The best jewelry needs no introduction since it speaks for itself. However, there can be times when no matter how perfect the gemstones are, how well-crafted the designs or how much they shine, they just don’t look good in a photograph
So in order to achieve the best jewelry photo, you have to know how to achieve the perfect jewelry lighting.
Front Jewelry Lighting
Front lighting is where you take the picture of jewelry directly in front of the camera. It will serve you best when you simply want to show enough of the jewelry to inform but not to dazzle. So don’t expect much brilliance from this.
Side Jewelry Lighting
Side lighting is just as it says and is done by lighting jewelry from one side while photographing the jewelry. This style of jewelry lighting adds depth and gives a better impression than front lighting because it accentuates the texture of the jewelry’s surface.
Natural light
Obviously, natural light is the light that you get from the sun. It surrounds the jewelry quite adequately so you will have no need for artificial lighting whether you are taking the picture indoors or outdoors. With the right skill and angle, this will be all you will ever need to get a sparkling result.
Direct Jewelry Lighting
Direct lighting is rarely used on its own since it can create quite a bit of contrast when taking the picture. This does not make for a quality photo and so direct light is usually combined with other techniques such as diffused or soft lighting.
Soft or Diffused Jewelry Lighting
Flashes from your camera can be very detrimental to getting that perfect jewelry photo. This is because camera flash can create vivid shadows and can make the jewelry shiny in the wrong way. So in order for you to get that perfect shot, the light has to be soft or continuous.
There is all sorts of jewelry lighting that is daylight balanced and will serve your needs quite adequately. They can provide a constant source of light so that there is very little need for camera flash and they can be left on for long periods of time without dimming or making the photographer sweat through his lenses.
But those are not enough if you really want to nail it and so you will have to diffuse the lights further without outright putting them out. This can be achieved through the use of small tents to reduce the glare and prevent shadows from getting in the way.
By following and experimenting with some of these jewelry lighting techniques, you’ll be sure to achieve photos that have the same brillance as the jewelry itself.
No matter how good your camera is, without the proper jewelry lighting, your jewelry photographs can easily be a disaster.