Photographing My Jewelry and Beads

by Staci Smith

This is how I feel when it comes to photographing and listing my work.




Then the reality starts to set in........................




Then there is the photography




And then there is the editing




and then there is the listing of it (this is about how creative I feel when it comes time to list)




Anyhow, I think we can all relate.  Us creative folk want to make things.  We don't want to do all this boring stuff.

Now, I am no pro photographer by a long shot.  I don't know how to use my camera settings.  I read things and they go right out of my brain again.

So, I have found for me, that natural light is the best.  I have yet to find a bulb that gives the right light with my light box.  At least, not one that doesn't require a ton of editing.

So, I try to keep it simple.  Here are my tips:

1.  Photograph in natural, INDIRECT LIGHT.  I find that a sunny day with slight cloud cover is ideal.  I also have a spot outside that gets indirect light two times a day, so I try to take pictures then.  Also, never use a flash, ever.

2.  For more professional pictures, use a light box outside on a super sunny day.  

3.  If it is cold, find a spot inside that gets indirect light.  

4.  This one is a HUGE one for me.  Frame your picture for the least amount of editing- meaning less cropping.  Get that camera right up in there!!!!!

5.  I prefer to use a grey background.  This automatically adjusts the white balance.  No funny tones.  Here is my FAVORITE background to use.  I use the matte black, which actually looks dark grey.  here is the link to it, it comes with white as well.  This background alone took the quality of my photo's up a notch!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Reflective-Tabletop-Photography-Background/dp/B00CDHJ6SU/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1449150907&sr=8-71&keywords=light+tent+background

Here is what it looks like when I use it.  These are natural light (in a window), minimal to no editing, using my samsung phone.

And that is it.  Just a few of my tricks for quick easy pictures.  

I hope that helps a bit!  I know I am not alone with hating this part of the job!!!!

Jewelry Photography-Tips and tricks

Carol Dekle-Foss

While taking photos to fill my website for this holiday season, I thought what a perfect time to do a post on jewelry photography. If you struggle with your photography, don't be too hard on yourself.  Jewelry photography, or macro photography, is one of the hardest things to learn. Even for professionals! 

 Here's one of my very first photos posted to Etsy back in 2011. And I thought this was good! Oh my. You can't see the details in the pendant, the background is distracting and there is no focal point to the image. It's hideous.
 
I tried EVERYTHING back then to get good shots. All sorts of backdrops and props, shooting inside and out, different cameras..etc etc. Finally, I've reached a point where I feel SOMEWHAT comfortable with my photography. It only took me FOUR years! 

As a visual type, I had a difficult time grasping photography basics and how each camera setting affected one another. With the below cheat sheet I had an aha moment. 

 

Thank you Miguel for this helpful guide! I printed it out and kept it wherever I took photos to remind me how each setting worked. Keep in mind, even if you only have a basic camera, it's bound to have one or two of these settings that you can play with. 

The two most important settings I look for when taking pictures are APERTURE and ISO. Let me SHOW you why. I only changed the aperture on all the below photos and let the camera decide for the rest of the settings. Also, no flash. Never...ever. It flattens your image, gives it harsh light and icky shadows. 

Looking at this photo, you can see shooting at f/2.8, which is a large aperture, you get a shallow depth of field. They call it a large aperture, because if you look at the cheat sheet, you can see the hole is wide open and allowing more light in. THAT took me awhile to understand. 

Okay, now the important part. If more light is coming through that little hole, then the ISO can be lower which gives you a CRISPER photo. So looking at the photo shot at aperture f/8, there was enough light in my lightbox for the camera to still choose an ISO of 100. At f/8 there is a deeper depth of field, so more of the background will be in focus. Not a bad setting for jewelry, as long as you can maintain a low ISO setting with enough light to maintain a crisp photo.

With the aperture set all the way to f/32 you get a real deep depth of field. Unfortunately, because not a lot of light is coming through that little hole, you lose the crisp ISO setting and start to see YUCKY noise.

I added a dark background here so you can see how lighting affects the ISO. The background made it darker in my lightbox, so when shooting at an aperture of f/32, the camera chose a higher ISO of 2000. If you compare the first photo to the last, you can see the noise or graininess. Bleck.

So there you have it. One little piece of the photography puzzle to help you with your jewelry photos. I hope that sheds some light, ha... on how aperture and ISO work together. I encourage you to play with your camera's settings, and see what changes you can make to your photos.

I have one more little trick to share. Do you like to hang your earrings for visual effect? I like the look, but what happens sometimes is you get shadows that hide the details, like in the below photo. Here is a way to prevent that.


 I picked this tip up from a post on how to make your silver jewelry shine. It works great to prevent shadows as well.

