How do you get the sparkle in Jewelry?

[mackguyver]

I have embarked on a new photographic journey - product photography. I'm getting good results with most of my work, but I'm not happy with my jewelry shots. I can't seem to get the sparkle out of cut gems and the photos come out looking somewhat dull, like eyes without catchlights.

I have scoured the Internet, but so far, the best I've found is special "dazzler" LED bulbs or very expensive LED spotlights on a snake-type mount. My old mind has even gone back to thinking of star filters that some of us used in the film days, and maybe that's the secret, but that seems pretty dated.

I have gotten some half-decent results using crumpled and opened aluminum foil, but there must be some trick to it.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated!

 

[privatebydesign]

The key is to effectively make two lighting setups within the same exposure, a softer light for the general exposure and then very hard light sources for the shine, this is normally done with snooted lights and can take a ridiculous amount of lights, or exposures, to get 'right'. Treat the two setups completely differently, you could use your Einsteins for the general light and your EX's for the hard lights.

I am sure you already have the Light, The Science and Magic book but it is always worth pulling off the shelf for a refresher when the light isn't working.

Don't use star filters!

My favourite person for product photography tips is Alex Koloskov, he has a couple of YouTube channels, https://www.youtube.com/user/AKELstudio https://www.youtube.com/user/Photigy

 

[monkey44]

Can you give us an example of the set-up you are shooting.

I expect it may be the angle of the light - jewelry, especially clear stones will capture the incoming light and send it out in a odd direction depending on the cut. So, the sparkle misses the lens - same thing with a curve on a gold or silver ring.

Also, believe it or not, try shooting in a mirror, it will repeat the light deflection in the opposite direction from where it enters and get you back where you thought you were. LED light is good, very powerful compared to others.

This technique I use for very artsy stuff, but might work for jewels as well ...

 

[mackguyver]

Thank you both for your feedback and I had a feeling that snoots would be involved. I've tried 15 degree grids inside of the standard, but couldn't get the light hard or tight enough. I'll try some homemade snoots on my EXs and use the Einsteins as main / fill & background lights.

I have a couple of powerful LED headlamps I can try as well. I just recently went to a tethered set up so I might play around in LiveView until I get the sparkles I want and then add the rest of the lights. Part of me thinks that I might be overexposing the main lights, too. I'll give it a shot this weekend and post the results.

Thanks again for the help and don't worry, I tossed my star filters back when I sold my film gear! I just have C-PLs and NDs these days.

 

[Schmave]

If you've ever been to a jewelry store you'll notice they have many, many small lights all over the ceiling. I think, in order to get the sparkles in diamonds, the more hard light sources you have the more sparkles you get. Now, I don't know how you could easily translate that into a lighting setup (maybe get a string of LED Christmas lights and put them all around the product?), but if you have more lights you might get more sparkles. I've never tried this so I don't know if it would actually work but it's my theory and I'm going with it.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

To control the reflections, it would use continuous light instead of flash. If possible, attach an LED illuminator on a flexible support, to adjust the positioning to find the ideal position.

 

[1982chris911]

http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com/tips/jewelry_photography_tips.html

In this guide they suggest the use of Natural Light LEDs. I remember talking to guy who needed pictures of gold products. he also told me sth about special LED and light setups to get the right color of gold rings ...

 

[Wick]

I have embarked on a new photographic journey - product photography. I'm getting good results with most of my work, but I'm not happy with my jewelry shots. I can't seem to get the sparkle out of cut gems and the photos come out looking somewhat dull, like eyes without catchlights.

I have scoured the Internet, but so far, the best I've found is special "dazzler" LED bulbs or very expensive LED spotlights on a snake-type mount. My old mind has even gone back to thinking of star filters that some of us used in the film days, and maybe that's the secret, but that seems pretty dated.

I have gotten some half-decent results using crumpled and opened aluminum foil, but there must be some trick to it.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated!

While you're puzzling this out, take a look at Topaz Star Effects. I used it for the rin shots at a wedding and it worked wonderfully. You can choose from a wide variety of different sparkle effects and different intensities and many other variables.

Sure, you need to be able to capture the sparkle in camera as best you can, but this does allow you to get the effect if you need it and didn't get in camera.

 

[Hector1970]

I'd second Topaz Star Effects. Just put a white dot on the picture where you want the sparkle to be, a bit crude but workable

 

[axtstern]

The light sources, their amount, Position and Focus are of course important but the things which helped me:

Theory and Sharpees


Read a Little about the cut of Diamonds. It helps understanding under which circumstances their inner fire is awakened.

Then narrow your light down to only light a group of facettes or widen it to light them all.

Now come the sharpees: darken some facettes to gain contol over which facettes reflect how much light or do not reflect light at all...