Jewelry product photography is unquestionably important for eCommerce retailers and photographers, and jewelry businesses are constantly advancing to show their products to the widest possible audience. Although jewelry product photography is not significantly different from standard product photography, it does require some unique tools, positions, and other elements.
In order to get attractive jewelry product photos, you must avoid reflections and smudges, lighting inconsistency, and inappropriate background.
To effectively market and sell jewelry, it is crucial to have high-quality product images. As a result, jewelry photographers must have a wealth of knowledge, and experience in order to capture the jewelry in the best possible light.
Understanding The Jewelry Product Photography
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Taking excellent pictures of jewelry items like watches, rings, and necklaces takes a lot of work. It can be challenging to capture enough depth of field when photographing jewelry items due to reflection, small sizes, and lack of defocus.
The details are everything when it comes to jewelry. A professional, reliable website must have stunning, high-quality images to highlight these particulars. Because customers need to be able to learn as much as they can about your product before deciding whether or not to buy it, accurate representation of your product is essential.
Jewelry is made of metal, gold, diamonds, and reflective materials that can turn a photo into a lifeless image. Additionally, because the jewelry item is small, it necessitates a lot of work and knowledge of camera settings, including the proper aperture and focus.
You need to have the necessary tools, gain the necessary knowledge, and develop the necessary techniques to get enough consistency in jewelry product photos.
Jewelry Product Photography Equipments You Will Need
A Good Quality Camera
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Even though it might seem like the most cost-effective way to get photos that look professionally taken, the camera is actually the most crucial component of the jewelry product photography setup.
You’ll be able to take photos with your current camera that are on par with those taken in a studio.
Nowadays, everyone owns a camera, whether it be an old point-and-shoot, a more sophisticated model, or one that is built into the smartphone.
Your product images can look more professional in a variety of ways, and the setup doesn’t necessarily need to revolve around one camera. With the right lighting and styling, you can produce images of a professional product photography studio caliber.
The camera is not a cause for concern. I advise trying out what you already have before going on shopping. If you insist on investing in new equipment, I suggest purchasing a camera that at the very least has manual exposure and aperture settings.
Tripod Stand
Given that the majority of the audience is active online, quality photography is the most important factor in the jewelry industry today. You can increase the perceived value of your jewelry and brand with professional photos. To get the best pictures, you need to have the right jewelry photography gear. A tripod is among the necessary equipment for jewelry photography.
A tripod is a crucial piece of gear to have when taking product photos because it helps to dampen vibration and noise. A tripod is required because every photographer may not be able to completely eliminate vibration and noise through their hands. It helps to support the camera and capture clear images. With the tripod, you can take pictures from a variety of angles, giving you a range of choices for achieving consistency in lighting for product photography. A good tripod can be a very helpful tool in the jewelry product photography studio setup.
Photography Lighting
Lighting is the most important piece of gear when photographing jewelry products because it is necessary to have precise lighting in order to show more details. Controlling and introducing light as needed is the foundation of light. The nature of the subjects you’re trying to photograph influences the necessity for this.
Jewelry is made of highly reflective materials, necessitating a sophisticated lighting setup. Therefore, you must comprehend the fundamentals of light to become an expert in jewelry photography.
A Simple Table
When taking pictures, a table can help your jewelry product look uniform. Any flat table is acceptable. The ideal folding table is a standard model. Select one with a width of 24 to 27 inches.
Pure White Background
One of the most important pieces of equipment is a white background because it makes the product stand out and is also simple to make. If you want a well-lit, perfectly contrasted image, pick a white background. Use some white paper to make a uniform white background. Use natural light or evenly distribute studio lights on both sides of the product to balance the shadows.
Foam Boards
Although natural light is excellent for photography, it has some drawbacks, such as a bright side and a shadow side. You will need to use something white to reflect light back into the shadows and brighten them because when the shadow is cast, it will be too dark to take photos. A white foam board might be the best choice because it is both correct and white.
Use a black foam board in addition if you want the shadows to be darker. When photographing a white product against a white background, this is especially helpful. A black foam board can be added to the sides, just outside the frame of the image behind the product, to give the white product a dark edge. Use black bounce cards behind the product and white bounce cards on the front for a more upscale lighting setup.
Remember that this is just a white card, so you might be able to substitute a piece of poster board or a sheet of white printer paper instead.
Tape or Clamps
When shooting on a table, you’ll need tape or clamps to hold your foam boards and sweeps in place.
How to Take Jewelry Product Photos Step By Step
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You must properly set up your equipment for jewelry product photography once you have it all ready. Let’s go over how to take jewelry photos and prepare them for your e-commerce store.
