By special request, I'm going to talk a bit about how I use props when shooting photos of jewellery :) Please note again: this is not a how-to tutorial but essentially my own personal journey in product photography, whose merit (or lack of) is, of course, 100% subjective.

I started out without props of any kind (and a white background that got really hard to maintain - again, a different story and a different look!). At the time, I just wanted to show a piece of jewellery as is, up close and with nothing to distract from it. But as you know, gravity can work for or against you, and buying jewellery online is risky business - it needs to be worn or shown as it would look being worn, if for at least one shot out of the several you will undoubtedly upload to each listing. Also, as I slowly got to know my camera and macro lens better, I wanted to create a context or mood for each of my photos, to present them in a little less clinical manner, and this became an outlet for me to practise photography. Or you can also call it vanity.


Different shots, different props

Using the same pair of earrings as an example, here are, roughly, the various stages that I went through (I still try to take a variety of shots for each item though):


Placed flat, there isn't a wide variety of shots - front, back, but always kind of 2D because I'm trying to show the entire piece in the frame. Sometimes you have certain pieces that are chunkier or are able to "stand" on their own. I propped the earrings up on their earwires and placed one slightly behind the other, shot from a lower angle, to make a photo with some measure of depth.


What about the ones that can't stand on their own? I started to use some small rocks I had around the house. They are neutral-toned, mostly the right size and provide more stability for the pieces. Here's a little tip: cropping part of the rock (or any other prop, really) out of the frame helps to keep attention on the subject. I find that if it's completely in the shot, it can really compete for attention or, from afar, even look like it's part of the subject. Anyway, I got a bit sick of seeing the rocks in my shots after a while and proceeded to seek out other natural materials such as branches and leaves. I know there's lots of jewellery display equipment available and they are indispensable for point-of-sales, but I find they're a bit too factory-like for me. Some people shoot on natural tiles or weathered wood - and those look great!


This second shot with the leaf was taken at an angle to create more depth. A similar effect is achieved by hanging the earrings off a small bowl. Pottery is my current love where props are concerned, especially if it has a rustic feel. I try to avoid the ones with a super shiny glaze because they reflect a lot of unwanted light, especially since I shoot next to a window. Again, I have these cups, dishes and bowls out of the shot as much as possible. These last couple of setups also feature subtle curves/diagonals, which make images appear more dynamic.


Flat objects

The next few shots feature really, really flat pieces. Plain hoop earrings (and rings, not that I make any but the issues are similar, I'd imagine, as I've tried to photograph some rings I bought!) are sometimes challenging to portray, compounded by the fact that I need to show the textured skinny edges of my Flint Hoops. I struggled with the rocks for a while, then changed to perching them on the corner of a dish:


Here, the photos have about the same composition except that with the dish, I can get more elevation for the hoops and am able to move in to capture the facets from far more angles than I would if I were limited to shooting it off a flat surface.


Similar to hoops, these bangles are so 2D I could weep. And again, the detail that I wanted to show was on the skinny edge. Check out how they look laid flat vs hooked over a bowl. In the second shot, the position of the bangles allows more light to pass through the gems and the DoF plus darker background makes this all stand out more. Overall I'd say the subject and pic has more "life" :)


These are also hoops, but they have earwires which I can actually use to prop them up for some height. Because they're relatively large and are not uniform in design, DoF with this particular macro lens (at a setting I can comfortably manage without a tripod anyway) tends to make the back half containing those keishi pearls blur into oblivion. In order to show the entire design yet maintain some semblance of depth to the image, I stood them up against a bowl so that at least one side of them from top to bottom is within the vertical plane that is in focus. Similar effect could be achieved by hooking them over the top of a bowl, cup etc - but I kind of like them grounded and at rest like this.


Live models

Now for models - I am still struggling with this aspect. I think it's lovely to see jewellery being worn - only for rings, bracelets or necklaces though. Some people might be squeamish about buying some earrings that have already been through the piercings of someone else, aye? It's a personal thing. Anyway, since I have no assistant photographer or model to speak of, I have to take my own bracelet shots. And this is exceedingly difficult, if you can imagine holding a 0.9kg (bloody 'ell! I just discovered the combined weight of camera body + macro lens a couple of days ago) device in one hand and squinting through the viewfinder, trying to get a shot of the other hand that won't come out at a funny angle or show distracting things in the background.


