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?