Let’s start by considering that there are two distinct types of jewelry product photography, each with its own set of requirements and techniques.
The first type category includes product and e-commerce photography, which showcases images online or in product catalogs. These shots typically involve capturing the jewelry on a seamless solid color background, focusing solely on the jewelry itself.
The second type involves editorial photography, used for jewelry advertisements and offering a more creative approach. Editorial photography often incorporates models or situates the jewelry within a lifestyle environment.
1. Use a Tripod for Jewelry Photography
For capturing still-life product images such as jewelry, using a tripod is recommended. Using a tripod offers two additional advantages: It simplifies the process of adjusting focus points and depth-of-field (aperture). It allows you to utilize much lower shutter speeds and ISO settings, effectively minimizing or reducing noise. However, when engaging in lifestyle catalog or editorial photography, you can opt to leave the tripod behind. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember to follow commercial photography guidelines and maintain a high level of sharpness in your work.
2. Choose the Right Camera for Jewelry Photos
What camera is recommended for jewelry photography? Fortunately, in jewelry photography, the camera’s significance is not as pronounced as in other fields. When capturing accessories, it’s a still-life endeavor where you won’t be testing the limits or pushing the boundaries of your camera.
Regarding e-commerce and standard product images, the megapixel count doesn’t hold the utmost importance. These images are typically small or intended for online usage. While some photographers have managed to use point-and-shoot or compact cameras, it’s not advised for those aiming for professional results. For this category, most mid-level DSLRs are well-suited.
The camera you use is important when photographing jewelry for an editorial purpose.
Depending on the purpose of your photoshoot—whether it’s for print or online, or whether it takes place outdoors or in a studio—choose either a midrange camera or a high-quality professional-grade DSLR. Consider your client’s unique requirements as well.
The megapixel count of your camera becomes crucial when you venture into the world of professional photography. Larger and better-quality prints are produced with greater megapixel counts. Thankfully, many more recent camera models come with high megapixel counts at low costs.
3. Pick the Right Lens for Jewelry Photography
The camera body might not hold as much significance, but the lens will determine the success or failure of your jewelry product photography. When capturing a product, aim for maximum realism.
In editorial photography, there’s room for creativity, yet maintaining accuracy for your jewelry pieces remains essential.
Opting for a standard lens is generally recommended. Also known as regular lenses, they produce images that closely resemble human vision, resulting in a natural look.
Standard lenses typically offer an angle of view around 50 to 55 degrees diagonally. They are user-friendly due to their lack of distortion.
For detailed jewelry shots, macro lenses prove popular. Designed for capturing small subjects up close, macro lenses excel with their close focusing capabilities. Discover the art of creating stunning images with our Macro Magic course.
Given jewelry’s stationary nature, a fixed millimeter lens can be employed. Fixed lenses tend to be sharper and of higher quality compared to zoom lenses. The 50mm option, such as the Nifty Fifty, stands out as an excellent choice.
4. Invest in the Right Lighting Setup
Similar to how the lens functions, the lighting setup holds a significant influence on your jewelry photos. I favor utilizing a ring light or a continuous light soft box when capturing product images. This choice stems from my preference for observing the lighting arrangement during setup, as opposed to relying on constant flashing.
Jewelry photography benefits greatly from the implementation of a ring light, which effectively illuminates the object’s edges. Softboxes, on the other hand, emit a pleasing, gentle, and uniform illumination.
Precise lighting proves indispensable across various product photography genres. However, in editorial photography, there exists a certain artistic flexibility. It becomes conceivable to utilize natural lighting in these instances, even though there might be slight deviations in color accuracy.
5. Keep Your Setup Simple
Setting up e-commerce and product photography doesn’t demand intricate arrangements. Complicating things can harm your process.
You can easily capture images of jewelry within the confines of your home. How? Just gather a sturdy surface, a backdrop made of white paper, your camera, lens, and lighting equipment. To keep the backdrop steady, employ a metal clamp.
When it comes to editorial jewelry photography, the same principle holds. Avoid overwhelming your images with excessive storytelling elements. Instead, maintain a clean and simple frame.
6. Mind Your Reflections
Photographing jewelry poses challenges due to its reflective nature. Reflective surfaces complicate the lighting process by causing light to bounce in undesirable ways, disrupting your setup and generating reflections.
Avoiding distracting reflections, such as gear or light reflections, is crucial. An example of this would be a stunning emerald ring marred by the prominent reflection of a camera lens.
To capture jewelry devoid of reflections, actively manage reflections by experimenting with light placement until the optimal arrangement is achieved. Neglecting this can result in extensive post-production efforts to eradicate unwanted reflections.
A valuable recommendation is the utilization of a ring light. These lights illuminate the object’s edges and facilitate concealing reflections effectively. This approach streamlines the process of achieving reflection-free jewelry photography.
Accurate colors play a crucial role in all forms of product photography.
Your product photography guides many customers’ purchasing decisions based on the presented colors. To avoid disappointing clients with mismatched products, it’s imperative to ensure congruence between the showcased and received items.
Although screens vary in color calibration – spanning phones, computers, televisions, and more – a fundamental standard still prevails.
Employ bulbs and flashes/strobes that emit genuine white light. These are often labeled as “photography-toned bulbs.” Authentic white light eliminates any potential color tints, like the blue or green hues of fluorescent lighting, resulting in precise color reproduction.
About white balance, meticulously review your settings and make necessary adjustments based on the lighting conditions. Consistency in your lighting setup obviates the need for frequent white balance modifications.
8. Don’t Overcomplicate Your Frame
As artists, we often feel tempted to complicate images more than necessary. However, it’s crucial to recognize the right moments to simplify and avoid overloading the photo.
Avoid overwhelming your image with excessive storytelling elements; opt for a clean and straightforward frame. Always keep in mind that you’re showcasing jewelry for sale!
9. Consider the Depth of the Field
The choice of depth of field opens up stylistic opportunities for capturing jewelry images.
For optimal focus, I suggest using a deeper DOF.
To emphasize the jewelry’s details and create a background blur, opt for a shallow depth of field.
However, it’s important to avoid the common mistake of exclusively using a shallow DOF or using it in unsuitable situations. Keep in mind that shallow DOF works best for detail shots, not for showcasing the entire product.
1O.Don’t Forget the Detail Shots
Sometimes, we become so engrossed in the bigger picture that we overlook the significance of the details. Ensure you capture those detail shots; after all, it’s the intricacies of jewelry that people truly appreciate. Moreover, don’t assume your client will prompt you about this. Remember to photograph every side of each piece to capture all its details.
Not cleaning the jewelry before taking pictures is a newbie photographer error. Smudges present a challenge and a source of frustration during post-processing. It can be difficult to work around the countless delicate intricacies of little jewelry. Pay close attention to how the pieces look under your lighting fixtures. To avoid leaving fingerprints when handling jewelry, have a cleaning cloth nearby and think about using gloves.
12. Get Sharp Images
Soft or fuzzy product photos won’t sell as well. Be mindful of the contrast in your photos as well as the focus of your camera. Nobody wants to purchase an unfocused diamond ring. Your client’s product quality may be questioned if your photographs aren’t sharply focused.
conclusion:
When photography jewelry, it’s crucial to pay attention to lighting, composition, background, and camera settings. Additionally, post-processing techniques like retouching, color correction, and background removal can further enhance the final images. Whether you’re a jewelry business owner, a photographer, or a hobbyist, selecting the right type of photography for your jewelry can significantly impact how your pieces are perceived by potential customers.
