Tips and suggestions
How to photograph ethnic jewellery
Published Feb 23, 2024
I got asked by a reader of this blog if I could share tips and ideas for photographing ethnic jewellery: thank you so much for asking! I have been photographing jewellery and small archaeological finds for quite some time now, and although I would not call myself a professional photographer, I did learn a thing or two. So here is what I learned when it comes to photographing ethnic jewellery!
Photographing jewellery: the basics
First of all, there are a few basics to observe. Make sure your object is well-lit, and placed against a neutral background. I covered 5 tips for creating quick, decent photographs of jewellery with your smartphone here: those basics apply to taking more professional photos as well.
If you’re planning to take more professional photographs, here are a few additional things to bear in mind.
1 – Clean hands. Not to whisk you back to pandemic times, but washing your hands or wearing gloves is a good idea. If you want to show your jewellery at its finest, the last thing you want to emerge from your photo is a greasy fingerprint on your silver.
2 – Check if your background surface is clean. That neutral background surface should ideally be free from dust, stray hair (speaking for myself here!) or other irregularities. Those little fluffs may not seem to matter much, but they can really mess up a photo!
I’ve worked as a photographer on an excavation in the Egyptian desert: sand, dust and inquisitive flies galore, and making sure these did not end up in the photo really took up most of the time. That, and finding clever ways to keep objects in place – so that’s my next point.
3 – Stabilize your jewellery. If the jewellery has a tendency to roll or shift on the surface or stand, you can use small pieces of museum putty or adhesive to hold it in place temporarily. Museum putty is a reusable, non-damaging adhesive that provides grip without leaving residue on the jewellery. Apply a small amount of putty to the underside or less visible parts of the jewellery to secure it to the surface or stand.
4 – Positioning techniques and lens angles. Experiment with different positioning techniques to showcase the jewellery effectively. The same goes for choosing an angle to photograph: do you prefer a straight angle (from above, for example), or does a side angle work better?
This very much depends on what it is you want to show, so let’s go into that next!
Photographing jewellery: purposes and types of photos
What is the purpose of your photo? A photo for your documentation files may look different from an atmospheric picture. Here are a few possibilities:
Product or research shots. These show the jewellery in its entirety, with sufficient depth of field to see the jewel clearly. Usually, these are taken at a straight angle. Their aim is to record the object as it is, with the use of a scale and/or colour chart. These are used in museum registrations, object files, and sales posts.
Close-ups. Close-up shots are perfect for emphasizing the intricate details of the jewellery, such as gemstones, engravings, or textures. Use a macro lens or zoom in closely to capture the fine features, but also damages or repairs. You’ll see a few examples above: click on the images to enlarge them.
This type of photo helps potential buyers or registrars get a closer look at the craftsmanship and quality of the piece. It is also very suitable for photographing distinctive elements that can be of help in identifying your jewellery for insurance purposes, for example in case of theft.
Using a macro lens is also very useful for photographing smaller jewels against a blurry background: the depth of focus here works to your advantage.
Atmospheric photos. These are not aimed at bringing detailed information across, but to present the jewellery as attractively as possible. Here, you can play with depth of field, lighting, positioning and angle to create a gorgeous photo.
And, if you are selling to an audience that will be wearing the jewellery, it helps to include photos of the jewellery worn. That way, potential buyers can form an idea of how the jewellery will look.
Depending on the purpose of your photo, you may find yourself taking just one or all three of these types. For my research, I only take photos of type 1 and 2: my goal is to document the piece and record details so I can work on those later. For my social media channels and also for this blog, I add in type 3: here, my goal is to show you the beauty of the jewellery. The difference is clear from the photos shown above: my research shots of Egyptian zar jewellery look entirely different from the images I create for social media.
Photographing jewellery for social media: 2 formats that work
As you may know, I love sharing jewellery and its stories on social media! In fact, that may even be where you found me in the first place. But as social media are notoriously fast-paced, it takes more than a regular snap to Stop The Scroll. So here are the two types of photos that I found performed the best!
Jewellery photo format 1: the styled flat lay
People love patterns. We’re hardwired to look for patterns, so when we see one, we appreciate it. Photos with a flat lay of jewellery items usually perform attract a lot of attention and appreciation.
They also take considerable time to create: it looks perfectly easy, but aligning all the pieces and ensuring the overall composition is aesthetically pleasing does require focus and an eye for detail. It takes me many, many photos, rearranging this and that for just the tiniest bit before I finally think it’s well enough to show you!
Jewellery photo format 2: the storytelling collage
This is also a fun type of image to create! I love overlaying old photos with actual pieces of jewellery. It places jewellery in its cultural context and helps create a narrative. I found that on social media, these photos are also highly appreciated.
These take time to create, too: in particular, searching for an image that may be used for these purposes and crediting it properly is time-consuming. You can’t just simply take an image and start sharing that, even though you see everyone around on social media doing pretty much exactly that. Copyright is real, so I would advise to ensure you actually have permission to share, reuse or adapt a photo. (in case you were wondering, the terms for image usage on this very website are here)
Photographing ethnic jewellery: the one thing you need
So, how to go about photographing ethnic jewellery? First, decide what the purpose of your image will be. Next, choose a photo style that fits with that purpose: it never has to be just the one, you can combine multiple styles to get your message across!
Taking a great photo is not so much a matter of expensive equipment: it’s the photographer that makes a photo stand out. Experiment with angles, light, depth of focus, your compositions….play around and find what works for you. I also recommend going over this book on photographing jewellery: many great examples!
The only thing you really, really need? That is patience.
Patience in waiting for that perfect light when you’re photographing outdoors.
Patience in arranging your objects and clearing away that dust particle for the gazillionth time.
Patience in going over your photos and tweaking your setup until it is just right.
But I can assure you: once you get the hang of it, photographing jewellery is a fun and addictive way of spending your time!
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S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].
Sigrid van Roode
Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.