Ring photo question

Snowgirl

Everyone wants photos of the engagement / wedding rings etc. - on hands or not. My question is, how do you set up the photo, lighting, to capture the 'sparkle'? To me there's nothing sadder than a beautiful ring that just lays there in the dark. I haven't had a lot of success with this so I'm seeking advice from those more experienced. Thanks.:scratch

Scott_Quier

Here's how I approach problems like this - as a thought exercise in physics, optics. Here are some things to think about:

• Consider what causes the flashing and sparkle of a diamond. In the final analysis, this is caused by specular highlights. One of the best ways to create specular highlights is to provide a small (from the POV of the subject), high-intensity light.
• Think back to the last time you were in a jewerly store. How did they have all the sparkleies lit. With very small, high-intensity, halogen lights. Hmmmm there's a clue

OK, there seems to be a pattern here. How to create a small, high-intensity light.... Well, the flash is high-intensity. To make it small, just move it a bit away from the subject and it will appear small ---- from the POV of the subject.

All that's left (as an exercise for the student ) is to determine the "right" relative angles for the light and the camera. Time for a bit of practice.

snowgirl wrote:

ring that just lays there in the dark

And, of course, you're not going to get any sparkle if there's no light

Snowgirl

Scott_Quier wrote:

Here's how I approach problems like this - as a thought exercise in physics, optics. Here are some things to think about:

• Consider what causes the flashing and sparkle of a diamond. In the final analysis, this is caused by specular highlights. One of the best ways to create specular highlights is to provide a small (from the POV of the subject), high-intensity light.
• Think back to the last time you were in a jewerly store. How did they have all the sparkleies lit. With very small, high-intensity, halogen lights. Hmmmm there's a clue

OK, there seems to be a pattern here. How to create a small, high-intensity light.... Well, the flash is high-intensity. To make it small, just move it a bit away from the subject and it will appear small ---- from the POV of the subject.

All that's left (as an exercise for the student ) is to determine the "right" relative angles for the light and the camera. Time for a bit of practice.

And, of course, you're not going to get any sparkle if there's no light

Thank you. Hmm - now to talk to my husband about the engagement ring I never had....... - just so I can practice my lighting techniques, of course

Seriously, once I experiment and figure this out - I'll post the results - after I borrow a ring, of course.

Scott_Quier

You could do almost as well with a fairly inexpensive cubic zirconia stone - but I don't know how expensive an inexpensive stone might be. But, I think the getting the engagement ring you never had would be very cool - and you can tell you DH I said so

Snowgirl

Scott_Quier wrote:

But, I think the getting the engagement ring you never had would be very cool - and you can tell you DH I said so

I'll do that - thanks. My birthday is March 4th - that'd be a good day for an expensive gift, wouldn't it?

zoomer

I hate to use flash for ring pictures...just to much light...so if you are indoors you need a good solid rest tripod or whatever.
I generally find the spot where I want to take the picture, place the ring into the setting, then move it around bit by bit until I catch a flash of light off the stone. Then I set the camera up and move it bit by bit until I can find that same flash...get the camera good and solid and snap away.

Snowgirl

zoomer wrote:

I hate to use flash for ring pictures...just to much light...so if you are indoors you need a good solid rest tripod or whatever.
I generally find the spot where I want to take the picture, place the ring into the setting, then move it around bit by bit until I catch a flash of light off the stone. Then I set the camera up and move it bit by bit until I can find that same flash...get the camera good and solid and snap away.

Thanks. I'm going to set it up and try it 4 ways - as you suggested, as Scott suggested,with a static light and with sunlight - just to see which, if any, works. Should be a fun experiment.

l.k.madison

Here's an idea - along the lines of physics and sparkle.

Water.

Yes, good old H20 - a few drops of water on a diamond/c.z. and that baby will SHINE, *especially* if it has high intensity lights sitting on it. Water refracts the light (that's what makes a rainbow) so it appears to be way sparklier than what it is. I shower with my wedding set on and I'm AMAZED at how bright my stone (which isn't a diamond and I don't care) looks in the shower, just under a few bulbs.

Try it

lightp8nter

Thanks for this Scott
I tend to bounce and diffuse a lot but this has got me re-thinking how to light the rings. Back when actually put filters on our lenses we used things like starlight filters.

mr peas

lightp8nter wrote:

I tend to bounce and diffuse a lot but this has got me re-thinking how to light the rings. Back when actually put filters on our lenses we used things like starlight filters.

