How to Set Up a Camera to Shoot Pictures of Jewelry

Photographing jewelry can be a challenge. The many reflective surfaces can easily create glare. In addition, the need to show specific details means that using the automatic settings will produce lower quality results. In order to get consistently good pictures of jewelry, a few basic photographic tools are necessary. It is also necessary to use the manual settings on your camera. However, once you take the necessary steps, it is possible to create dramatic pictures that show the jewelry at its best.

Instructions

1

Put the jewelry inside the diffusion cube on the black velvet or white sheet.

2

Set one photographic light to either side of the cube. This will evenly illuminate the jewelry without causing glare.

3

Shine a third light directly into any gems to create sparkle.

4

Set the camera on a tripod.

5

Use manual focus to create the crispest possible image.

6

Set exposure compensation to +1 and go up from there. Exposure compensation often has the name "Exposure" or "EV." This will keep the image from being too dark. Find a balance between having the background appear neutral and the jewelry appearing "washed out."

---

Photographing jewelry can be a challenge. The many reflective surfaces can easily create glare. In addition, the need to show specific details means that using the automatic settings will produce lower quality results. In order to get consistently good pictures of jewelry, a few basic photographic tools are necessary. It is also necessary to use the manual settings on your camera. However, once you take the necessary steps, it is possible to create dramatic pictures that show the jewelry at its best.

Instructions

1

Put the jewelry inside the diffusion cube on the black velvet or white sheet.

2

Set one photographic light to either side of the cube. This will evenly illuminate the jewelry without causing glare.

3

Shine a third light directly into any gems to create sparkle.

4

Set the camera on a tripod.

5

Use manual focus to create the crispest possible image.

6

Set exposure compensation to +1 and go up from there. Exposure compensation often has the name "Exposure" or "EV." This will keep the image from being too dark. Find a balance between having the background appear neutral and the jewelry appearing "washed out."

---

• 
  

  How does the iPhone 5 camera compare to previous iPhone cameras?

  campl.us/posts/6iPhoneCameras

  Photo comparisons from all iPhone version cameras taken with Camera+ (First generation iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, and the new

• 
  

  CameraSim simulates a digital SLR camera - SLR Photography

  camerasim.com/camera

  This SLR camera simulator shows you visually how ISO speed, aperture, shutter speed, and distance affect the outcome of your digital photos.

• 
  

  Wonder How To Show & Tell for Creators & Doers

  www.wonderhowto.com/following

  Wonder How To is your guide to free how to videos on the Web. Search, Browse and Discover the best how to videos across the web using the largest how to video index ...

• 
  

  Photoflex Lighting School Photoflex

  www.photoflex.com/pls

  Basic Lighting. A good place to start. These lessons demonstrate professional lighting techniques using only basic lighting tools. Having good lighting equipment is ...

• 
  

  Behind the scenes at a McDonald's photo shoot - YouTube

  www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSd0keSj2W8

  Isabel M from Toronto asked "Why does your food look different in the advertising than what is in the store?" http://qmcd.ca/MOwwgV Our answer? An ...

• 
  

  How To Become A Model - Modeling Portfolios - Fashion,

  www.purestorm.com

  Purestorm aims to help you become a successful model, for all types of modeling including glamour, fashion, photographic, teen and many others. Sign up for a free ...

• 
  

  How does the iPhone 4S camera stack-up against other cameras?

  campl.us/posts/iPhone-Camera-Comparison

  A photo comparison from all iPhone version cameras taken with Camera+ (First generation iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, the new iPhone 4S), a point & shoot ...

• 
  

  Music News - Topix

  www.topix.com/music

  News on Music continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.