By using a reflective surface you can bounce light back up to highlight your jewelry and avoid shadows. 


Pretty clever! You can make your own reflective surface using aluminum foil as in the post, or purchase some from a craft store. Here is some from Joann.

I hope this information will be useful to someone!

If you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share, we would love to hear from you!

The Art of Photography

by Patti Vanderbloemen for Love My Art Jewelry Blogspot

With the premiere of Handmade at Amazon, there has been quite the buzz "out there" regarding product photos. Natural light versus artificial light; the use of props versus no props; neutral background versus white background; watermark versus no watermark.  The topic changes daily and can and always will be frustrating.

I have absolutely zero training on photography.  It has always, and will continue to be, my least favorite task (actually - listing jewelry on my site is my least favorite task).  But, it has to be done! And taking a good picture is art, in and of itself.  While I am no expert, I have learned what does not work for me.

I have taken my share of LOUSY pictures.  Following are some images taken very early in my selling days. I knew the pictures were bad, but I did not know how to make them better.  I tried an all white background.  OMG, the editing I had to do to remove all the shadows... the gray and yellow tinge in the photos, even though that background was white.

Back in "the day", I used Photoshop Elements for editing. For me, the editing required on the all white background just made the jewelry look "edited".  And it took forever!

Then I tried scrapbook paper.

Let's face it - frosty white lampwork with a white background...ugh.

I used a piece of purple scrapbook paper with silver splashes. Still did not like the picture, but the beads looked a bit better.

Then I tried taking pictures in natural light - a huge disadvantage for me, based on the time of day the picture had to be taken and where the sun is blaring.  

I tried a "natural" background - my flagstone sidewalk outside my basement studio door. Horrid, in my opinion.  The shadows in this picture - and the glare from the sun shining on that sterling ear wire...

My studio at the time was in my unfinished basement, complete with two light bulbs screwed into the ceiling - translated as DARK. Then I bought two very cheap photo lamps, and I made a trip to the local garden center and bought a slab of granite. I used this setup for years.

I was still not happy, as the granite began to take on a green tinge in my eyes, but I did not know what else to do, so I just kept using it.

But, the pictures still look "blah" to me.  It's like the beads were blending into the background. I wanted to focus on the jewelry - not the background

I started to add just a fringe of a prop in the picture - a tiny cluster of white flowers in the back, on this photo, thinking it would help. It doesn't help.

The violet color of these beads was just lost.

Then, about 2 years ago, the unthinkable happened. I lost my camera - lost it! It was an old Sony Cyber-shot with so many attributes that were perfect for someone struggling to take photos who knows nothing about photography: automatic macro shots, automatic exposure, etc. I used that camera for at least 5 years.  How do you lose a camera when you don't take it anywhere????  So, after searching EVERYWHERE in my house, I bought this camera - also a Sony Cyber-Shot (link here).

When I received the camera, I thought for sure there would be no learning curve involved - I mean, it was still a Cyber Shot, right?  Wrong.  It took at least 2 months before anything was in focus, half the item would be out of range - it was awful.  But, I finally figured out what angle to shoot the photos, how close I could get to the object, etc., and then found my old camera. Isn't that how it always goes? Just for grins, I tried to take a photo with the old camera, but this old dog could not go back.

Anyway, still not happy my photos, I determined I had two problems: the lighting was still wrong, and that granite background had to go. After researching and trying to find photo lamps that would not impart a horrible shine on my jewelry, I found these lights (link here).

These are entitled "soft-boxes" - there is a piece of sheer white material covering the light bulbs, which help with the ugly shadows in pictures when a straight-on bulb is used.  Now, although these lights are considered portable and lightweight (note the cute bag in the lower right corner of the picture), they were a bit cumbersome to fit together. But, I now have a dedicated studio in my new home (still in the basement, but so much better than the old basement), I never take them down. The stands are also adjustable in height - which comes in handy when I have to take a picture of a necklace on my mannequin. So, problem Number 1 solved.

Problem number 2 was the backgrounds. I did a lot of research, and found the perfect background for me where the background does not deter from the jewelry- an 18% Gray Card. The 18% gray card, combined with the photo lamps, provides the correct exposure regardless of brightness - every single time I snap a picture. And most importantly, the colors stay true. Here is one link to an 18% Gray card on Amazon - I have purchased several different "brands", including these.

The following is a snapshot of my photography setup.  I still use the granite for height - the gray card sits right on top. The table is an old - and I mean at least 20 years old - craft/cutting table that I used to use for sewing.  With the 2 lights facing each other, the shadows disappear.

Now when I take pictures, at least the copper looks like copper and the silver looks like silver.

I still use a hint of prop in the picture sometimes.

Like this small cluster of sea shells...it was the only way to photograph this ring upright!

