Tips to Take Better Pictures of Handmade Jewelry Unique Earrings Handcrafted Bracelets

Great photography is a necessity when you have a handmade jewelry website. Unfortunately, handcrafted jewelry is very difficult to photograph. Many jewelry artisans cannot afford to go to a professional and so they want to do it themselves. There are some simple techniques that even amateur photographers can use to obtain better results with minimal effort. The following examples show the basic setup that should allow anyone to achieve results they can be proud of.

In the olden days we spent thousands of dollars on photo processing but nowadays we are so blessed with the digital camera. I could write an article just about the virtues of the digital camera. It does not have to be the top of the line professional camera anymore as most digital cameras have a macro feature which is specifically for photographing small objects like handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. It is worthwhile to read your camera manual to learn how to put the camera in macro mode.

The keys to good handmade jewelry photography are sharpness, lighting and exposure. The macro lens is a big help for the sharpness factor. Another key to a sharp image is a tripod. It is absolutely essential to use a tripod or similar camera support when taking pictures of handcrafted jewelry. A sturdy tripod is better than a flimsy one, but any tripod is many times better than no tripod. Always use a tripod and your photos will be sharp.

If you are thinking of investing in a new digital camera just for photographing your handmade jewelry one of the most convenient features we use constantly is a direct camera to computer cable. We adjust all the settings from the computer and press the space bar to take the picture. No more shaking or movement of any kind and all the settings are the same every time. Technology makes our lives much easier.

The second key to great handmade jewelry photography is the lighting. Normally diffuse (soft) lighting works best for jewelry. You have probably already discovered that an on-camera flash does not lead to good photos. Not only is the flash too bright at such a close distance, it will also create bright spots and distracting shadows. Rather than flash it is better to use continuous lighting for photographing handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. Using daylight balanced bulbs for lighting provide natural-colored light. You can purchase these from photography suppliers. We use 5200 K bulbs which resembles daylight most closely. Even these lights will need to be diffused and for that use a light tent as the diffuser.

A small light tent makes it easy to reduce glare and control shadows for handcrafted jewelry photography. These are commercially available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but are generally quite expensive. It is not difficult to make your own lighting tent from white rip-stop nylon material, a couple of metal coat hangers and double-sided tape. The light tent tends to soften the shadows and eliminate glare, while providing a clean and clutter free background.

Proper exposure is the last key to good handmade jewelry photography. If your background is actually white but appears grey in your image then the image has been underexposed. This means you need to let more light get to your camera’s image sensor. Adjust your camera exposure compensation setting to slightly overexpose the image. Nearly every digital camera has an exposure compensation setting, but you may need to read your camera user manual to find how to adjust yours. Once you locate the controls for exposure compensation simply increase the exposure until the image looks correct.

If you are comfortable with photography you can experiment with the settings for aperture and shutter speed to see how they affect the exposure. Once you find the perfect settings for your handmade jewelry you will find that you can easily adjust them for different pieces. We tend to take photos for new handmade earrings and handmade bracelets all at once so that everything is set up properly only once. You can also look at the settings on photos that you are happy with and keep the same settings each time.

Imaging software, even inexpensive software like Photoshop Elements™ can make handmade jewelry photography much easier. It may seem like it would be faster to use an image exactly as it was shot. But in reality, it is difficult to get your handmade earrings and handmade bracelets to look exactly how you would like it to appear. Imaging software allows you to crop an image, resize it, adjust the exposure, remove the background and even sharpen the images. I especially like the auto-enhance for just the right color balance.

We have been taking our own handmade jewelry photos for many years and just as it is with making our handmade earrings and handmade bracelets, it does get easier with time. I hope these suggestions help you to take great photos of your unique handcrafted jewelry.

About the Author

The artisans of Copper Reflections have been making handmade jewelry and unique gift ideas since 1985. We are specialized in animal jewelry and Native American jewelry, each piece is carefully designed and handcrafted especially for you. Our designs are silver plated and diamond cut on copper handcrafted jewelry and unique gifts. We started our business participating in arts and crafts shows progressing to wholesale jewelry and gift shows. We have built a successful business and hope to inspire others to reach their goals.

