Jewelry Photography Tips for Captivating Images

If you run an e-commerce store, you know how important it is that your products are photographed nicely. But depending on the products you sell, it can sometimes be challenging to come up with great pictures especially if your products require keen attention to details.  

One example is jewelry. You must impress potential customers to make them want to buy your jewelry, and you need to describe each piece very well by paying attention to the little details of your jewelry pieces when photographing them which may seem like an uneasy task.

If you are not a professional photographer, but you are running a jewelry store and want to be able to take great photos of your jewelry pieces, we have listed some useful and doable photography tips for you. 

1. Get Good Equipment

Nowadays, a lot of devices can take decent photos such as smartphones and mini digital cameras, but these may not be capable enough to capture the important details of your jewelry pieces. 

If you are going for more professional looking photos, it is important to invest in a proper DSLR camera paired with a macro lens. This will enable you to capture close-up shots of your jewelry products which is very important to showcase their beautiful details.

2. Choose a Clean Background

When taking photos with jewelry pieces as your subject, make sure that the attention goes to the jewelry alone and it is the only thing that stands out in each shot. So it is important to avoid distracting backgrounds. Choose a clean area with neutral colors like white or black. You may also use a plain white cardboard elevate the quality of your shots. This way, you can make sure your jewelry stands out in the photograph.

Notice how a clean white background made the Birthstone Capital Letter Necklace the focus of this shot

3. Find Good Light

One of the most important elements of a good photograph is lighting. You may utilize natural lighting by taking pictures near a big window or any place in your room with a good source of natural light. 

If you choose to take photos outside, make sure you do it at the right time of the time when there is no harsh sunlight which is usually at noon time. It is better to do it when the sun is setting so that the outdoor light is softer and more diffused. If you have extra budget, you may also invest in lighting equipment like softboxes, and led lights.

Look at how the natural light made these Dome-Shaped Rings stand out in this shot

4. Reduce Reflections

More often than not, jewelry pieces have very reflective surfaces because they are usually made of shiny materials like gold, silver and special stones. This makes it challenging to photograph them because reflections can be a distraction. To reduce unwanted reflections, use a polarizing filter on your lens. If you don’t have one, experiment with angles. 

Try different angles until you find the perfect POV that shows the brilliance and elegance of your jewelry pieces the way you want without too much reflections.

5. Focus on Composition

Composition is another important skill to master when taking photos. A good way to compose your shot is by arranging your subjects nicely, and putting them together with other elements in your shot such as props and other products that come with it neatly. 

It is also important to play with different angles to achieve the best composition possible. Take different kinds of shots such as full shots, close-up shots, and creative shots.

6. Use Props and Models

When it comes to product shots, it is very important that you show your customers how it feels to use your products to make them relate to the products more and persuade them to buy. So make sure to take pictures of models wearing your jewelry in different places, with different clothes and with other products that it can be used with. 

Capturing these Birthstone Charms with a beautiful model made it more relatable

7. Edit Your Pictures

To achieve good looking photographs, it is not enough that you just use the photographs straight out of the camera. You will need to edit them after shooting to improve exposure, colors and more especially when shooting products because you need to make sure the photographs look as close to reality as possible and oftentimes, straight-out-of-camera photos are too dull if they are not edited. 

To edit your shots, you may use tools Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. Just make sure that you don’t overdo the edits because it may defeat the purpose of editing, like making the photos too unrealistic.

8. Tell Stories

Photographing is another way of telling a story. So use this purpose of photography in your shots. Take pictures that tell the story of your jewelry pieces. For example, take detailed shots that showcase what the jewelry is made of, where it’s from or how it was made. This makes your shots more special and can also add relatability for your potential buyers.

Try these tips and we hope these can help you improve the way you photograph your jewelry pieces to elevate your e-commerce store and attract more buyers in the future! Happy shooting!