Most importantly, colors stay true.

Nowadays, the only picture editing program I use is Picmonkey (www.pickmonkey.com).  If you do not want all the advanced features - it's free (with advanced features, it's $4.99/month). Three editing clicks: crop, re-size, automatic exposure. Done.

I am no expert on Watermarks. Technically, what I do is not a watermark at all.  A watermark is a visible embedded overlay on a digital photo consisting of text, a logo, or a copyright notice.  Its purpose it to identify the work and discourage unauthorized use. I just slap my name, the year, and the © symbol.  I only do this for name and "year made" reference (for my use) . It's hard enough to market one's work - and the name Vanderbloemen does not slide easily off one's tongue, or remain in one's memory. So, it's mostly for name recognition in the hopes that someone sees my photo and tries to find my shop! 

Like all art, photography is subjective.  Some people are drawn to an all white background - if taken correctly, it is beautiful! I have seen some phenomenal images of jewelry using tree stumps, driftwood, seashells, and, feathers - you name it.  I do not believe there is a right or a wrong way to take a picture - this is just my way.

If you have any tips on photographing your jewelry, please share in the comments! Would love to read new tips!!

Patti

Plastic Bin Photography Light Box

Hello everyone...wow, these weeks are sure going by fast! Christmas is almost here and I know everyone is cranking out some fantabulous jewelry as this is our busy season.

A couple of days ago, I posted a photo of my homemade photography lightbox on Facebook and it generated a lot of comments. I want to share with you what my process is for photographing my jewelry for the web and print work.

I'm a frugal kind of gal. I try to make do with what I have around the house before I go out and spend money on something already fabricated.  So here is the gist of my system.

I use a clear plastic storage bin as a light box. I take single sheets of copy paper and use clear tape to enclose the box as shown below. This acts as a diffuser, and allows the light to bounce around the bin in a more uniform manner.

I position my light box in front of a window, or depending on the weather and light situation; I take it outside and put it on my porch.  I love taking jewelry shots in a bright, overcast sky. Direct light is not the best, as it tends to wash out your subject matter. As you can see, this is pretty much the set up. It's portable, and I have plenty of room to put my props in.

I keep my props simple. I want people to focus on the jewelry, not the props. I have been using light backgrounds and I have a collection of rocks that I use from time to time to add a little pizazz to the photograph.

Here is the editing process I do...

First, I take the shot.  As you can see, the photo below is the raw image. No editing at all so far. With the light box, that is still a pretty good raw shot. The lighting is nice and diffused. But I need to gussy it up a bit. I usually shoot much closer then this, using my macro setting on my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150. I use the automatic setting usually, and it automatically puts it in Macro. If you have a digital camera, your macro setting should look like a flower on your choice of buttons. It's a point and shoot camera that I've had for a few years now. Still does the job and it only cost me 200 bucks. 

I upload my photos into www.photobucket.com. It's free to use, and I really love the photo editing software. It's easy. Just mess around with it and you will get it down pretty fast since it is very straightforward.

Once it is uploaded, I then edit it. I have developed my own sort of preferences as far as styling my photographs. I like the torn paper look as far as a frame. They have loads of options, so again, just play around and do what appeals to you.

The photo below is the same one as above, but I have just processed it so it's ready for prime time. I prefer to crop square because I know I will using my photos on Etsy, and since they crop square, it's just easier for me to do it before I upload. I use the Contrast button, never the Auto Adjust in Photobucket. Auto Adjust nine times out of ten looks terrible. I may brighten it up a bit, then use the Contrast button to make it pop. Again, I usually get in really close so I don't have to crop it so much, but I wanted you to really see what you can do with a raw photo using a light box.

This is usually how close I get in...and for post earrings, I find photographing them with a sandwich board piece of paper shows them off the best. 

Now, for collages, like the one yesterday, I download the photos onto my computer and then go over to www.picmonkey.com and use their collage feature. Sometimes I use collages on my blog, and Picmonkey has a great Facebook and Pinterest collage that is really fun to use too. Their Facebook collage is made to fit perfectly on your Facebook Page and I use it on my Soul to Substance and personal Facebook  both.

I hope this helps you some as far as figuring out your photography issues...you don't have to have an expensive set up at all to photograph and distribute your work.  If you have more questions, I will be back on here tonight. I will be out today, helping my father buy a river boat!

Taking Pictures of Your Handmade Jewelry

Fire and Water Sterling Silver Small Cuff Bracelet by Stacie Florer

I'm often surprise at the number of jewelry artists who find photographing their work so difficult. No doubt it is a continual learning experience, but you needn't be a professional photographer or have a very expensive camera or Photoshop to make your jewelry shine in pictures.