Besides showing relative size (assuming the model is an "average"-sized person anyway), you get a sense of how a piece drapes, which is especially important for bracelets and necklaces (for the latter, I use a small bust - I would like a mannequin, but hey... I don't usually make very big or chunky necklaces anyway). I have 2 suggestions if you are attempting this:

1) Try to ensure the piece of jewellery is as large or prominent as possible within the frame while at the same time showing what part of the anatomy it's being worn on. Although it's a modelled shot, you'd still want to be able to see the individual components or special features on the jewellery, if possible. This is also where manipulating DoF would be quite useful as you can selectively blur irrelevant bits of background out.

2) As far as clothes and background go, it's really important to de-clutter so that focus remains on the jewellery. So... that means plain-ish clothes in solid complementary or neutral colours. And if you can, have some nice light to create a mood - near a window would be great :)

I have seen some really nice modelled jewellery shots around - and they need not even be done by professional models or photographers. But I'm still trying to get there... I need a model!!

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That's about it for now - thank you for reading and I hope my story has been helpful in whatever small way.

In this second part, I will share a bit about what sort of post-processing happens to my jewellery photos. Two things I need to qualify first:

1) These are product photos - they need to fulfill the prerequisites of being clear and sufficiently lit. They should thus not be over-processed (you know, like art prints and stuff) as this could result in misrepresentation and misunderstanding.

2) I do assume your prior knowledge of Photoshop. So if you haven't a clue about what I'm referring to, then Google is your friend :) This post is absolutely not intended as a beginners' intro or tutorial (heaps of them out there), merely a behind-the-scenes look at what I usually like to do to my images.

Time of day

So this is why people who shoot in natural daylight keep going on about whether there is sufficient light and when this light is happening. Assuming it is bright enough, the quality of light is different at varying points throughout the day. I shoot beside a window that gets the late afternoon sun, so if it's too strong and is casting hard shadows, I go to some other window or wait for the next day. Around midday, it's stronger and more "blue" and you can see a pinkish cast on my first pic. In the late afternoon to early evening, which incidentally is my favourite time for shooting non-indoor stuff, it has a warmer tone to it:


These are auto white balanced, SOOC (straight out of the camera, not modified) shots and if you looked at each pic individually instead of side by side, they're probably acceptable as the colour cast is not that apparent, and in any case can be corrected in Photoshop. Which brings me to the next bit...

Additional enhancements

I don't usually need to correct much for lighting as I ensure I get sufficient amounts of it (adjust exposure manually if necessary), but these are the other basic fixes and enhancements I do:


Same as before, the first pic is the one with the slight pinkish tone. I adjusted the colour balance to even it out, then added a neutral gradient map in soft overlay mode at 20% transparency (adjust to taste) as a sort of contrast enhancer. The last step is optional - it depends on the composition and overall tone of each photo - a soft vignette around the image to highlight the centre portion and make it "pop" more.

Here's another example also with a slight cool pinkish cast that I made warmer and more yellow:


The changes are quite subtle here because the original image didn't really need much touch-up. One thing that would greatly help reduce the amount of post-processing work is to pick either neutral or analogous complementary backgrounds that won't compete with the subject or create a horribly overpowering cast - which I find is sometimes problematic when shooting closeup with an automatic. Backgrounds I avoid are white, beige, pink, medium-dark green, medium blue. They're either too weak or too strong for the pieces I shoot, so you have to find what works best for you. Favourite backgrounds are medium-dark grey, medium to dark brown, any natural surface with neutral tones - these are all the ones I've found to require the least or no colour correction necessary - and perhaps pale green/aqua (trickier). Obviously I'd avoid backgrounds with prints (yes, even black and white text, unless perhaps the subject is really strong and colourful). Uncomplicated, mono/duotone prints might work if the subject is a very simple piece and by some DoF miracle I can make the background fade away... but then why bother in the first place - just go with a plain one LOL!

Here is one last example with a really lousy photo I took today (was in a rush, and it was about to rain!), using the same steps as described above:


And there you have it. Hurrah for technology! ;)

So some of you like the way I take pictures of my jewellery... I thank you :) I am of course not an expert, but I thought I'd run through a bit of my processes, starting with the basics.

White balance

A lot of frustration I've heard is about not being able to "get the colours right" - to make them look the same in the photo as they do in person. I've picked something mostly transparent, not much colour but you can see how "white" turns up in various preset white balance settings.


The first and second pics were taken with the wrong settings. Most of the time, you should be able to use the "auto" option - as in the third pic. I use either this or the "daylight" setting, as I shoot in natural daylight next to a window. Now, while the third pic is the best representation of natural light, I adjusted the colour balance (increase cyan/blue tones on highlights) in Photoshop to remove the slight yellow cast on the whites. Whites are tricky to shoot and sometimes need a little extra help!

