Jewelry Pictures - Specially Rings

[manwanis]

Hi All

I want to know how to take picture of jewelry, specially rings.

Thanks

[beadsbydesign]

for my rings I roll up a piece of paper into a tube and then push the ring on.
i then lay this onto a flat piece of paper and put the camera on macro setting. use flash and take the photo and then crop the imagehttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2308/2281519868_08421c3fef_m.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2280728139_c43db24206_m.jpg

[AlexandraB]

I don't have any tips specific to rings, but I photograph all my jewellery in as much natural daylight as possible (not always easy this time of year) and I use a lamp with a daylight bulb too. I don't use a flash. Sometimes I use a mirror to reflect more light at the work.
I usually place the work on white paper and take lots and lots of pictures until I am reasonably happy with the results.

I also take most of my photos fairly close to my computer then I can upload and view images after taking a few. If I'm not happy with the results I try something else. I find this saves me loads of time.

Hope that gives you a few ideas. In the end, I find trial and error is the best approach!

[youyours]

I use daylight as well and have my camera on a tripod, in that way I can get very "clean" (sharp) photos if the light is not perfect.
I then play with the settings off the photo on the computer making the photo brighter or more contract, less color etc.

--Helen

[momoab]

We use photo box, with different tempereture of light. No flash at all.
If you are going to use the white balace on the camera you better get day light light bulbs approx. 5300K 5400K, this is the closest to the early morning sun, or you can picture only in the mornings :).

The photo box or photo tent helps to prevent unwanted reflactions on the polished surfice, like hands, objectives, frames from windows ....
\http://www.trinketsltd.com/images/gallery/medium/1136422323.jpg
if you look carefully on that picture you can see the camera, and the hand holding it, in the background there is a window..... Try to avoid this, makes bad impression. Shooting jewellery well is really really hard work!!!!!

Regards from sunny Bulgaria

[Ian Beckerton]

Hi,
I think from the start I would not use the camera in an automatic mode because you don’t have enough control over what is happening. Window light is ok but you really need to concentrate the light over the object. I would form a box using white paper, floor, side and rear walls. It would be best if you could have all the junctions (joins) as curves. If you use the camera in automatic mode it will always under expose against white, hence the manual mode so you can correct this. Take an exposure reading using the camera built in system but have the camera pointing at your hand, it will give a better average exposure reading than against white and the transfer this reading to the manual elements of the camera. Ideally you will want to use a small lens aperture as this will give a sharper image, as an example F11 or F8 would do but the smaller the aperture the better, I try to work at F22 or even smaller if I can get enough light on the object. You then just fiddle about with the settings, speed first, aperture as a last resort as this will change the focus. A tripod in this instance is essential. Hope this helps.

I..

[Anne]

Hi,
I photograph all my pics in as much natural daylight too. I'm a complete novice... I lay a piece of slate on the window ledge and place the ring on top of the slate. Then I hold a big sheet of white card at the back until the light looks good. I have a tripod for my camera to keep it steady and use the macro setting. I take quite a few pics of each ring from different angles, and then see which one I prefer when I load them on my pc.


http://www.chloesdesigns.com/images/glass140a.jpg

[Ian Beckerton]

Hi Anne,

That’s not a bad image. I think I would be inclined to have a bit more forward light on it to make it brighter at the front rather than the back. This will give the ring a lift and make it look more three dimensional. Again you can use card to do this, just a couple of pieces either side angled out from the front with the camera poking through the gap between them. It’s simple, it doesn’t cost and it works. Try it!

I..

[Ian Beckerton]

Hi Anne again,

Even better, buy a couple of Budgie mirrors! Yes, Budgie as in Budgerigar and replace the card with these. You can then concentrate the light into the face of the ring and make the stones sparkle – much better.

I..

[Anne]

ahhh... excellent. Thanks for the tips Ian. It's taken me a while to take pics like this, so I appreciate all the help I can get. Photo's are not my strongest point.

[Ian Beckerton]

Well Anne you are doing OK just keep on experimenting. – there isn’t a problem you can’t solve, erm – eventually!!

I..