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12 Common Jewellery Product Photography Mistakes

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A.Rrajani Photographer
12 Common Jewellery Product Photography Mistakes

Many of us have been in that position where we needed a new photo for our jewellery shop. It was a client who came in wanting us to photograph the stone she was buying. We were stumped by the fact that the stone should look like it was always polished and the colours reflected in the photos weren't really what she wanted. It is very easy to make a huge mistake while taking photos of jewellery. Here are 12 common jewellery photo mistakes that people make.

The first mistake is having the camera pointed at the back of the stone as you are taking the photo. As the stone spins in the photo the lighting will be on the side and therefore you will get an artificial reflection. This will make the gem look shiny and light coloured rather than being a dull grey. This problem can easily be solved by adjusting your camera settings to the right brightness.

Next try pointing the camera at the sides of the stone rather than the top. Again the lighting will be on the back and so you will end up with an artificial reflection. You also need to remember that the angles you take the photos don't need to be perfect as the effect will be artificial and not natural. Try taking the photos from various angles and see which ones give you the best effects.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not making any colour adjustments. This will result in a lot of dull-looking pictures and none of the colours has actually been applied. The reason for this is that when you lighten a product it makes the colours appear brighter but in actual fact, they become whiter. The key to correcting this is to either use a low grade of blue gel or white paint to darken the colours of the product so they look more natural. There is no point in making an otherwise good-looking stone appear dull if you aren't going to do anything about the underlying problem.

The next mistake that you should avoid is to take a photo that is too busy. You should always aim to have a background that is flat and simple. If it is busy, it will make your jewellery look distractingly real. In order to get an effective photo, you really need to be aware of the way that the light bounces off of different surfaces. In order to achieve this, you should focus on the facets of the stone and focus on those parts where the light bounces.

Try taking a photo of a product that has a lot of texture to it. You see, there are parts of a stone that are really hard and others that are softer. A lot of photos just end up with the stone being dull and without any texture or interest. What you need to do is work with the light that is hitting the product and make it appear brighter and more interesting. You can do this by adjusting the lighting or by using reflections.

Another common mistake that many people make when it comes to product photography is not making sure that the colours match. It is easy to compare the colours on a computer monitor, but when it comes down to a real-life product, you really need to ensure that the colours are matched. If they are not, it will look weird and you might end up with a negative image of the product. This is the last thing that you need.

Try shooting in manual settings if at all possible. This means that you will have control over the exposure and lighting. Many people use automatic settings which can be great for low-light conditions, but if you really want to get a good photo, you should be working in manual mode. When you are doing this, there is no room for mistakes because you can adjust everything easily. This will help you avoid 12 common jewellery photography mistakes.

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A.Rrajani Photographer
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