Those will probably work best under a strong and sharp light source.
I suggest using a snoot on the flash if you're trying to focus on the diamond itself.
If that is your main aim then harsh lighting will be your best bet, rearranging yourself so the catchlight will be at the diamond itself or the metal closest to it will work best.

However, I really don't think your clients will flip if their diamonds don't shine.
I'm betting they're more worried about the shot you took of them and their families.

Snowgirl

mr peas wrote:

Those will probably work best under a strong and sharp light source.
I suggest using a snoot on the flash if you're trying to focus on the diamond itself.
If that is your main aim then harsh lighting will be your best bet, rearranging yourself so the catchlight will be at the diamond itself or the metal closest to it will work best.

However, I really don't think your clients will flip if their diamonds don't shine.
I'm betting they're more worried about the shot you took of them and their families.

True - I was really thinking more of engagement shoots where there's a little more emphasis on the blingy - but also at weddings. I have to try a few of these when I get a moment to see what will work the best (for me) and be relatively quick to set up. In most cases there isn't a lot of time to fool around with assorted lighting set-ups.

zoomer

I have to confess I am a ring shot-aholic. I shoot them during the meal and have been known to fill up an entire card, 300+ shots.
I have shot them and lit them every way you can think of.
I think my favorites are some that I shot in the drink cooler. There were some big chunks of ice and the sun was shining on the tank (outside wedding of course). So the diamonds looked pretty sweet on the solid pieces of ice with blue sparkle from the sunlight coming through the back of the diamond.
http://alloutdoor.smugmug.com/Wedding-galleries/Breanna-and-Max-at-the-Idaho/8946144_sbiFq#594208597_8mbjN-A-LB

This one you can see the reflection of the horseshoe in the ring and also the flash. See how the direct flash provides to much light so there are no highlights off the diamond.
http://alloutdoor.smugmug.com/Wedding-galleries/Katientrevor/9838777_KK3CY#669000426_JB3BJ-A-LB

This is another natural light outdoor shot. See how you can see all the facets of the stone and a few highlights. Much more detail than the flashed shots.
http://alloutdoor.smugmug.com/Wedding-galleries/Nicolenjoey/9760630_xjujR#661492545_yh3RR-A-LB


However sometimes you can get lucky and get a highlight using the flash as well.
http://alloutdoor.smugmug.com/Wedding-galleries/Jackie-/10833779_wsf4g#755819641_Q3Psm-A-LB


Here is one where I bounced the flash off the far wall so it was not strong at all, this kind of gives you the best of all techniques, just enough flash to provide some highlights but not so much light that it washes out the diamond.
http://alloutdoor.smugmug.com/Wedding-galleries/Wedding-photos-sample-gallery/2492581_sUk9W#417116603_cQarW-A-LB

Don't know if these helped you but just a few different looks to give you a head start.

Snowgirl

Thank you for posting those examples, Zoomer. I can see exactly what you're talking about re wash out and reflections. Very helpful.

jwtruth35

Worst comes to worst just fake it in PS. I've done it before and I have a hard time telling the difference as long as you don't go overboard. I even had one sparkle off of natural light before that looked fake to me because it was such a large sparkle coming off the ring. Couple liked it when I showed them the preview in my lcd though so I never worried about it.

Snowgirl

Here goes nothing - comments appreciated
It was a cloudy day today and I had some time to play so.....

Armed with a wooden 'hand' my son brought back to me from Indonesia and my godmother's trinity diamond ring - away I went. This first shot is SOC. Exif: Canon 40D. 50mm f/1,8 lens. ISO 200 f/2.8, 1/60 no flash. One high intensity clip-on light, WB = tungsten.

#2 - Same shot, added an "omni light" effect - Oh, and that 'thing' sticking down on the right side is the handle for the light. I didn't crop at all - just working on the ring itself.


3.Same photo, lens flare added


4.ISO 100, f/4 1/60 + flash and dropped water on the stones


5. ISO 100, f/4 1/60 flash with reflector attached to flash to bounce more light onto hand/ring


6. ISO 200, f/4 1/60 Flash, WB flash, spot metering, manual exposure, AF


If anyone wants to see the originals they're in this gallery:
http://imagesbyceci.smugmug.com/Other/CandC/Test-pictures/11296089_pyrpb#796915662_jW5Xp

Comments?
When I have more time I'll play some more.