How to take product photography: jewelry and small items

If you're here, you've tried to take your beautiful creation picture and somehow it doesn't quite right. Yes, you and me! I was there and still are. As I am not profession photographer, I tend to learn as I go. Every mistake I make it paid off the next photo shoot. So, how do we go from blahhhh to ahhhhh



What do you need :

1)  Camera. Any camera would do with White balance and macro mode. Look up your camera and manual. Phone camera would work too. Smart phone takes amazing picture. For all my pictures, I took with Nikon D3100. It is my best business investment.

2) Lighting. : Spend sometime and do your own research and you will see. All roads lead to good lighting. Why? because when you have good lighting, it doesn't matter what background you use you will always has balance lighting pictures.

Many people will suggest to take picture under the natural sun light. Prime hours is between 10 am - 2 pm. Best location is next to the window with lot of light shining through. Just as shown in the picture below. You can follow the link to read this article at http://www.handmadeology.com

Unfortunate for me that my house is in the shade most of the day and being home with 2 small children. My working hour window is very slim. I chose to use light box.






3) Light box/ backdrop or background : I put these in the third because without lighting it doesn't do the job. You can make you own light box and you can find tutorial online. I used the commercial one because when I didn't know any better, I spend $$$ on any photography tools and kits as my budget allow. You choose your own background, white, color or texture (like wooden frame, slate, pretty paper)

Here is the key "SET UP YOUR PHOTO BOOTH" permanently. You may have all of the above now how to execute. For 4 years selling my handmade jewelry online, I was struggle with pictures. Last year, I take a look at my pictures and asked "What's wrong with my pictures?" I got everything I need to make them look nice but why the light is off and it was hassle to take one item pictures. Then I went back on researching and the light bulb went off.

I spare small corner of my tiny office for my photo booth. I put up my photo tent and set up my 2 lighting. Since then taking pictures is so much easier. Take less then 10 minutes. The raw image came out nearly perfect, lighting and temperature control. If I want to play around I just change the background.

My photo tent is 18" build with non reflection fabric. You can find them on ebay or amazon for about $30. They came with 5 colors backdrop but I only use white. With this set, there is 2 lights included but they are not enough. So those 2 lights in the picture are 45W CFL 6500K temperature, day light tone. I also got the lights on ebay for about $30.

The tent is defusing the light from the lamps and the white background is bouncing the light back made your picture has soft and balance lighting. Even the shadow look soft and please to the eyes. Since you have you light setup right, change the background will be super easy.

Unedited picture on wood background

Unedited picture on white background

4) Photo editing program : At many many resources, they stop the guideline at step number 3. Well just like us, we are not wake up looking pretty. We need to clean up and make ourselves look pretty, so does picture. You need to editing your pictures. 

I use Photoshop to edit all my pictures. There are many other free applications such as picMonkey to do the job. You may feel intimidate at first but you will get a hang of it. All I do is adjust the RGB Levels then Vibrance if needed.

Unedited picture

Adjusted RGB Levels

Adjusted Vibrance

Before

After

There is another reason I chose to do white background. It's much easier to edit :) and useful for many things afterward. Lately, I tried to make myself  a wholesale Line sheet and some catalogs. It takes me few hours to make a mini catalog. I am very happy with the result. The print out look amazing I pad myself in the back LOL.

Hope you enjoy reading this and experience some for yourself. Photography is so much fun !