How to shoot jewellery and NOT get reflections of the camera

[LewisShermer]

a 60D and the 100mm is ideal.

for starters, lay a piece of white paper or card down on a table up to the edge then lay out your jewellery and compose your shot.

what flash equipment do you have?

 

[victorwol]

this is one of the setups I use to photograph my wife jewelry...

 

[victorwol]

and for bottles..

 

[Joellll]

Or perhaps with a very dedicated light setup you can eliminate reflecting light that hits the camera (i.e., the camera stays in the dark).

 

[kirispupis]

Buy the book Photography:Light, Science & Magic. It will answer all of your questions and questions to those questions in exhausting detail.

 

[infilm]

@Omar. I have been doing table top motion photography for many years, as well as motion picture lighting for cars and other very reflective objects over a period of 25 years. In looking at the 2 photos of the rings, it appears to me, that you are trying to get to a very white world. That will result in a pretty flat image. Unless you add some kind of silver reflective material or some hard light for a few "pings" in the ring. If that is what you are after then you need to build a white cave around the ring and it needs to be lit fairly evenly. This can be done with large cards or with some kind of this white material and lighting that from behind. The camera can be hidden behind a large card, at least 4'x4' and then removing the black spot of the lens in post. It is likely that you may not see the lens reflected as it should be very tiny. Another technique I have used. You need to build a completely black world around the ring. You then light the black which will become white reflective in the ring. The remaining areas of the black that are not lit will become greys and blacks in the ring and should render some very nice reflections. This technique does require more lighting and is more difficult to achieve good results, but the time spent can be very satisfying. Good luck.

 

[bycostello]

all about your angles... light, science and magic a good book on this

 

[omar]

guys, thanks for the replies. i didn't get a chance to say thanks for the further replies

@infilm: great advice. thanks
not trying to get white. just want bling - but not make look artificial. the problem is that what i see with the eye is a beautifully lit ring - that when photographed looks darker than it is actually

Photography:Light, Science & Magic - ok... i think i've heard this several times now. the only thing is... i don't fancy putting my head into a book and reading. but if i have to... then i have to!

@victorwol: why have u got a black card on top of the bottle picture setup?

@LewisShermer: flash... erm yes... there was no flash.
i'm posting a question on this in the next few min

all other replies: thanks a million. all replies were read and got great advice

 

[Quasimodo]

guys, thanks for the replies. i didn't get a chance to say thanks for the further replies

@infilm: great advice. thanks
not trying to get white. just want bling - but not make look artificial. the problem is that what i see with the eye is a beautifully lit ring - that when photographed looks darker than it is actually

Photography:Light, Science & Magic - ok... i think i've heard this several times now. the only thing is... i don't fancy putting my head into a book and reading. but if i have to... then i have to!

@victorwol: why have u got a black card on top of the bottle picture setup?

@LewisShermer: flash... erm yes... there was no flash.
i'm posting a question on this in the next few min

all other replies: thanks a million. all replies were read and got great advice

This might not be a Gordian knot solution, bit what about shifting your way out of the problem with a TS lens?

 

[omar]

This might not be a Gordian knot solution, bit what about shifting your way out of the problem with a TS lens?

don't understand what ur saying
what do u mean by TS lens?
thanks

 

[Quasimodo]

This might not be a Gordian knot solution, bit what about shifting your way out of the problem with a TS lens?

don't understand what ur saying
what do u mean by TS lens?
thanks

A Tilt-Shift lens. Gives you the opportunity to shoot distorting the perspective, thus avoiding the reflection.

 

[omar]

can u give me a part number to look up for the lens u refer to?
thanks

 

[rs]

can u give me a part number to look up for the lens u refer to?
thanks

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-TS-E-90mm-f-2.8-Tilt-Shift-Lens-Review.aspx

 

[omar]

thanks @rs
i didn't know such lenses existed
very clever
i've invested in a 100mm macro IS lens... so will just gave to get used to using thatt
in future... i'll definitely consider

 

[bdunbar79]

Hey omar,

Congratulations on your committment to do jewelry photography. It is going to be very challenging, but one I'm sure you can handle. I'd just like to offer some words of advice, in that this is going to be incredibly difficult to get no reflections. This is NOT going to be an easy task at all and could take a very long time to master. But that's the fun in it right? Good luck and remember to post photos here and there!