Jewelry Photography Tips

Jewelry Photography Tips  isn’t as easy as it sounds until the photographer understands and masters the keys to taking great pictures of them sharpness, lighting, and exposure and how to adjust them in each situation in order to achieve the best photos possible.

Here are some tips for you to achieve the best photos possible:

Jewelry Photography Tip 1: Choose the Right Camera

Any camera can work well for jewelry photography, as long as you can manually adjust the aperture and shutter speed and shoot in RAW. It helps to be familiar with the camera you intend to use, so you can quickly and easily make adjustments to get a look you’re happy with.

If you’re using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, make sure your lens of choice has a wide aperture. Many introductory or kit lenses have a maximum aperture that is too narrow for macro and product photography. Plan to use a lens in the range of f/1.8-f/4 for best results.

Jewelry Photography Tip 2: Choose the Right Surface

Try placing the jewelry piece on top of a wooden table, a plain white or reflective surface, or simply zoom in on key features to exclude the rest of the object while you use a wide aperture to blur out the background.

Find a Sturdy Tripod

The best way to ensure that your images come out tack-sharp is to use a tripod and preferably a remote shutter release to stabilize your camera. Not only will it eliminate camera shake, but it will also help keep your subjects framed in the same exact way so you can have an easier time adjusting your focus and modifying your lighting.

Adjust White Balance Settings

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when photographing jewelry is not being aware of your white balance settings. When shooting jewelry for documentation and sales, it’s crucial that you capture accurate colors in your images. You wouldn’t want to photograph silver rings and submit them looking like gold rings and vice versa!

Use Off Camera Flashes

Even for jewelry, many photographers would advise that you use natural light. But for a more professional result, you’ll want to use off-camera flashes to create a more controlled lighting setup.

Whatever you decide to use, what’s important is that you are able to create soft and even lighting to eliminate as much shadow as possible.

While you’re at it, turn off all other unnecessary light sources in the room and don’t mix different types of lighting that may produce different color temperatures.

Manage Reflections

Gemstones and metals are highly reflective, so you’re likely to find yourself (and your camera) reflected in the jewelry.

Eliminating reflections is a trial-and-error process when it comes to jewelry.

Jewelry Photography Tips Choose a Good Jewelry Background

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being a little more creative with your styling. If you want to add interest to your shot, you can very much do so! Placing too many elements in your frame can distract your viewers from focusing on the beauty of the jewelry.

As a general rule in photography, keep it simple and mind how the background, colors, and other elements interact with your subject. They should always complement the jewelry and make it stand out, as seen in the photo above.

Feature Contrasting Colors

To create strong and attractive images, you can feature contrasting colors by placing your jewelry on interesting and colored surfaces.

Focus with Precision

The usual goal is to highlight the star of your jewelry, such as the main diamond or the charms on a bracelet, so you’re likely to just use Auto Focus on them.

However, even in close-ups, the focus may still be off, so you’ll need to verify it afterward by reviewing the image and zooming in for a closer look. If it’s not accurate, refocus, verify, and lock it.

Retouch Your Images

Post production make sure to touch up the images if needed:

• Straighten and align the images
• Remove blemishes
• Adjust lighting contrasts
• Remove unwanted shadows

Here are some Jewelry Photography Tips That Never Go Out of Style