Background

This white balance business is also why I prefer not to use white backgrounds (although it would be much easier if you use a light tent with strong fixed lighting, but that's another different story). I feel that different coloured backgrounds are able to enhance or emphasise the piece you're shooting.


Again, this example is pretty straightforward because of the almost lack of colour in the piece. But you can see how the crystal quartz stands out so much more on the dark background and gets kinda lost on the light one. I would never shoot on a light background unless I was sure I have a very good light source, because I know I'd be adjusting it like mad in Photoshop! Also, I could have chosen any dark background - grey, brown, green - but I picked blue. Why? I prefer to complement the colours on my pieces - rather than fight them or lose them - so that the picture looks more cohesive. And I know what you read about colour wheels and stuff, but I'm not really a fan of having contrasting backgrounds, e.g. a bright pink background for a green-themed piece unless it's a fun or kitschy piece and that's the mood I want to extend into the photo.

Depth of field

Super layman ('cause that's what I am!) explanation here: Depth of field basically refers to the part of a picture that is in focus. Shallow DoF means less of it is in focus, resulting in more blurry parts, and vice versa. When combined with a macro lens, shallow DoF allows you to isolate a particular detail of the photo subject by focusing sharply on one part while blurring out the rest.

When shooting with shallow DoF, the positioning of the subject and the angle at which you shoot becomes important. If an item is laid out flat and you shoot from a low angle, much more of it will be blurry than if you were to move up higher and shoot almost perpendicular to it. If you prop the item up such that most of it falls along the same vertical plane, you can get it in focus while making the background appear super blurry.

Choosing the option that best works for the piece is also critical to how you communicate what's in a photo. In a piece that is uncluttered and simple (example), I would go for a f/2.8 to draw the eye to details like faceting or texture. However, for a piece that is more complicated (example) I would choose f5 and above and shoot along a different plane.

Here are some examples of the same necklace taken at different aperture sizes and shutter speeds with my Sigma 50mm macro lens (SOOC!):


See how more of the necklace and chain comes into focus? The last photo there was taken with my point-and-shoot Canon IXUS in macro mode. I haven't shot jewellery with this camera for so long I'd forgotten how it was! Kinda difficult to get used to now. But as you can see, I can't manually control the aperture size and so... most of the necklace is somewhat in focus and the mood is quite different. A bit clinical. It would suffice if you just want to take normal photos of jewellery or other things, but if you want the pics to look more "artistic" then I suppose you had better get a DSLR with a macro lens :P

One thing I've found is that using a macro lens, I can shoot my photos in a much smaller space (I graduated from laying out on the floor to using a small shelf 1/3 of the original floor area) and it doesn't matter so much what the background is because I can blur it out if I want. I've had comments that the jewellery appears larger than it actually is in person - well of course it does, that's how you get to see closeup detail. I can't tell you how many times I got so annoyed with pictures that don't show enough - I want to see the wirework, the clarity of gems, etc BUT yes of course I do also want to see how it drapes or might look when worn.

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That's all for now - if you've actually finished reading this, thank you! Next time I will talk a bit about post-processing in Photoshop.

P.S. The piece being featured is the Chiara necklace which will be given away to a lucky Facebook fan on June 1st. So heh heh, become a fan now if you aren't already one :)

I've been feeling rather poorly these past few days, no thanks at all to protracted CNY snacking on all the "heaty" stuff. It's a darned shame that all these foods that are bad for you have to taste so good.

Anyway, I wanted to post new photos I took this morning of the gold Flint Hoops, which I had to rush through before going out on errands. I also discovered that my obssession with having them matching, symmetrical, etc means that I can only produce like 3 pairs per hour! I'm just not cut out for factory-line mass production :P And since I feel like boring you with details, these are the steps that go into the creation of each set.


1. Measure and cut wire, trying to avoid being gouged by the sharp ends.

2. File both ends and form the loops, making sure they are like 98% identical in size/shape and lie perfectly horizontal.

3. Form the hoops around a mandrel, and make the sticking up bits that hooks into the loops. Harder than it sounds to make everything exactly even :\

4. Lay flat and hammer with mallet, which does not flatten the metal, just hardens it. Reshape with pliers if necessary.

5. Hammer skinny edges with flat side of hammer to form the shape and background texture, then hammer skinny edges with pointy side of hammer to make the rough facets.

