| Beading
& Jewelry Tips & Techniques
Photographing
Your Jewelry - Creating a Simple Home Studio
Documenting your work
is important in may ways. First, it is a way to record
your ideas in case you ever need to recreate a piece
that you no longer have to copy. If you resell your
jewelry, photographs that positively represent your
work will go a long way in marketing your products.
In addition, having a simple photo album of all your
work will provide you with inspiration for future pieces
and be a great way to showcase your talent to customers.
Photographing your jewelry does not have to involve
a lot of work space and expensive equipment. Yes, better
tools and equipment will yield the higher quality results,
but we have some tips to help you create a basic home
studio that can suit most of your needs such as website
images, online auctions, email, and printed literature.
Digital Camera
- The method of how you will be printing or sharing
your photos will determine the megapixel requirement.
Most common uses are for websites and emailing and small
scale prints. You do not have to have the latest camera,
just learn how to use your camera well and you may find
the results to be very pleasing. Helpful features to
master are the macro mode, white balance and the timer.
In our studio, we use both a 5 megapixel point and shoot
digital camera and a 10 megapixel DSLR camera.
Lighting
- The best lighting for photographing jewelry is even,
diffused lighting. Insufficient lighting will cause
underexposure and loss of detail and poor color interpretation.
Diffuse natural light can work very well, but avoid
bright direct sunlight or artificial light as it will
cause glare, dark shadows and too much contrast, all
these can also contribute to loss of details and poor
color interpretation. You can purchase or build a light
tent what will help diffuse and distribute your lighting.
Visit your local photography hobby shop for lights and
a light tent set up. In our studio, we use 4 simple
clamp lights with 60 watt incandescent bulbs - simple
and inexpensive!
Background
- The most simple and inexpensive background to use
will be neutral colored fabric which you can lay on
a flat surface. At least 18" square is preferable
to provide a sufficient backdrop for various angles.
Fabrics provide a soft, non-reflective surface on which
your jewelry can be photographed. Choose fabrics that
have an even, smooth texture, and avoid furry or heavily
textured fabrics (such as felt, fleece or terry cloth),
unless for artistic purposes.
Small pieces like bracelets and earrings that can be
photographed flat can just be set on a flat background.
If you need a backdrop that continues vertically, hang
fabric on a vertical surface. Allow the fabric to curve
downward as it transitions from vertical to horizontal
to avoid a horizontal line (a horizontal line would
appear if the fabric has a sharp fold).
Don't be afraid to get
creative with your backdrops. Skim magazines and catalogs
for ideas. Feel free to experiment with different types
of fabrics, paper backgrounds, jewelry stands, flowers
and other decorations based on the style of each individual
piece of jewelry. Reflective backgrounds such as plexi
glass or porcelain can be used, just be aware of unwanted
reflections (in this situation, a light tent is very
helpful). Be sure to take test shots as the camera sees
differently than the naked eye.
Software
- Photo editing software is helpful for minor touch-ups,
cropping and re-sizing of images.
Educate Yourself
- It would be helpful to get a basic digital
photography book or take a class at your local community
school to learn basic technical information, image composition
and other basic principles.
View Angles
- depending on the size and style of the jewelry piece
and how you will be using your pictures, you may shoot
your jewelry at different angles. Experiment with different
angles to see how different angles will portray your
jewelry. Again, skim magazines and catalogs for ideas.
General Tips
- a telescoping tripod is a great investment. A tripod
will keep your hands free and also help eliminate camera
shake and improve the clarity of your photos.
- you may also want to get a light meter which will
help determine if you have enough lighting to produce
good images. If you want to manipulate the manual settings
on your camera, a light meter will help you determine
how to set your camera.
- it is better to always shoot your pictures at the
highest resolution and reduce them as needed. Lower
resolution images may appear pixilated or blurry if
you decide to enlarge them afterwards.
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