Here are some simple tips to get started:


1) Learn about your camera. 

-A simple point and shoot digital camera that has a macro option will more than get you started. Read your manual and learn about your camera.

A higher number of megapixels will allow you to get larger and more detailed photos.

2) Select a background that compliments your style of jewelry. 

-Your background shouldn't be too distracting and should have a matte finish. Avoid reflective surfaces like glass or china, or fabric that has a sheen to it until your become more comfortable with your camera and skills.

-Plain white backgrounds are always appealing but if you're inexperienced, it can become frustrating and difficult to achieve a well lit white background.

3) Use correct lighting.

-Natural outdoor light will provide the best and most immediate results. The best most even light is generally achieved early in the morning or late in the afternoon, after the bright sun has past.

-Avoid taking photographs in bright sun as this may cause a glare or harsh shadows on your work.

-Avoid using artificial light such as household lighting as this will cast a yellow or blue light to your work and not represent the most true picture of your work.

4) Learn to edit your photos. 

-Once you've photographed your work, it may be necessary to crop and LIGHTLY correct your images in a photo editing software. There are many free versions of photo editing software such as Picasa as well as online programs such as Pixlr and iPiccy. Your camera may have even come with a photo editing software!

-The best photographs should need little adjustment. If you're spending too much time correcting the contrast and brightness in your photos, keep adjusting your setup in different lights to find the best lighting.

How do you take your best photos? Do you have any tips for taking the best photographs of your jewelry?

Playing with Light

Photography and getting my little pieces presented is one of my least favourite things to do. I've read heaps of things on this. I've tried heaps of things. I always come back to there has just got to be a better (and less expensive) way to do things. 

Now that autumn is here that means for a lot of folks a there will be a limited amount of natural light for photos over the next few months. So what do we do? How do we compensate for the light in the grey days of winter?

Enter Carol Bradley Designs and her post and links to Boo Jewels, truly excellent tips on her experience of getting great jewelry photos.  Boo Jewels  is not only a jewelry designer but a photographer as well.  She's got lots of information in there in a very easily understood language of just what your camera is doing and what you can do with your camera. Which is fabulous for me because sometimes I just zone right out when it comes to technical stuff.

Back when I was in Texas, I did a lot of my photos in relatively low light. Mostly because the natural light was so intense that I had to or all of my photos were over exposed and had deep distracting shadows. So while I was there I did a few experiments based on the tutorial by Boo Jewels.

Two of the things I picked up on straight away were reflecting light and changing your Ev setting on your camera. Mostly because I could reflect light with a cheapo 5 minute hand crafted fix and I actually knew where my Ev setting (that's an exposure compensation setting) was on my point and shoot camera. 

So what I did was set up a tiny little experiment. I photograph most of my jewelrey components on a colour background because I think white is sort of boring for the pieces I make. This green that you see up there is one of the colours I find most pleasing for bronze pieces. It's also one of the most difficult I use to get good and true colour on a computer monitor. But I can't help it, I like how it looks with golden colours of bronze.

So basically, I bounced light around and compesated for indoor exposure. Easy peasy. The first photo, top left is without any 'enhancement', just my normal factory setting on the camera. I usually go in and edit these types of photos to make them brighter.  The top right uses a reflector to bounce light onto the piece. Still kind of dark. The bottom two use and Ev setting of 1 (normal is 0) to compensate for low lighting. The difference is that in the bottom right photo I used a reflector to shine light back onto the pendant. (More on that later, promise) See how they get lighter and brighter?

None of these photos were edited in photoshop or other types of software. These are straight out of my camera. You could and probably would go in and do this.

I know a lot of you photograph jewelry and components on a white background. This is the same sequence, 1) top left, camera factory settings, 2) top right,  light bounced back with added reflector, 3) bottom left,  exposure compensation, 4) bottom right, exposure compensation plus light reflected back onto the component.

And here is that same set of photos adjusted in a photo editing program to be brighter. It works but I still feel like it is over exposed and lacking depth. So I think this is really just a start.

So here's the photo set up. I use an inexpensive clamp lamp from the hardware store fitted with a daylight bulb, one of those spiral types.Those bulbs last forever. I think I've been using this one day in and day out for about 4 years now. It is clamped to the back of  a chair in my dining room. The reflector is on the right and is a piece of kitchen foil scrunched up and then smoothed out and wrapped around a Whitman's Sampler Chocolate box. The chocolates are long gone and I really would like some more. The background paper is scrap book paper from the craft store. Low tech, not very elegant. Easy peasy!

Go check out the tutorial from Boo Jewels. There's heaps more information and ideas there.

How do you use light to photograph your work?

What will you do when the grey days of winter come around?

I'd love to here how you set up your photography!