Taking pictures of handmade gemstone jewelry

It's one thing to buy gemstone beads and component parts to make handmade gemstone jewelry and to design and handcraft a piece of jewelry. It's quite another thing to take pictures that accurately portray the jewelry. Fortunately my husband assists me in the picture taking process or I'd still be fighting a fierce battle with the camera. I am not digitally gifted. 

For me the most challenging aspect of this process is lighting. I really don't have room for studio lighting, and I've unsuccessfully attempted other forms of artificial light. We decided that natural light is the best option. That means, of course, that we have to have a sunny day. It also means that we have to take pictures at the right time of day. Our south window at about 2:00 in the afternoon is perfect on a sunny day. In northern California we have rain or clouds for weeks at a time in the winter and spring, so that can be problematic.

Stones look different in the light of the sun than they do indoors. We want to get pictures that most accurately reflect the piece, because there is little that is more disappointing than to have your heart set on something and then when you finally get it, it looks nothing like the picture. So we take pictures near the window so we get the light, but not in the direct light.The right time of day is needed to minimize shadows, too. If we take pictures too early, there's not enough light. If we take pictures too late, shadows become a big problem.

I've read that a professional photographer takes 100 pictures before they get one they like. I don't know if that is accurate, but we take tons of pictures to get one that is right. I still retake pictures after an item goes on the website because it's not quite right.

To make jewelry a person has to be somewhat of a perfectionist. I don't think of myself as a perfectionist, but I guess the jewelry designing and making process, and the process of taking pictures and building and maintaining my web site gives me a chance to indulge in my latent perfectionistic tendencies. So the picture taking process is really an evolving one for me. Maybe six months from now I'll do things very differently.

It's much easier to take pictures outdoors!