Table of Contents
What is Jewellery Photography?
Jewlery photography is a type of photography that comes under the domain of product photography, and it is concerned with photographing various kinds of jewelry and ornaments.
As said earlier, it is nothing, but a part of product photography and you can see this in many places. These images can be found in magazines, newspapers, brochures, outdoor advertisements, as well as online ecommerce websites and advertisements like the ones you see on social media platforms like Facebook daily. These photographs are put up there to catch the attention of the target audience and for advertisement.
In this write-up, we will discuss Jewellery photography, types of Jewellery photography, using the proper equipment to photograph jewellery. We will also discuss the ways to capture stunning images of jewellery and how to edit them and how to take care of other factors while shooting so that we can get the best output.
So, keep reading this article, our main objective is to make jewellery photography popular so that everybody can pursue it with ease and fun.
Jewellery Photography
Jewellery photography is not an easy job. It requires proper knowledge, tactics, and experience to produce some reliable results. Whether you are shooting a necklace, a ring, or an earring, it does not really matter, the main factor upon which the quality of photograph depends is light and position. These two factors are essential in deciding the final output in jewellery photography.
How to Photograph Jewellery?
Challenges
There are various challenges to photographing jewellery like the reflections on shiny surfaces of the jewellery, photographing small objects on a light background, getting appropriate depth of field at high magnification and the best camera settings for getting some amazing shots.
Solutions
Wait! You do not need to worry, challenges do exist, but solutions exist too. So, let us discuss the solutions to the above challenges as follows.
A light cone can be created to avoid reflections on shiny surfaces of the jewellery. You can use gradient light with pockets of light to highlight key areas of the ornament which you want to shoot. Sharper images are always good. They will make your jewellery look great with all the minute details. You can get sharper images by using focus stacking to get the whole image sharp. If you want to get maximum depth of field with low ISO and highest sync speed, you should select a small aperture.
Now, we will give you some tips to get your job done.
Make your product ready
Before commencing the photography procedure, it is important to prepare your jewellery (silver, diamond, or gold jewellery). You should start by cleaning the jewellery; and only then will you be able to photograph it properly. This may not appear to be necessary at first. However, after taking a thorough image with the macro lens, you’ll be able to determine how important cleaning your jewellery is.
Choose proper background
In Jewellery photography, one thing that really matters a lot is the background against which we are shooting our jewellery. It is particularly important to choose an appropriate backdrop as it could make your jewellery photograph look stunning or it can make your photograph lose its vibrancy.
Also, one thing to make sure is that while shooting, jewellery should always be at the centre of attraction. You should choose a background having some simple tones, so that the beauty of the design of your jewellery gets highlighted more than the colour of your background sheet. It is highly recommended to keep the background as simple as possible.
Using Macro lens
It is okay to photograph and shoot your jewellery using the primary or main camera, but have you ever thought about close-up shots? If not yet, then this is the time to consider it. Close-up shots look great. They are much more helpful in showing the design of the jewellery in a detailed manner. You can use a macro lens to get close-up shots. This is also known as macro jewellery photography. Here, the focus lies on the part of jewellery or design which you want to highlight. This is helpful in catching the attention of clients to your photograph and hence your product. It ensures that the best thing about your product is brought to display. Persuading clients becomes easier when they fall in love with the detailed imagery of the jewellery designs.
Adjusting White-balance
It is crucial to maintain white balance of the photograph, improper white balance can damage the overall picture of the jewellery especially while shooting silver jewellery. So, you may ask what is the importance of white-balance or how is it necessary? Do not go by the name. White balance determines how much red or blue the image will appear. Nowadays, cameras tend to automatically set and adjust the white balance to get the best output. But guess what, it can be incorrect too. You can always adjust the white balance of the camera or your phone manually with the setting menu present over there. Photo editing tools are also present to adjust white balance post the capture.
Steady Photos
No one likes shaky photos or blurred photos due to motion. Literally, no one. In the case of jewellery product photography, shooting is done at small scale or macro scale. Even the slightest movement of the hand or the jewellery due to some disturbance can really make photos look unappealing. Each tiny movement matters here a lot. For example, you can be sure of the fact that your jewellery which you are trying to shoot is under focus but still the images look blurred. You might wonder why this is happening. This issue could arise due to camera shake which you have failed to notice. So, if you want to avoid these problems and want to get some stable photographs, you should use tripods.
