Gemstone Photography and Composite

Gemstone Composite Photography

The annual Gemstone Show was back with its regular month schedule for February 2022!

Our client wanted a layout with raw turquoise stones, the caliper and a polished stone, but with some sort of staging. We suggested using a stock background as a great affordable choice to create a wow factor for website photography.  The original stock image provided the texture and grit; and photo editing layered on eye catching dimension.  We shot a catalog of turquoise gemstones, but the lighting for the unprocessed turquoise and caliper required lighting adjustment and filtering.

Equipment Used:
Canon 5d Mark III
Canon Macro Lens EF100mm f/2.8
Multiple Softboxes
Multiple Gradients

Tucson Gemstone Photography
Turquoise Gemstone PhotographyGemstone Photography Tucson

Jewelry Photographer in Tucson

Gold Necklace on White Background

Product on white photography is at its best when jewelry is the object.  The gorgeous reflective surfaces create light magic on their own.  Adding photographic lighting which is then manipulated to capture the most interesting reflection is the fun part.  Every nuance of the camera changes the drama. That also makes it one of the most challenging product photography sessions.  So many choices!

Sterling Silver Bracelet on White Background

Gemstone Necklace on White Background

…and waiting until the necklace stops swinging!
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon Macro Lens EF100mm f/2.8
Softbox with gradient
Rotolight
Back lit

Gemstone Jewelry Photography

Gemstone Necklaces on white Background
Jewelry photography requires a lot of time for trial and adjustment.  Gemstones are often translucent so the lighting is critical to capture the many shades and the way the human eye will perceive it when worn.  Manipulating the backlighting is key coupled with light modifiers to direct the light.

Gemstone Earrings
No flash was used. The difficulty in photographing jewelry is the highly reflective surfaces. With more stones and beveled cuts the number of reflections multiply.  We used one softbox for continuous lighting, scrims to create gradients and foam core for bounce.  Shooting an entire product line with few “like-products” requires a new setup for each piece.

Gemstone Necklace Pendant
Shot using a Canon f2.8 100mm Macro lens and a Canon 5D Mark 3 camera.