the light stand legs and your light stand is guaranteed to stay put.