Photographing Jewelry: Why and How to Shoot Jewelry on Models in Natural Light

Have you ever gone to an open house? Chances are good that the realtor showing the home prepared the house by creating warm and inviting smells (fresh baked cookies and warm apple cider, anyone?) as well as by asking the current owners to remove items that are cluttering up the place as well as anything too personal, like family photos. I’ve seen this on HGTV shows a lot; the realtors say that potential buyers can better envision themselves in the home if other family photos aren’t there. Makes sense.

The same theories can be applied to selling your jewelry, specifically photographing jewelry on models. And though I knew it was ideal to offer at least one on-human photo of your jewelry when presenting it for sale, after watching Azur Mele’s video about photographing jewelry in natural light on models, I realized there are even more good reasons than I realized, such as these!

Photographing Jewelry with Expert Help

To see scale:

We’ve all seen the image of a pair of earrings or some other piece of jewelry next to a coin or some other “size standard” like a soda can or dollar bill. We can do better than that! Photographing jewelry on a model is a much better way to give potential buyers an idea of how large or delicate a piece is, whether it looks bold, understated, or in between.

To create comfort and realism:

Back to the idea of realtors staging homes for sale . . . Realtors want potential buyers to feel comfortable and at home in the house they’re considering buying. If your model looks comfortable (literally and figuratively) in your jewelry, as if it’s a wearable, fashionable piece with realistic uses, chances are the potential buyer will feel that your jewelry could be comfortable (literally and figuratively), wearable, and fashionable for them.

To create personality and movement:

No matter how lively your jewelry designs are, sometimes it’s hard to show their personality in flat photographs. Having a model to interact with your pieces can help show off the liveliness and movement that your pieces have.

To make a connection:

If you’re trying to reach teens, photograph your jewelry on teens. If you’re trying to reach “women of a certain age,” photograph your jewelry on them. If you believe your jewelry is for everyone, use a variety of models–all ages, skin tones, and personal styles. I think the latter would go a long way toward showing versatility of a piece; for example, seeing it on a variety of models with different styles and appearance would tell me that I can wear this piece of jewelry dressed up or dressed down, with jeans or with dresses, at work or on the town, etc.

Improve Your Jewelry Photography

If you think about photographing jewelry in natural light on models, you can probably spell out the process and considerations involved, even if you can’t quite achieve the photos you want. But there are so many little things that you might not have even thought of–like why you should wear a white shirt when you’re photographing jewelry, why it’s good to photograph a model wearing multiple pieces of jewelry even if you’re only selling one of those pieces, and the importance of triangles. Azur covers photographing jewelry in shiny metals, gemstone jewelry, and jewelry made from other natural materials–and the lighting concerns you need to know for each type. You’ll learn tips for photographing jewelry for creating eye-catching contrasts between light, skin tone, and your jewelry, as well as how to save time and money by working with an experienced model.

Download How to Photograph Jewelry and Gemstones on Models in Natural Light to learn how to take photographs worthy if your jewelry designs!

Take better jewelry photos with expert help!