On Artful Living is a reflective space where I, Carmina, a photographer and creative entrepreneur share my journey through slow living, quiet inspiration, and the art found in everyday moments. From moody landscapes and food styling to heartfelt reflections on identity, burnout, and reclaiming joy, this blog offers a glimpse into a life shaped by creativity, resilience, and gentle magic.
Building better portfolios with spec work: my Winter Baking & Doves Farm case studies
This winter, I found myself craving a slower kind of creativity… the kind that comes from shooting purely for myself. No brief, no client direction, just an idea, a warm kitchen, and a blood orange cake fresh out of the oven.
That small moment turned into two full case studies: a soft, candlelit still life and a baking story featuring Doves Farm flour. Together, they show why I love spec work so much: because it lets me experiment, refine my style, and create the kind of imagery I want to be hired for.
If you’re curious about how these shoots came together (and why photographers should make space for spec work), you can read the full story below.
Easter eggs inspiration
A photography exercise with quail eggs turned into my favourite creative little project of this month (so far).
I remember seeing quail eggs in supermarket years ago, when I lived in Birmingham and had no interest in food photography.
A while back I started noticing the chocolate mini eggs in stores, and thought about baking something with them, so I grabbed a bag and threw it in the shopping cart. A few hours later, having obliterated every single one of them (not by baking with them, thank you very much!) I found myself thinking of tiny, beautiful quail eggs. A day later, our food supplier delivered a small box of them to our coffee shop.