It can be somewhat tricky to photograph jewellery, especially when doing so for the first time. Even the smallest of errors can lead to your special pieces looking somewhat distorted and dull, nowhere near as immaculate and beautiful as they appear to the naked eye.
After trying a number of times, you are likely to learn from any mistakes you have made, and the shots will no doubt look awesome. For those of you who haven’t reached this stage and who may have never photographed jewellery before this post may well be of benefit.
The best way to photograph jewellery
When wanting to photograph jewellery there are several things to think about and to bear in mind. The first of which is lighting. The right lighting is crucial. It is beneficial to use soft, diffused lighting. You need to avoid deep shadows and glare which can appear when using harsh light. As well as avoiding harsh light it is also important to avoid direct flash. As an alternative, it is advisable to use a lightbox or diffusers as these can help to create even illumination.
If you have jewellery that sparkles, then using multiple light sources will help to capture it and they will also aid in eliminating any shadows. So, in this regard having a couple of side lights and a top fill light is the way to go.
Having a stable camera and precision focus is a must when photographing jewellery if you are hoping to get the best possible shots. Using a tripod is, therefore, advisable and doing so will also help you to avoid blur. This is especially the case when using longer exposures. For additional control it is worth setting your camera to manual focus, aperture priority, or full mode.
Before starting it is worthwhile to thoroughly clean the pieces that you are going to photograph and to also clean the background surface. The best way to do this is by using a lint-free cloth.
With regards to the background, it is often best to go with a neutral colour as this can help to avoid distractions. If you are photographing gold jewellery you might see the best results when using a black or dark grey background. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the colour. It’s a simple case of trial and error. Try with one colour and then see if you are happy with the shot. If you are not pleased, then go with a different colour. We all have different preferences, personalities and favourites and it is therefore a personal choice at the end of the day.
If you are looking to capture fine details in the jewellery, then using a macro lens or a smartphone that has a macro mode enabled would give you the best outcome.
Something that is often overlooked is to ensure that there are no reflections of yourself in the camera. You would probably be surprised at how many people make this mistake. It is extremely common!