How to Stage Jewelry for Photographs
If you sell jewelry on your site or in a magazine, you need to have attractive product images. This means the entire piece of jewellery is in focus without distracting glares or reflections.
If you can, use natural lighting. Find a place that is well lit, but not directly in the sun.
Lighting
Lighting is important when photographing jewelry. Avoid harsh shadows. They can make the item look unprofessional and distract from it. Use diffused light to soften the shadows, and create a flattering image.
You can also use professional tools like a lightbox or other product photography equipment to achieve the results you want. A lightbox will eliminate any unwanted refractions and ensure the item is well lit from all angles.
If you plan to use natural light for your photography, place your jewellery away from windows that are in direct sunlight. Bright sunlight can cause unflattering reflexions and be too bright to take a small photo. You can diffuse the sunlight and minimize reflections by using a white piece of paper or sheet. Smudges or dust can also cause problems, but they can be eliminated by wiping jewelry in post-production.
Props
Using props to showcase your jewelry is a wonderful way to highlight their beauty and fine details. Props will also help you frame the jewelry in a natural way. This will create a more authentic image.
When choosing props for your brand, make sure that the materials and designs are in line with your identity. Too many props may confuse or distract visitors. Stick with a few basic styles to complement your jewelry.
Acrylic surfaces and mirrors make excellent jewelry photography accessories, adding a hint to brilliance to the images. Marble, plants and flowers, as well as other reflective props, can be used to enhance your jewelry's shine. Use dried flowers or leaves for a rustic touch. They can add a touch of femininity or seasonality.
Backgrounds
It is important to position jewelry correctly to highlight its best features. The most important thing is to eliminate shadows. You can achieve this by using diffused lighting or natural light to soften any shadows.
Use of the camera's built-in flash can result in harsh shadows that are distracting. Instead, use a professional reflective surface to bounce light back at your subject. This will avoid shadows and unwanted lighting on flat lay photos.
A white background makes a great choice for jewelry photography. It prevents the jewelry from absorbing any colours or lights. This helps the jewelry look as real as it can, which is important for ecommerce. You can create a more custom look by using jewelry display models. Or, you can DIY with cardstock for a cheaper alternative.
Post-production
Lighting is a big challenge for product photography. Jewelry is highly refractory and requires a photo studio of high quality with specialized lighting. We recommend a continuous ring or softbox light to minimize the shadows and accurately represent the color of the jewellery. The other challenge is capturing jewelry at the right focal point. This is achieved by taking several pictures of the jewelry at different focal points and then combining these in post-production. This is a long and difficult process that requires great skill to produce quality results.
Props can also be used for jewelry. However, they should always be used with purpose and sparingly. Props like mannequins or cardboard flats are great for necklaces, earrings and watch holders. Standard lenses are better than distortion lenses, such as wide-angles and Telephotos. These can blur your jewelry's edges, making it look out-of-focus or secondary.
If you sell jewelry on your site or in a magazine, you need to have attractive product images. This means the entire piece of jewellery is in focus without distracting glares or reflections. If you can, use natural lighting. Find a place that is well lit, but not directly in the sun. Lighting Lighting is…