A question may appear in your mind: what do you need to have to do a professional jewelry photography? Well, it is simple. You only need a table, camera, studio lighting, tripod, light box, soft box, white backdrop/reflector and some simple props. That’s it.
Jewelry photography can be a bit hard to do but you can do it with some methods. So, without any further ado, let’s see how you can take jewelry photos professionally within minutes.
How To Do Professional Jewelry Photography
First, for jewelry photography, lighting is the most important. A proper lighting can change your photos from normal to extravagant. So, using studio lighting is good for jewelry photoshoots. However, you need to set the camera in a way that the photos come natural. So, place the lights 45° angle from the table.
Now, you need to prepare the camera. While taking the photos, you need to capture every little detail of the jewelry. So, you need to use a 90mm macro lens. If you use a 90mm macro lens, you will be able to capture the jewelry and the surrounding well. Also, if you want to take photos of rings or any small jewelry in a closure shot, use a 50mm macro lens.
Set your aperture to F/9/10/11 to get the surrounding with the jewelry. Just focusing on the jewelry will make the image look boring and dull. And try to keep the ISO as low as possible like 100 to get a crisp photo.
Keep in mind, while setting the camera, the jewelry needs to be in focus. It should not be too close or too far. It needs to look attractive.
Next step is very important. Cleaning the jewelry. Many photographers forget to clean the jewelry before the photoshoot that results in appearing marks and blemishes in the photo. Then you will have to work more in the post production. So, to avoid that, clean the jewelry with microfiber cloth and wear cloth gloves all the time throughout the shooting.
You have completed the initial part. Now it’s time to organize the materials.
1. Place the jewelry on the table in your desired place. You can decorate the jewelry with simple props such as designed glass, fake flowers/lavenders, stones, ribbons etc. However, do not overcrowd the jewelry with props as it will be difficult for the customers to understand what you are trying to portray. Decorate the jewelry or setting in a way that the customer should be able to identify the jewelry you are selling.
Note: If the decoration is not highlighting the jewelry, take the photos without props in white background.
2. You can also use clamp, string or ghost bust to take the photos.
3. Set the diffusions and soft boxes beside the table to properly light the jewelry.
4. Place the reflector beside or behind the table to reduce harsh shadows.
5. Set the camera with a tripod. Tripod helps stabilize the camera so you can set the settings properly and take the photo easily.
Lastly, you need to retouch your jewelry images properly to make them shine in the market. Why? I admit macro lens is the best to take the jewelry images. However, it has a downside too that is the image color changes. So, you need to correct the color of the jewelry. If you have used ghost bust, clamp or string, edit them. It will make the photos look creative. Also, check for any reflection, dirt or dust in the image and correct them. If the background looks busy, change them. You know, you have taken the photos with so much hard work hence, do not forget to check for any flaws before uploading or sending it to the clients.
How to do Professional Jewelry Photography in Natural Light
Though I suggested you take jewelry photos in studio lighting, you can also take jewelry pictures in natural light as well. And you will not need to have much equipment either.
1. When the bright light is coming through the window, use the indirect light to take the jewelry photo. However, do not take photos in golden hour because the camera will not be able to capture the shiny gems.
2. Use white color cloth or table and place the jewelry.
3. Use props to highlight the jewelry, such as the shadow of the grills coming through the window or designed glass. Use fake plants or their shadows. Doing shadow play in photography is very creative.
Note: Any props you use, it needs to highlight the jewelry and bring the audience’s focus to the jewelry.
4. Because of the light, jewelry will create harsh shadows. So, place reflectors like white paper or white foam board beside the jewelry to reduce harsh shadows and take the photo.
Some Professional Jewelry Photography Tips
Always have a plan beforehand. When you get the jewelry, think of how you want to portray the jewelry in your images.
Always take 2-3 photos for each jewelry image as it can get deleted mistakenly or come out blurry or not to your liking.
Try to take images with models, if you can. Using models humanizes your photos so your audience will be able to get a visual idea on how they would look wearing the jewelry.
Closure
Jewelry photography is the hardest in product photography. However, you can be all creative with your jewelry to grab your customer’s attention. Communicate with your client properly, follow their instructions and take flawless photos with your hand.