 |
Shooting fine jewelry can present a big challenge to those without photographic experience and, for that matter, to a seasoned pro as well.
When you consider the high contrast of most pieces of fine jewelry, lighting these items can be a headache. Making the metal look good and getting just the right sparkle in the stones may seem impossible. With the help of the proper lighting tool this task can be a snap.
Photoflex, the leader in the world of quality lighting gear for pros, has introduced an innovative product that any one can use. In this lesson we will look at the Medium LiteRoom Kit, and how, right out of the box, you can shoot your jewelry and other small items with professional results.
(Click on any image below for an enlarged view.) |
Topics Covered:
- Using your on-camera flash unit
- The pitfalls of the reflector light
- The good, the bad, and the ugly of using umbrellas
- Using the LiteRoom Kit
Equipment Used:
Lighting Equipment
- Photoflex LiteRoom Medium Kit SS
 Figure 1 |
For comparison purposes, we took a shot of this emerald ring using a flash mounted on top of our camera.
A piece of reflective material was held behind the ring to bounce some of the light back into the ring. |
 Figure 2 |
Our shot shows a very high-contrast lighting and a harsh, unattractive shadow. |
 Figure 3 |
The flash was removed from the camera and a reflector light was placed to the right of the ring. |
 Figure 4 |
Again, we have the same problem with harsh light and shadows. |
 Figure 5 |
Another reflector light was placed to the left of the ring as a fill light. |
 Figure 6 |
The lighting is much better, but the shadows are still too prominent and the highlight on the inside of the ring is too stark. |
 Figure 7 |
The reflector lights were replaced with two umbrella bounce lights.
The broader light produced with the umbrellas will soften the shadows. |
 Figure 8 |
The shadows are much better. However, the dark and light areas on the inside of the ring are still too distractive.
We can do better. |
 Figure 9 |
We set up a Medium LiteRoom on the tabletop and repositioned the ring inside.
A Small Starlite Kit was positioned to the right. |
 Figure 10 |
The result shot shows great improvement. The lighting is soft and pleasing.
We can make it even more vibrant. |
 Figure 11 |
A second Small Starlite Kit was positioned to the left.
This combination of a Medium LiteRoom and two Small Starlite Kits comprises one of our LiteRoom Kits. |
 Figure 12 |
The Medium LiteRoom Kit produced a beautiful, nearly shadowless, wrap-around light.
The inside of the ring is now well lit and much more attractive than the previous shots. |
 Figure 13 |
For a more dramatic photo, we placed a piece of tile inside the Medium LiteRoom as a backdrop. |
|
The series of shots below show the progression of our lighting solutions for this ring. |
|
 Figure 14 |
Related Lessons
Following are Web Photo School lessons related to this topic.
Equipment Used:
Lighting Equipment
- Photoflex LiteRoom Medium Kit SS
|
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
