Toronto Photography Meetup Group

OK, here's my first test shot of a very reflective ring. When I first looked at it, I thought it would be easy.

HAH!

It was sooooo reflective. I tried everything I could think of. The small light box, the large light box, a cone, a roll of white paper, silver paper as a cone, silver paper as a roll.

Everything reflected off this thing. Tried several WB settings including the PRESET using a grey card, then a white card.

4 hours later and this is what I came up with. I still have cuff links to do!

I was thinking about putting this in the Critique Corner but this is still part of the thread I posted earlier about a potential job to photograph 500 pcs. of jewelry.


<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leesamclellan/6157226376/" title="Final_Img0798 by bestlitestudio stock photos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6157226376_0becbc4325.jpg" width="500" height="486" alt="Final_Img0798"></a>

Looks good to me, since I cant compare it with the actual product.
To be more picky, I say its a tiny bit over exposed.

Thanks for the feedback.

The potential client referred me to a website of how he wants the shots to look. They all seemed really bright. Below is a sample of a ring similar to the one I was shooting, however, mine wasn't silver it was more metal, platinum.

I don't know jewelry metals very well. But hopefully I will learn!!!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leesamclellan/6156769575/" title="WB36000600_main by bestlitestudio stock photos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6156769575_1a14c4492f.jpg" width="380" height="315" alt="WB36000600_main"></a>

Get some sticky wax, this will allow you to shoot your rings at an angle without falling over.

I did use it. But it still falls over or leans in micro increments over time.

Try using black card (beside the ring, but outside of the frame), it will be reflected in jewellery giving it necessary depths.

P.S. good luck with the job! Jewellery photography is not an easy task, but very rewarding (no pun intended ), mastering it will allow you to take beautiful and unique pictures.
Here is Igor Sakharov website http://igorsakharov.com/ for your inspiration (check out his jewellery section).

I know this isn't the critique corner, and I know nothing about product photography, but the ring looks like it's floating in mid air. Perhaps a square of plexi underneath for a reflection or something to give it a shadow like the example would be a good idea.

Thanks Bartimus but I was given instructions by the potential client for it to be on an all white background. Sample website etc.

And here are the cuff links. These weren't as troublesome as the ring.

Took me 40 minutes from taking the shot to post using 2 images. I'm realizing that when shooting silver, it's best to convert the image to grayscale. This eliminates any colour cast produced by the lights, camera and WB setting.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leesamclellan/6159144894/" title="Final_Img0804 by bestlitestudio stock photos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6206/6159144894_be9e6117c5.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="Final_Img0804"></a>

And the ring, shot again to match the sample the potential client provided then converted to grayscale. I think it worked out much better.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leesamclellan/6158329397/" title="Final_Img0802_grayscale by bestlitestudio stock photos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6158329397_bd8b459cef.jpg" width="500" height="486" alt="Final_Img0802_grayscale"></a>

As I mentioned before, it will take a lot of time to post process 500 items ... this alone is a big task.

It's about a day's work, maybe a day and a half (if you are proficient with your photo editing program and have a decent computer).

You just do the bare minimum needed for each image, you don't spend hours on each image. When I process the images I've shot for an online catalogue on average I take less than a minute per image with the following workflow in Photoshop and working with JPEGs (NOT RAWs):

Open file
Remove Lens Distortion
Straighten if needed
Crop
Cloning
Brightness/contrast tweak
Image size
Unsharp Mask
Watermark (dragged from a second open image in PS)
Save for Web (saved as the catalogue number)
Close the original image (other than saving for web, I don't bother resaving the processed image as it just takes extra time, but you may want to save yours as a PSD file, assuming Photoshop).

Of course you have to get it mostly right in the camera first.

The exposure and separations are OK to my taste.
However, what about the hot spots?
The line with the bright dot on the ring and two (at least) bright dots on the cufflinks.

sorry not an expert but why not have your lights bounce up, i know it'll be darker but since you're using a tripod, do a longer exposure?

also, if you're still looking for an adhesive to use to stand the rings, get a 3M VHB tape. it's clear and very high bonding but when you remove it is clean and easy. if you're close to Scarborough, i may have some left over i can give you.