How to photograph jewelry for e-commerce?
Jewelry photography can be complex if you don't take the time to ask yourself the right questions beforehand. How to obtain both a quality result and a homogeneous presentation of your jewelry and creations? Here are some tips for creating your visuals of jewelry with a photo studio.
1. Take into account the specificities of the material for your jewelry photos in the studio
A piece of jewelry is composed of different materials and elements. They react differently to light. For example, an emerald set on a vermeil ring will not always be easy to photograph. If you want to highlight the size of your stone, manage the dispersion of light inside it and at the same time illuminate the ring, you will first have to understand How each of these elements reacts to light. A tip: Do some tests ! Take photos of your jewelry and gems with lights of different intensities. You will learn quickly by comparing your results, your jewelry photos in studio.
Well-adjusted lighting will make the size of your stones stand out. Observe the before and after on this same set.
2. The enhancement of your various rooms
For the e-commerce, the arrangement of your jewelry on your visuals is also very important and particular to this sector. Certain codes for your product photos must therefore be respected. in order to highlight all your pieces. Finally, for quality control, for example, it is also important to have good equipment. With a camera, a Studio home And a quality objective On average, it will be more difficult for you to take photos of the inclusions of a stone or the spawning of a ring.
There is no point in running, you have to leave on time!
3. How will I present my jewelry? The different stages
For e-commerce, take flat photos!
- Avoid taking only photos of details of your jewelry. It is important that we can see at least A flat view of your parts and In full ! This type of angle of view thus has the advantage of offering a very clear reading for those who consult it. On the other hand, if you place your photos next to each other, they will help the customer Find out between the different sizes of your chains and gems.
Some jewelry, such as rings, may have need support. Or they must be positioned in a particular way in order to better photograph and light them. Your aim is to highlight some details of your jewelry, like the inside of the ring, the shape of the cat or the breech of a stone... Arranged vertically, you can Easily illuminate all facets of gems. You will therefore control the fire and the iridescence of each of them...
Be inventive when positioning your jewelry
In order to fix your ring at this angle, I advise you to use a glue point (glue gun). It will not alter the ring, it is easy to remove, it is transparent (therefore without color reflections when shooting) and will be very resistant to the weight of the jewel. To erase the glue spot from the visual, you will have to use a retouching software. For those who are not “photoshop-friendly”, simply position your ring on one side in order to offer the simplest and most relevant view for your jewelry.
The Positioning an earring flat on a photo may prove to be a bit difficult... The culprits? The clasps! In fact, depending on whether they are screws, hooks, nails, clamps etc..., you may try again and again! In general, in order to achieve a flat shot in a photo studio, without being bothered by a clasp and without going through the retouching box, it is best to Prick the earring on a white feather card. The clasp nail will stick into the cardboard and will not interfere with positioning, for hoop earrings or buckles of the same type. Of course, flat placement will be much easier.
For flat shooting in a photo studio, it is best to stitch your earrings on a white feather cardboard
- In order to handle your jewelry with care, it is advisable to use a pen, a rod or a small needle. This avoids using your fingers, which may lack precision. Always move and arrange jewelry with gloves so as not to leave traces behind. They may be visible in the final photo. For clean your jewelry, nothing better than soap and water for materials that do not oxidize. You can also use a chamois for others and especially a Duster Spray (essential!!) in order to remove all the small dust.
How many photos should I show on my e-commerce site?
In general, 3 or 4 photos are more than enough to present a piece of jewelry. For example for Photographing a necklace :
- A view flat-lay to show the piece of jewelry as a whole,
- Two views for detail : gemstone, railing, chain or clasp,
- A photo of the Jewel worn will always be a plus because it allows future customers to contextualize the latter.
In conclusion, prefer simple and effective images, keep the same number of images and the same positions for your jewelry families in order to have a clear presentation of your objects, homogeneous and intuitive.
Once these questions are resolved, you can move on to shooting your jewelry.
A photo studio equipped with an LED lighting system is suitable for packshots
3. What lighting? Natural light or flash
To know - What is the difference between a packshot and a still life?
Still Life = photo of a staged product
Packshot = photo of a simple product on a white background, generally used for e-commerce or a product catalog.
Natural light will be more suitable for still lifes, while the flash or very bright LED environments (full LED light boxes) will be far more suitable for The packshots. Do not do your packshots in continuous light with “mandarin” style lighting!
If you can't get LED lights or boxes, then be creative and always try to keep a uniform background or an equivalent shade.
You can also read our article on macro photography and see some examples of handmade lightboxes.
Also adapt your lighting environment according to the quantity of products to be photographed and according to your deadlines. The best is the enemy of the good. Think about the quality of your images as well as your productivity and finding the right balance!
- The flash and the full LED light box:
They are very suitable for the photo of jewelry. Some materials do not react in the same way to light. Gold, for example, reflects it, leather will absorb it, and one will require more light than the other. Using a flash will help you adjust your light easily.
Tips:
To help control The reflections of a metal or a stone in reaction to light, you can use small black and white feather cards to attenuate or accentuate it. Thanks to these cards, you can also redraw reflections to make them more homogeneous on a piece of jewelry.
For some stones like diamonds, you can add small directional LED flashes on the stone in order to do Bring out all its facets. Diamonds are difficult to take pictures of because they are transparent and light tends to bounce inside the stone and create a strong dispersion. The way in which it is pruned may also be a reason. When mounted in pavement, the stones can merge with each other if the light is poorly managed. This is also the reason why it is important to light them with directional light to bring out each of the brilliants.
The diamond is difficult to take pictures of because of the dispersion of light.
The flash and a full LED housing will also allow you to keep the same lighting density for the background of your photos, unlike natural light, which is changeable and which you cannot really control.
For packshot photos, it is important that you present your jewelry on a pure white background (100% white), so that you always have the same background and that your presentation is consistent.
- Natural light:
Natural light will be more suitable for still life photography, for more creative photos or staging of your products. These visuals can be created for the home page of your site, press communication or for communication on social networks...
- A subject upon How to photograph your clothing and fashion accessories.
4. What photo equipment?
- The good quality of a photo depends mainly on the camera you are going to use and the purpose. For example, a low-end lens on a 50 megapixel Canon 5 DSR will give you an average result. You have to find the right balance according to your budget and the equipment offered on the market. However, a general rule applies: prefer to buy an SLR camera and a fixed lens. Prime lenses are much more sensitive to light and will always give a result of better quality than a zoom.
The lens is as important, if not more important, than the camera in shooting your jewelry
Macro lenses will also be your best friends for shooting small pieces, such as a ring, a brooch, a stone...
In conclusion, the jewelry photography may be a bit difficult when you tackle it for the first time, but by going at it in stages, confidence and mastery will come very quickly. Just one piece of advice: Take photos, do experiments !
Discover the accessories dedicated to the photography of jewelry and precious stones
