Many business owners feel intimidated by shooting jewelry and accessories because of how intricate and small their products can be. But we’re here to teach you that you can create a jewelry or accessory photography set-up with the help of a few household items.
Here are the things you’ll need to stage the perfect shoot.
1. A big window and access to natural light
Using your camera’s flash when shooting your jewelry is the biggest mistake you could ever commit! The jewelry will reflect the light, leaving your product with awkward white spots in it and harsh shadows in the background.
If you don’t have access to professional lighting equipment such as light boxes or light diffusers, it’s best to shoot using natural lighting. Make sure you use the sun as an indirect source of light, so position your product near a window during the day. To avoid harsh shadows and bright spots on your product, diffuse the light by covering the window with either a white sheet or piece of paper.
2. Backdrop
Your jewelry is the star of your shoot, so you should let it shine! Distracting backgrounds such as printed wallpapers, tablecloths, or even posters will take focus away from your jewelry. The reflective surface of your jewelry will also absorb the colors from the backdrop, altering its appearance.
When preparing your set-up, stick to a plain white backdrop.
3. Camera and tripod
Don’t get too caught up about the model of your camera. Instead, focus about what type of lens you choose. We recommend one with a focal length of 60mm. Don’t forget about the tripod! This ensures that all of your photos come out crisp, sharp, and in focus each and every time.
4. A mannequin bust
Photographing your jewelry or accessories flat will not always present it in its best way possible.
To help your customers visualize what its actual shape will look like, it’s best to present jewelry, especially necklaces, on a bust. White is best because it helps make your jewelry pop, but if black is all you can find, you can always edit it out later.
5. Poster board
If you don’t have a mannequin, don’t worry! You can use a poster board covered in white paper to hold up your jewelry. Just tape the end of your neck to the back of the board and hang it over the front. Adjust the length as needed.
6. Photo retouching
After spending all that time setting up and taking all of your photos, you want to make sure each photo looks its absolute best. Take the time to go through each and every photo to remove any scratches, dust particles, and any other distractions from your photo. Adjust the lighting, saturation, and white balance of your image as well to make it truly shine. Don’t forget that sometimes, color such as gold and silver don’t come out the same on camera so be sure to adjust accordingly to present your jewelry as accurately as possible.
Photo retouching isn’t easy so if you aren’t keen on doing it yourself or if you don’t have the software to do it, it’s best to invest in jewelry photo retouching services. Apart from color adjustments, professional photo retouchers will also make sure each piece is perfect by editing out any scratches, dust particles, harsh reflection of light, and any distracting reflections on the jewelries’ surface. They can also edit out the background as well as any props or mannequins used and compress your image so it’s ready for uploading onto your website.
There you have it! 6 simple things you need to nail your jewelry photography.
