Product Photography - Editing With FotoFuze

I have tried many different ways to try to get good, clear, precise photos of my gemstones and beading supplies.  But I have not found a way that works consistently for me 100% of the time.

I find, more times than not, that I have to edit my photographs after I have taken them.  Editing is the bane of my existence.  I do not like to do it.  A lot of times I still find it difficult to get my product colors correct, and to get my white background to look white.

Introducing FotoFuze.  Some of you may all ready know about this application, but I just discovered it last week and so wanted to share.  FotoFuze helps you create professional product photography out of ordinary photographs from ordinary cameras.  And the best part is that it is FREE to use.

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After

FotoFuze is also an Etsy application.  The best way to describe it is that it will enhance your products by putting them on a crisp with background.  I LOVE how the background just disappears, and what you see is the item and it's shadow.  You can use it to enhance your photos while you are creating a listing, or you can edit your all ready listed photographs.  This is what I tried last week and it works beautifully.  It is pretty intuitive and not very difficult to figure out.  That is something I appreciate when I am trying to learn a new program or application.

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After

If you have trouble with your product photography like I do, I would highly recommend taking a look at FotoFuze.  It just might be helpful for you too.

Techniques for Photographing Jewelry

Product photography is something that takes a while to learn.   And I am still learning.  I have found it difficult to consistently take nice quality photos of my gemstones.  The most difficult part is getting the lighting right.

What I have found works best is taking photographs outside on a cloudy or overcast day.  Of course, weather conditions do not always allow.  If it is a sunny day and you can take them in the shade, that will work well too.  You may still need to edit some to brighten or tweak the color, but with this technique, often times you do not need to edit at all.  Those are the results I like best.

Using a small tripod can help with keeping your camera steady while you shoot, but if you have a steady hand, it is not necessary.  And a micro lens or adjustment on your camera for close up shots is very helpful in getting clear, close detail. 

Another method that I have tried was with using a table top studio with lights, camera stand, and a fold out "box" made of white fabric to diffuse the lights.  I gave it a try for a while, then decided I didn't like it.  I thought I might have more consistent results with my photo box and not have to do any editing.   Well, that wasn't so, so then I decided to just work with diffused natural lighting in my studio.

Then I found this post on a blog named Handmadeology.  I really like this article because it gives another technique that is fairly simple and does not cost a fortune.  If your photos are not turning out as good as you would like them to, you might want to give this set up a try.  The article is called  "A $6 Dollar Solution to Photographing Jewelry."

Photographing Jewelry

I have tried many different ways to photograph my jewelry. What I am looking for is crisp, clear images and a good representation of the colors in the piece. And to not have to do so much editing. That is so important. I have spent a lot of time editing to try to get the right colors and brightness in my photos.

I have a light box. I still have to edit when I use it. I have tried photographing without the light box, with my lights, without lights. Ugh. It has been a learning experience.

I decided to read about how other people photograph their jewelry. The latest suggestion I read was to photograph indoors near a window, with a simple background like a colored sheet of paper under the jewelry. What you want is natural light to give you the most accurate color.

Here are a few suggestions:

- The camera you use does not have to be expensive. I have a simple digital that has a close-up feature. My camera has a button with a mountain setting for regular distance shots, and a macro setting (tulip icon) for your close-ups. I take lots of photos and then choose the best from all of them.

- You can, but do not need to use a mini tripod. The tripod keeps the camera steady so the photos are not out of focus. If you can hold the camera steady in your hands, forget the tripod.

- You can take your photos near a window for the natural lighting or outdoors, but you want the lighting to be indirect. An overcast day is good. On a sunny day, photograph in the shade. Too much light will bleach out the colors of your jewelry piece. That I have found difficult to fix with editing. After you take a photo, check the image and see if the colors look right. If not, shoot again.

- Once you upload the photos to your computer, you can always edit them. But the goal is, in my mind, to have to do as little editing as possible.

Her are a few I took today with natural light.





This was the second time I photographed these pieces and they came out so much better than the first attempt.

Hope this is helpful to anyone else trying to take great photos.