Shots from Multiple Angles
It’s a great letdown if you browse for an item on a relevant page where there are no further images. The purchaser would have wanted a distinct perspective photograph of a necklace, but there are non-available. As a result, they constantly capture photos from different perspectives.
As previously said, your customers want and must be able to view your goods from every aspect, just as if they were looking and flipping it over at a retail store. The more perspectives and images you can create to show off your goods, the better. A straight-on front photograph, an angled front image, a close-up detailed shot, and a top view are now all advised.
Lighting and environment
Lighting is also an especially crucial factor in Jewellery product photography. It does not matter whether you want to shoot your jewellery in an indoor or outdoor environment. What really matters is adequate lighting to shoot your jewellery properly. Natural lighting is the most accessible and easiest form of lighting available. In case there is no natural lighting available, ensure the presence of artificial lights. Arranging artificial lights can increase the cost of photography a bit more.
Equipment for jewellery photography
You should have some essential tools and equipment ready in your hands when you are trying to photograph jewellery. But again, the equipment you use will depend on the kind of budget you have. But you need not worry. You do not need to have loads of tools and equipment to pursue jewellery photography. You only need a few essential gears to get the job done. Yes, you may buy more expensive gear for lighting and displays when it is really required and when you have the budget to afford that. But for beginners here is a list of some essential gears which you will need for basic jewellery photography.
- Camera
- Tripod
- Table
- White Background
- Lighting source
- Foam boards
- Clamps or tape
Well, rest assured, there is no need to have the most expensive camera to shoot your jewellery. A budget camera or a smartphone can also get the job done with ease. You just have to get accustomed with all the camera settings and photography tricks to make the best of what is available. And unbelievably, sometimes some photographers who captured using an ordinary smartphone produced much better results than those who use extra-ordinary tools and equipment. It’s all about knowledge, experience, and some cool tricks. But, if you already own a DSLR camera with a good lens, then you can surely utilize that.
As discussed earlier in this article, tripods are necessary to get steady photos. So, always use them. They are cheap and effective and really improve the quality and consistency of your photograph.
While shooting, try to arrange a standard folding table. You can use a folding table which has a width between 24 and 27 inches.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
There are some common mistakes which we overlook while pursuing jewellery product photography and things could easily go haywire.
Here we have put up some mistakes which you should avoid having a better experience in the field of Jewellery product photography.
Movements in the background
If you want to ensure a cleaner and smoother experience for your customers, then keep your backdrop as clean and as basic as possible. White background is the most suitable in this case.
Poor Lighting
As stated earlier, lighting is especially important. Items can appear different in colour and texture on photographs if lighting is poor while shooting jewellery items. Such images would not be of appeal to the customer.
Using unnecessary props
There is no need to use props, live models, or mannequins to show off your jewellery. Always try to keep things simple. To keep the focus on your jewellery try to avoid using such unnecessary extras.
Inconsistency
If your jewellery photographs change too quickly when compared to the shots of other products and jewelleries then clients tend to become more confused and distracted which is not good at all. When this happens on your client’s website, their business will lose the professional impression and glamour. So, inconsistency is not good for jewellery photography.
Dust on the Jewellery
You should ensure that there is no dust on the jewellery items while shooting them. Try to keep a brush and lint cloth handy to clean dust. Capturing images of necklaces, earrings, rings, and other jewellery items with dust on it will only make the impression worse.
Cost for Jewellery Product Photography in India
Whether you hire a professional photographer, or an agency dedicated to such product photography, the cost for jewellery product photography will depend on numerous factors. If you hire an experienced photographer, expect a fine amount of labour charge. Photographers will charge you based on their hours of labour. The more hours they work, the more they will charge. Also, not only that, but sometimes photographers also tend to charge based on the number of photoshoots or the number of items required to be photographed. Jewellery photography is a bit complex, so they can also charge for the type of shots being taken, for example close-up shots or macro shots. If you hire an agency for jewellery product photography, they can also charge for the necessary arrangements made for this shoot, like preparing artificial lights and so on.
The cost of jewellery product photography can also be classified into two distinct categories – for ecommerce and for lifestyle.
Various jewellery companies display jewellery product photographs on ecommerce websites for online marketing and selling. Ecommerce jewellery product photography starts at around Rs. 300. The cost can rise with additional requirements and photo editing or retouching.
In the case of lifestyle jewellery product photography, the cost is decided on an hourly basis. The cost will totally depend on the time taken. The location of the shoot also plays a key role in deciding the cost of lifestyle jewellery product photography.
So, this is all about Jewellery Product Photography. Thank you!