| Beading
& Jewelry Tips & Techniques
Photographing
Your Jewelry - Creating a Simple Home Studio
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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 meet many of
your needs such as website images, online auctions and email.
Digital Camera - the megapixels of your camera
will depend on how you will be printing or sharing your photos,
most common uses are for websites and emailing and small scale
prints. You don't have to have the latest camera, but learn
how to use your camera well and you may find the results to
be very pleasing.
Lighting - the best lighting for photographing
jewelry is even, diffused lighting. Insufficient lighting
will cause underexposure and loss of detail. Diffuse natural
light can work very well, but avoid bright direct sunlight
as it will cause dark shadows and too much contrast.
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.
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 you are using
them for artistic purposes. Feel free to experiment with different
types of fabrics and colors based on each individual piece
of jewelry. Be aware that colors will change with different
lighting conditions, so be sure to do test shots because the
lighting at the store may be different than the lighting of
your home studio.
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 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. See photographic examples below.
General Tips
- a telescoping tripod is a great investment. Once
you position your camera, you don't have to worry about it
much. A tripod will 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.
- it is better to always shoot your pictures at the highest
quality and reduce them as needed. Lower resolution images
will be reduced in quality when enlarged in size.
Examples
The examples below were shot with a 5 megapixel camera with
the macro setting turned on. Lighting included evenly distributed
overhead fluorescent and incandescent lights.
Straight Overhead Shot |
Perspective |
Sharp Perspective |
Details |
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