Read more by this author, Jennifer Hisir, at Handmade Jewelry Blog by Copper Reflections.

Jewelry Photography Tutorial: Focus Stacking and Bracketing

MyStudio MSJ1 12-Piece Jewelry Photography Toolkit for Jewelry Product Photography $74.00 Jewelry is one of the most challenging types of products to photograph, yet a good photo can make a significant difference in how interested buyers are and ultimately how much they are will to pay. To maximize the sales potential of your jewelry, you MUST have excellent photos. The MSJ1 12pc Jewelry Photography Toolkit from MyStudio was created for just that purpose: to assist you in taking the be…

MyStudio MS20J Complete Tabletop Photo Studio – 12-Piece Jewelry Photography Toolkit, Bonus Tripod for Product Photography $259.00 When advertising in the world of retail, good photos are critical. This is especially true when marketing jewelry. To maximize the sales potential of your jewelry, you MUST have excellent photos. To create the MyStudio MS20J, the creators of the acclaimed MyStudio line of tabletop photo studios have combined the popular MS20 Tabletop Photo Studio with the MSJ1 12pc Jewelry Photography Toolkit, whi…

Fotodiox Canon EOS Macro Extension Tube Set Kit for Extreme Close-up, fits Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, Mark II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, t3, t3i, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D, 1100D $6.45 You can use the camera mount coupling adapter and lens mount coupling adapter alone or with combination of any or all three extension tubes for extreme Macro photography. Since there is no other optical components been added, the image preserve the original optical property of the lens. This is a much desired way to turn your existing lens into a MACRO LENS….

Wild Wire: 50+ Projects for You and Your Home Made with Wild Wire (Jewelry Crafts) $4.89 Bend it, shape it, and create with one of today’s most versatile craft mediums – wire! In this hot new book from NSI Innovations and Krause Publications, readers will find more than 50 exciting projects for scrapbooking, creating jewelry, and home decor. Complete introductory material provides a look at the necessary tools and supplies for completing each project, including the Twist ‘n Curl, jig,…

Modeling in Wax for Jewelry and Sculpture (Jewelry Crafts) $34.95 From start to finish, all the instructional details are included for every phase of wax casting and mold-making in the second edition of this text on jewellery making….

Photographing Arts, Crafts & Collectibles: Take Great Digital Photos for Portfolios, Documentation, or Selling on the Web (A Lark Photography Book) $14.16 A classic reference enters the digital age! The long anticipated update of Steve Meltzer’s Photographing Your Craftwork is here—and finally artists have a guide that helps them produce high quality images of their work. Cutting through the jargon and hype around digital photography, Meltzer explains in plain language how digital cameras operate, and explores specific techniques for lighting and…

3 Clear Acrylic Jewelry Display Risers Showcase Fixtures $8.99 3 New Acrylic Display Risers For Jewelry Showcases & Countertops This is new set of 3 acrylic risers. These risers add sophistication and height to displays. Drape bracelets and chains over the gentle curves or place boxed jewelry atop nested risers to highlight special designs or sales.You receive: One acrylic riser that measures approximately 2 3/4″ x 2″ x 1 1/4″ (70 x 50 x 32 mm). One acrylic r…

1901 Print Sakalava Women Madagascar Cultural Dress Jewelry Voltzkow Photography – Original Halftone Print $41.95 This is an original 1901 halftone print of two Sakalava women of Madagascar, featuring photography by Dr. A. Völtzkow….

1921 Print Nepal Woman Cultural Dress Jewelry Nose Piercing Singh Photography – Original Color Print $46.95 This is an original 1921 color print of a woman of Nepal in her native dress at the Darjeeling Bazaar. Photography courtesy of S. Singh. Please note that there is printing on the reverse….

Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio $18.99 Crayola Model Magic Jewelry Studio lets you fashion fun and fabulous handmade trinkets, bracelets, necklaces and much more. The bead spinner mashes small amounts of Model Magic into marbled beads and baubles. Make handmade gifts for friends and family, host a jewelry-making party or create your own line of colorful accessories.Product Dimensions (inches): 2 (L) x 13.5 (W) x 12.1 (H)Age: 6 years an…