Jewelry Photography Kit
Please read this Page carefully to photograph jewelry and small shiny objects.The EZcube light tent and jewelry photography kit can give anyone GREAT RESULTS with just a little effort and practice. However, there are some things you have to know before you start.
First of all you need the right camera. Not every camera will work for photographing jewelry and other small objects. Your camera must have the following features:
- Optical zoom lens –an electronic-only zoom lens will not work.
- Macro setting that allows the camera to focus up close
- Manual Focus – The highly reflective quality of jewlry will fool the laser focusing system in most cameras almost every time.
- Exposure Compensation – This is a setting on the camera that allows you to adjust the automatic exposure setting + or – in steps such as +1, +1.5, +2, etc. Once again when you are shooting jewelry against differently lit backgrounds, it can fool the meter in your camera.
- Manual Exposure or Aperature Priority Setting – When you focus up very close with a camera you lose what is called Depth of Field (DOF). Depth of field is the distance that is in focus from the front of the object you are shooting to the rear. If you shoot a senic shot of someone standing on a senic overlook and they are in focus as well as the mountains in the background you have huge depth of field. When you are outdoors with lots of light, your camera will stop the lens down to a very small opening. But if you shot someone indoors with just the surrounding light (no flash) you would see that they are in focus but perhaps a lamp or a painting on the wall behind them would be out of foucs. This is because the camera needs more light so it opens the lens wider.Professionals call lens openings, F-stops. The smaller the lens opening, the higher the F-stop number and the more depth of field you have. The larger the lens opening, the lower the (remember lower and larger both start with the letter “L.”) F-stop number and you have less depth of field. Now here is the problem with jewelry. When a camera focuses up close such as within 6 inches of an object, the depth of field can be as short a one inch. This means if you are shooting a piece of jewelry such as a bracelet that is two inches in diameter, part of it might be out of focus.If you buy a camera with an Aperature-Priority setting, you can set it to a high F-stop, which will increase your depth of field when you shoot up close. Sorry that was a long-winded explanation, but this is very important.
So
what does this all mean to you. If you buy an EZcube to shoot
jewelry, and you don’t have the right camera, you will be very unhappy
because you will not be able to get professional-looking photos. If you
are going to sell jewelry on eBay or through your web site, you are
going to have to invest in a camera with all of the features described
above. This means you are going to have to spend about $300 or more. (Or just use a good film camera instead)by: ezAuctiontools.com
Makes product photography super easy
The chemistry and physics of how batteries generate electrical energy
means that at very low temperatures all batteries lose power. They're
just not as efficient. This is a particularly serious problem with
today's digital cameras that are totally dependent on battery power. So,
when you take your camera and flash out into the cold, you should
anticipate a loss of battery power. How do you prepare for this?
All right. You're outside now. What should you do differently because
of the cold? Your objective is to continue to try to keep the camera and
flash as warm as possible. For example, let's say you're staked out
waiting for wildlife to appear over yonder hill. Set up your tripod, but
if possible keep your camera protected under your coat until you're
ready to shoot. Here's where a quick-release head comes in handy. When
you see your quarry, pop the camera onto the tripod quickly and quietly.
An ice-cold tripod will do its job for far longer than an ice-cold
camera, which is likely to fail. Tripods, by the way, will eventually
freeze when temperatures are well below zero, depending on the type of
lubricant in the tripod's joints and head.
What
other problem bedevils the photographer in the cold (other than frozen
fingers and runny nose)? Static electricity. If you live anywhere in the
North, you know the problem during the winter – if you walk on a
carpet, you may get a shock when you shake hands or touch a doorknob.
Realize that static electricity is a problem only when the humidity is
low. And cold weather means low humidity because cold air cannot hold
much moisture. When you use your camera outdoors in the cold, therefore,
you risk creating a buildup of static electricity when you advance the
film (this is the equivalent of walking on that carpet) and when the
buildup is sufficient a spark may flash inside your camera, fogging the
film. While this is rare, it does happen. We've seen it and the results
ruin the affected photographs. How can you minimize this possibility in
cold weather? Advance your film carefully. With a manual camera, advance
the film slowly. With an autowind camera, shoot only one frame at a
time.
What
about taking photographs when it's actually snowing or sleeting? If
it's just a few flakes, just keep your camera under your coat except
when you shoot. Not long ago, we were outside photographing when a heavy
snow squall hit. In a few seconds, the whole world was awash in
swirling, blowing soggy snowflakes. This kind of heavy downfall can play
havoc with the exposed parts of an SLR or digital point-and-shoot,
particularly the highly electronic models where any moisture can snarl
the all-important circuits that control all the camera's functions, as
well as digital cameras.
Let your camera warm up slowly. Place it on a cool windowsill or an
unheated porch for a couple of hours so it can rise slowly to room
temperature. Since condensation can play havoc with an all-electronic
camera, you want even greater protection for them. This is where the
suggestion of wrapping a cold camera in a plastic bag comes into play.
The moisture will settle on the outside of the bag rather than on the
camera's outside and inside surfaces. You can protect the delicate
electronics this way. In fact, it's best if you place the bag on the
camera while still outside, not when you bring the camera in.
This tripod is neither the largest, smallest, heaviest, or lightest - but the Bogen 3021 BN Pro
is an affordable all-around solution for holding up Medium Format, 4x5,
5x7, or 8x10 cameras. It's built strong enough, and light enough. It's
not made of carbon fiber, but unless you are a trekker... who cares !
A leveling head like the 
Some
photographers buy expensive cases and packs to carry their gear. I
prefer a canvas bag and a beverage cooler. The Sinar P folds down small
enough to go into the bag, upside down. The Sinar is built like a tank.
The only thing it needs, is a carrying strap, and that's what the bag is
for. Everything else goes into the cooler, which has a nice sturdy
strap to go over your shoulder.
If you want a camera that makes large negatives, and yet folds up small
enough to fit in your pocket, then the only choice is one of the
folders from the 1950's. They lack most of the modern conveniences, but
pack the full punch of medium format. They're made of real metal, and
are great for traveling, especially if you bring along a small portable
tripod.
To
the right is a sample image, taken with an Agfa Record II, with its
3-element 105mm Apotar lens, a classic Cooke-Triplet design. The film is
medium-grain TMax 400, and the picture was taken hand-held. The detail
section is taken from the whole image, scanned with an Epson 4990 at its
setting of "2400 ppi". It has been enlarged to a size of 14x26 inches
at 300 dpi.