Setting up The Table
You must set up your shooting area in order to take the best product photos possible. It’s time to prepare your shooting area so you can take pictures of the highest quality once you’ve gathered everything you’ll need. The first step is to position the table as near the window as you can. Keep in mind that there’s a good chance you’ll step into the windowsill’s shadow. For softer light, start by positioning the window 90 degrees to the right or left of your setup.
It’s crucial to remember that all other lights in the space must be turned off in order to prevent contamination of the set. This is both an important point and the most common mistake.
Turn the window in various directions once everything is in place to get the best light. Placing your equipment in a garage with the door open is an alternative. Similar to a window but without the glass, this will allow light to enter the room.
Exposing your set to direct sunlight is not a good idea. When exposed to harsh direct sunlight, most people and products lose their appeal.
Background for Jewelry Product Photography
To meet your needs for jewelry product photography, position the table properly. For instance, you will have softer light if your table is close to the window. Remember that there’s a good chance you’ll walk into the shadow of the windowsill. Place your table 90 degrees to the right or left of it for softer lighting.
It’s important to note that in order to prevent contamination of the set, all other lights in the room must be turned off. This is a crucial point and the most typical error.
When everything is in place, turn the window in different directions to get the best light. A different choice is to place your equipment in a garage with the door open. This will let light into the space similar to a window but without the glass.
It’s not a good idea to expose your set to direct sunlight. The majority of people and most products look less appealing when exposed to harsh direct sunlight.
Appropriate Lighting for Jewelry Product Photography
You can get the ideal lighting for your jewelry products by placing the light in the proper location. Put one light source, a softbox, or an umbrella in front of the jewelry at a 45-degree angle. This will maintain even and gentle lighting. Keep your camera facing the jewelry item directly. You might notice some shadows if your product is positioned toward the rear of your sweep. For a background that is completely white, bring the product closer to you.
You also Can Use a Lighting Kit for Better Consistency
For the purpose of taking photos of jewelry products, there are three different kinds of lighting kits that you can use. Each one has a different set of advantages.
Continuous lighting is the best way to envision how your light will appear in your image before you start shooting, whether you’re taking a product photo or a lifestyle photo. The majority of photographers use this as their main lighting setup when photographing jewelry and other products. Fluorescent, tungsten, and LED continuous lighting bulbs are the three most popular types. Considering that all types deliver excellent results, picking one is largely a matter of preference.
Speedlights are a great option for product photography lighting because they are quick and simple to set up. The most popular kind is external flash units that can be used with softboxes or umbrellas. Speed lights can help you save time because they are quicker and more versatile than conventional flashes. The best flash units for both product and action photography are spotlights.
Moonlight is a fantastic lighting choice for product photography because it frequently comes with self-contained strobe units that include a power source, reflectors, and stands. It can generate enough light on its own, so it doesn’t need a separate power generator. Strobe moonlights are frequently used in studios, but if purchased with a case, they are incredibly versatile and portable.
Styling Jewelry Products for Photography
Customers don’t always want to see jewelry products against a white background; instead, they frequently prefer to see the items against a variety of backgrounds and props.
You’ll likely start with just a white background if you’re just starting out shooting jewelry photography. It’s alright. You don’t have to restrict yourself, though.
You can also put your jewelry on props to add interest to your photos. Although starting with a white background is perfectly acceptable, you can also do it the other way around if you want more creative options.
Customers don’t always want to see jewelry products against a white background; instead, they frequently prefer to see the items against a variety of backgrounds and props.
You’ll likely start with just a white background if you’re just starting out shooting jewelry photography. It’s alright. You don’t have to restrict yourself, though.
You can also put your jewelry on props to add interest to your photos. Although starting with a white background is perfectly acceptable, you can also do it the other way around if you want more creative options.
Reducing Reflection From Jewelry Photos
Jewelry is highly reflective, so you might catch a glimpse of yourself wearing it, which is obviously something you don’t want.
With jewelry, removing reflections requires a process of trial and error. To reduce reflections and direct more light toward your subject, place a piece of paper under your camera’s lens and all around it.
There’s no need for pricey setups. Additionally, use a tripod to raise your camera just a little bit so you’re shooting down at your product while using a diffused overhead light on each side to provide sufficient lighting without producing excessively reflective spots.
Top Jewelry Product Photography Mistakes You Should Avoid
A professional must be ready before beginning jewelry product photography because jewelry product photos must be displayed in a more precise and detailed manner. Because customers need to be able to learn as much as they can about your product before deciding whether or not to buy it, accurate representation of your product is essential. Let’s look at some ways to improve the beauty of your jewelry images by avoiding some common mistakes.