6. Test opening and closing, polish them up, and feel the lurve!

I am sorry if it sounds like I'm on the metaphorical high horse here but I just have to say.... I really wish people would have better shots of products they're trying to sell.

Yes, I know (and fervently admire) there are those with fabulous shots, and there is actually quite a wealth of information and tips out there on how to get decent pictures, so I don't really understand why crap pics still exist (wth reference to Etsy and other handmade community sites). This bugs me because I am a shopper too. So here are my views as said shopper.

By crap pics, I mean the ones that are simply:
- too dark
- blurry
- so small I can't even tell what your item is

These are the most obvious, and the most easily remedied. You don't need a fancy-ass camera or be a Photoshop pro. You just need to know how whatever camera you have works - and if it's a point-and-shoot kind, there are usually presets for beginners. If you can transfer the photos to your computer to load into your shop, you've got no excuse in not knowing how to fiddle with rudimentary camera settings.

You don't need complicated lighting either - diffused natural light is most pleasing to the eye. Next... size matters. You know what's in your pic because you made it and probably took the pic, but we don't know whether it's a mess of broken glass or an intricate pendant. Please move your body nearer to the subject. And when clicking the shoot button, please only move your finger.

I will probably not click on your listing if:
- your photo looks like everyone else's on the listings pages
- the background is so busy it renders the subject indistinguishable
- the subject blends too much into the background
- your props confuse me about what you're trying to sell
- you have mistagged your item (grrrrr)

Basically, please just give me a reason to click your listing instead of the gazillion others. Show me an interesting angle, or a detail that makes your item special. If you take pride in your work, you should also take pride in presenting it to other people.

Photography may be an art, but I see it no different from most other forms of visual art - and by visual art I would obviously include items like jewellery, clothes and anything to do with fashion and accessories as they are things made to be seen. Isn't seeing is one of the most immediate and instinctive senses?

So... create beauty... revel in it... and share it. Don't do it half-assed ;)

This is just a mild rant about how I feel as a buyer on Etsy.

Most of the time, the transactions have been fine. A few sellers in particular have stood out with their personal touch and, of special concern to international buyers, fast shipping.

I'm a seller too, so of course I know we can't control the amount of time a package spends in mail transit. What we can control is how soon we dispatch it. What's acceptable to me is probably 3 business days max for non-customised stuff, i.e. stuff you already have on hand - provided the processing time for a shipment to be mailed out is clearly stated somewhere. I do read everything on your profile page if I'm gonna buy something from your shop, you know.

What's unacceptable is a package being mailed out like 2 weeks after the purchase was made. The postage date stamp on the item says it all. Not only that, two bally weeks, and not even any follow-up convos. I hatehatehate it when I buy something and don't hear from the seller. Is it so difficult to even hit "reply" to the Paypal email and write one measly line about when the merchandise will ship? I've had busy sellers who still manage to communicate properly. I've had the occasional rogue package stuck in the mail for a month through no fault of the seller. Yes, you can mark an order as "shipped" in Etsy, but that doesn't tell me anything because there's no timestamp. I want to know when it shipped so I gauge when to expect it. So that I know something will have gone wrong if nothing shows up within a certain amount of time. Yeah, I know they might be clawing their way through an avalanche of orders, but still. Two weeks to ship? And then another two weeks to get here. All the while, I've been waiting, wondering and worrying because there was no communication.

So, this is getting to be a convoluted rant... but let me tell you, this has already happened a few times. What's the point of buying indie if I don't even feel like there's someone there on the other side?

The other thing I feel most indignant about is when sellers don't reciprocate positive feedback. As a seller, your feedback concerns mainly the buyer's payment. You don't have to wait for them to receive the item to leave feedback because it nothing else has any bearing on their rating as a buyer. At least, I don't think so. Again, I understand if your deluge of sales prohibits you from leaving timely feedback, but I kind of feel slightly "cheated" if it's not returned within a month.

From time to time I wonder whether this occasional cruddy treatment happens because I'm also a seller. Do they think I can afford to wait longer than other people? Do they think I know what's going on in their postal system and will somehow be more tolerant? Do they think I don't need the feedback? Don't I deserve the same treatment as normal buyers? Or do they basically treat everyone like they don't really need our business? Don't we all need to practise basic courtesy? Or am I just a spoilt Singaporean whining about life?

I'll say this, the good does outweigh the bad, but sometimes I can't help walking away with a sour taste in my mouth and disappointment in my bag that makes me wary of going on another spending spree so soon.