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well after about two days of figuring out how to do it, I think I figured out how to take good pictures of my wife's jewelry.



Anyone care to comment?

I made one of those light tents, then put it on a end table next to a window.  After about 100 different light combinations, settings etc, I think I got it?

It looks good.  There are a couple of minor flash glare spots on the rings (but it could be the monitor I'm using right now)

thanx amy, this was one of the toughest things I have ever tried to figure out.

Taking pictures of jewelry is extremely hard to do. Your picture looks good. I also see a few very minor flash spots, but it is next to impossible to get a good picture of silver jewelry without a minor flash glare spot or two.

I have also found that when taking pictures of jewelry that are made with mostly silver, using a background color other than white works well too. I sometimes use different colors of  construction paper (I have also used material as a background). If you go with a color other than white as a background, make sure it compliments whatever colored stones are in the piece. I usually go with a cream or other light color.

Great Job 

General principle I read from the photo/html board many years ago.  Use an empty gallon water jug.  Cut the bottom off.  Set up lights to shine onto or around the jug -- plenty of light will make it thru the frosted jug 'color'.  Prepare your background and place jewelry on it, then jug over it.  Place camera on top of jug so lens opens into the mouth/neck of the jug.  Telescope as needed for pic.  No flash needed, I think...

I've never tried this, of course, but the jewelry sellers swear by it.

I did the milk jug thing - works OK. Be sure to get one of the white ones, not clear or colored. You may need to cut the neck to get the lens to fit.  I have two  - different heights.

These days I have a piece of plywood with a (purple, of course) cloth over it. I take it outside in the early afternoon - into the shade of the house. Works either with flash or without, just adjust a little in photo editor.

The jug thing takes a lot of fiddling to get everything lined up, and the outside indirect light gives good depth.

But I expect the neighbors wonder what the he!! I am doing.....

It looks good, Kirk!   Would you mind coming over to my house and doing my pics?

I totally suck at taking pics of jewelry.
I use all the proper equipment (a cloud dome, studio lights and a good camera), but my pics still suck. Totally. I would love to have pics professionally done, but that can be expensive if you are a bench jeweler producing one-of-a-kind pieces.
I am looking at ways to move from one-of-a-kind to production, but haven't gotten far with that yet.

Very nice Kirk.

I tried to take pictures for some jewelry that I was trying to sell and they turned out awful, so I know it isn't easy.