Lack of preparation
When it comes to jewelry product photography, there’s a good chance that the items will arrive with some missing components as well as stickers or other extraneous items that could ruin your pictures. Therefore, keep in mind to take off any tags, strings, or stickers from your product before taking photos of it.
Making your products ready will ensure that there are no flaws in the final pictures. To prevent reshooting and reediting, clean and dust your products, even if you have to. Keep in mind that a product’s shine is important when photographing jewelry.
Don’t Use Busy Backgrounds
When considering a purchase, especially one as expensive as jewelry, people are drawn to images that are clear and uncluttered. The white background is necessary for the majority of clean images. White and grey backgrounds will give your jewelry a “timeless” appearance while preventing potential distractions that could be caused by a patterned background. As was already mentioned, you must decide on a style and stick with it throughout all of your product images.
Don’t Use Inappropriate Props
Product photography benefits from props, but it’s not always the best choice. Since jewelry is a small item, it must be presented in a clear, precise manner with attention solely paid to the item. Often, you can use little accessories to enhance the beauty of your jewelry products, but make sure they stand out.
Avoid Reflection
Because jewelry is shiny, it reflects light very well. All you have to do is experiment with shifting your or your jewelry’s position in relation to the light source. To make sure there are no reflections in the product, you’ll probably need to zoom in and examine it closely.
Light Consistency
Because of bad lighting, jewelry product images can occasionally be inconsistent. In post-production editing, you might not be able to eliminate unnecessary reflection and other flaws. Rather than dealing with harsh lighting, take pictures of your jewelry under soft, natural sunlight coming in through a window or under soft, studio lighting. As additional lighting aside, we advise that you become familiar with your camera’s manual mode so that you can manage the amount of light your camera uses to take your pictures.
Jewelry Product Photo Editing Procedure
- Background Removal: On occasion, it becomes apparent that jewelry photos’ backgrounds need to be changed to better fit the products. One of the essential methods used in jewelry image retouching is background removal. Professional graphic designers use a pen tool, a pen tablet sometimes both at once to complete this task. Additionally, they make use of the lasso, magic wand, magic eraser, background eraser, and quick selection tools. Jewelry products are divided into various shapes, such as basic, simple, complex, compound, and super complex, because their shapes differ from one another.
- Photo Shadow Creation: The jewelry product photos frequently appear dull and unattractive in an unprocessed state. The natural shadow of the products may not always be apparent due to a lack of light. Even if the natural shadow is present, it might not have a pleasing appearance. The photo editors use image shadow, combining their skills and talent in Adobe Photoshop, to make the products alluring and elegant. Generally speaking, this technique helps to enhance the aesthetic appeal of various jewelry products. They can add reflection shadow, drop shadow, natural shadow, and sometimes even the original shadow to jewelry items depending on the specifications of the products.
- Color Correction: In most cases, the color output after taking a picture will be off due to camera settings, lighting effects, inappropriate positioning, etc. However, without correcting the color, these cannot be used for either personal or professional reasons. The color correction technique can be used to adjust jewelry photos that lose appeal due to inappropriate color. The skilled image editors correct the jewelry photos’ color using a combination of their talent and knowledge. They carry out their duties using a pen tablet, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Lightroom. They concentrate on white balance and appropriate image exposure as they work to produce the desired result.
- Cleaning: Unintentionally, jewelry like rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, etc. is added to photographs along with noise and other unwanted items. These photographs also have dust, blemishes, and scratches that severely detract from the image’s original appearance. Professional jewelry cleaning is essential to reclaiming these ornaments’ authentic appearance. The jewelry image is given a resplendent and elegant appearance by photo manipulators who remove unnecessary and distracting objects using programs like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
- Photo Retouching: There are areas in every piece of jewelry that have flaws after the photographer takes the picture. High-quality image retouching is necessary to draw customers to buy your jewelry online. The jewelry image enhancers add professional touches and details to create a stunning appearance. To make the images perfect and outstanding, they use the most up-to-date photo editing software to change the color, size, shape, and texture. Buyers consequently find these images alluring and spectacular and go on to effortlessly purchase these jewelry products from e-commerce websites.
Wrapping Up
Beautiful product photos are a feature shared by all the top online jewelry retailers. You can make images that sell and help you establish your brand by following the instructions in this tutorial. As you gain experience taking jewelry photography, you can incorporate additional elements and use your imagination when creating your images.
You’ll quickly reap the rewards in the form of increased sales and income by making an investment in high-quality photos and properly showcasing your jewelry.
