The art of gracing up and beautification has been adapted by the community since the inception of humankind, over the millennia unfolded.
Jewelry has been adored for some eras now, free from the fading claws of time and polishing itself every new day. Bygone times tell us some of the brilliant and valued jewelry pieces that have been treasured for generations. Choosing jewelry as a business is no picnic. For most of us, it might turn out to be disastrous considering the effort, creativity, investment, and focus it requires. That does not imply that success is a wild goose chase in the jewelry industry (especially when you have a good hold of jewelry photo retouching).
Speaking of which, here are a few success tips for jewelry photo editing to make your jewelry business thrive in the competitive market.
Jewelry Photo Editing Tips
Paying attention to photo editing is crucial when it comes to selling or showcasing products online. If you want your products to attract customers, you can’t ignore the minute details a photograph can portray. So, here are a few steps in three simple parts that will help you get the e-commerce-worthy jewelry photos.
The Preparation: Jewelry Photo Editing
Let us talk about the “behind the scenes” of a perfect jewelry photograph. There is a lot to note – the preparation, the lights, types of equipment to use, the positioning of the subject, etc.
1. Preparing the jewelry
When we click images, do we not prepare ourselves? Similarly, we need to prepare the jewelry as well. Before clicking an image of jewelry, it goes without saying it should be perfectly cleaned and polished. If the jewelry is old, it might be quite challenging to clean it as an image clicked by a DSLR highlights all the details. So, it is recommended to wear cotton gloves or use tissue paper while handling the jewelry. Once clicked and you start your jewelry photo editing process, you won’t be able to go back. Even if you do, it is sure going to be hectic.
2. Setting up the camera
Now that you have prepared the subject’s position, you have cleaned the jewelry and adjusted the light (yes, you need to adjust the light as well); it is time to set up your camera.
Check the below details while setting up your camera:
i. Is the lens focusing on the jewelry?
ii. Is the position of the light highlighting the subject?
iii. Is the ISO of the camera below 200?
iv. Is the aperture setting off the camera greater than F11?
v. Is this subject fitting the frame of your camera?
3. Arranging the background
An image of jewelry looks better with a white background, but that does not mean limiting yourself. If you want the background to be black or any other solid color, you are free to go ahead. Sure, you can replace the background while jewelry photo retouching, but the editing process gets simpler if you do it while clicking the image. Nevertheless, here are a few simple background ideas that go well with pieces of jewelry:
i. Background of a light marble slab
ii. In case you want texture in the background, keep it simple and subtle.
iii. Light color curtains
iv. A light-colored wall
v. White paper
4. Using reflector
The reflectors will help in distributing lighting across the shooting space appropriately. It is among the greatest jewelry photography ideas. Sometimes, a few frame areas get too much light, so they become darker or produce grains.
And that’s why you cannot post-process the images effectively. So, to avoid such captures, you can use reflectors to distribute lights throughout the frame as per your choice.
The Editing: Jewelry Photo Editing
Editing a jewelry photograph focuses on glorifying the look of the jewelry itself, be it necklace photography or earring photography. Removing dust from a pendant or adding shine to a ring, editing serves the purpose of correcting the color, the focus, and the entire look of the image by using a few tools. Here are mentioned some of them that are mostly used while jewelry photo editing.
1. Creating artificial shadow
If you are clipping the jewelry in a different background on an editing tool, the shadows are often not masked with it. For such a scenario, you need to create a shadow of the jewelry so that it does not look like it is floating or artificial.
2. Enhancing the shine
Sometimes a few things are visible only to a human eye. Portraying images online demands many adjustments, for example, enhancement of the shines of jewelry.
3. Rechecking the color
The colors should look glamorous yet natural. The exposure, contrast, and hue should be just right. Going overboard with the jewelry photo editing can ruin the image. The aim is to make it look gorgeous, not artificial.
4. Dust removal
As mentioned earlier, we do not always notice minute dust particles until we zoom in on the image. Hence, if you are selling a jewelry product, it is quite important to remove the excess dust and blend it carefully. Make sure not to make it look artificial.
The Process of Jewelry Photo Retouching
Whether you are using Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, the process of jewelry photo editing is mostly the same. Open the software, go to File > Open and browse the image you want to edit. Now that you have the image placed on the software interface, you can edit the image as you desire. For instance, if you want to increase the contrast, go to the ‘Adjustment’ panel (which you can also find from the ‘Windows’ dropdown) and select ‘brightness/contrast.’ Adjust the range as desired and make sure not to make the picture look unreal. However, if you want to add a filter to your jewelry image, you need to go to the ‘Adjustment’ panel again and click on ‘photo filter.’ Try all the color adjustments till your image is ready to be posted on your business social media account or hit the e-commerce store.
Read about How to Use Layers in Photoshop?
Note: Do not forget to duplicate the original layer. You might not want to lose your RAW file.
Conclusion:
You’d find most of the simple editing options in the adjustment panel, from hue to saturation, brightness to contrast. But, if you want to remove dust and work on background replacement, you might have to hire an expert jewelry photo retouching service. You will find many such services when you Google. Make sure to check their experience and reviews before shaking hands. Because editing your jewelry photos has the potential to make or break your company’s reputation. Good luck!
