Help! Jewelry Photography Project
lwilliamsworks (20 points) | Tue, 2009-05-26 15:01Hi everyone,
I have a project that requires hundreds of high quality jewelry shots (rings) to be posted on a jeweler's website. The budget does not allow much retouching time. (This economy sucks!) I'm using a Canon 30D with a Sigma 70mm F2.8 Macro. I have found no books or articles that can help me with depth of field techniques or lighting. Basically, I need to create a production-like system. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
L Williams
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
I've done this type of work before and you will either need to purchase or make a light box like this one: http://www.ezcube.com
A tabletop tripod is also essential. These go for around $25 at Wal-Mart.
If your camera has a preset "Close-Up" or Macro setting, use that to start. Play around with the lighting/camera settings to find the sweet spot.
Once you have the parameters dialed-in, it's simply just changing out the product and snapping the images.
Google Jewelry Photography Tips. There's gobs out there to get you started.
Some videos and helpful tips also here: http://www.ezcube.com/step-by-step.html
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
Those EZ Cubes are great. Pen collectors use them to get good pix for bragging purposes, trading on eBay, etc.
Without knowing what this camera, lens and photographer combo can produce, though, I'd say the client would probably be happier hiring someone who does industrial photography for a living, has all the right lighting equipment, etc. The photographer I use for this kind of thing charges $1200 a day, copyrights included. He could knock out something like this in half a day, at half that price, given proper prep work (meaning without wasting his time playing with different colors of background, showing up with smudged or linty jewelry, etc.)
Mara
I'd hire an experienced photographer to do the job. Can the client afford a day rate, maybe $3000? You could probably snap all those jewelry items once the lighting is set up.
This preferrable to you staying up all night (and you probably will stay up all night if you've never done this before) and not making any money at all on this project.
Shiny objects like these can be notoriously hard to shoot; say heloooo to lens flare. :D
Good photography can take your retouching time down to zero if it's done right.
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Dirt and Rust
I totally second that emotion, bud. This is no time to pick up a new skill.
Mara
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