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Ring Photography Tips: How to Shoot at a Three-Quarter Angle

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Are you in need of some quick, sensible ring photography tips? In this blog post, we will show how you can capture epic photographs of your rings at a three-quarter angle without fuss. Scroll through and enjoy!

“I have tried so many different ways but am still unable to find a perfect solution for photographing rings standing firmly on the surface. Do you have any suggestion on how I can make it work?”

This is one of the most frequent questions that pop up a lot every time we talk to our clients about jewelry photography. And it’s not a surprise. Rings at a three-quarter angle is an incredibly flattering position that showcases most of your ring’s features, which include the overall shape of the ring, the side, and the top, in just one single shot. However, as visually pleasing as it is, photographing your rings at this angle may sometimes be a piece of work for others.

We heard others have tried to use double-sided tapes and hot glues which aren’t an ideal, permanent solution if you’re concerned about the background, not to mention that it could get too messy, sticky, and the hot glues too fast to cool, which makes your little situation too tough to control. If this is you – battling it out to make your chosen medium work in your favor, then stick with us because you’re in for a treat. Check what we have prepared for you below.

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Equipment and Tools Used for this Ring Photography Tutorial: 

1. The GemLightbox 

2. A Smartphone (You can also use your DSLR)

3. A white sticky tack, which you can purchase from eBay. It’s very easy to use, doesn’t dry out fast, and is sticky enough to hold your ring at your desired angle. The tack is reusable. And if you’re concerned about mess, it’s removable and doesn’t leave any unsightly stain.

Now that we have all the required tools, let’s get the ball rolling!

Ring Photography Tips: How to Photograph Your Rings at a Three-Quarter Angle Without Fuss

While jewelry photography is known to be notoriously difficult, the process can be utterly simplified with the right equipment. As you’ll see, we’re able to capture a three-quarter angled ring in seconds, although the video tutorial below, which will show you the entire process, lasts for two minutes. Continue reading below to see the step-by-step process and the final photos.

Step 1.

Remove the reflector front cover. Notice that for this shot, the shadow table is already positioned inside the GemLightbox.

Step 2.

Get a little bit of the white sticky tack and place it onto the shadow table followed by your ring. You can also place them underneath the ring and mount them stuck together on the shadow table. Follow whichever is more comfortable for you.

Step 3.

Once you’ve managed to position the ring properly, put back the reflector cover.

Step 4.

Wipe your camera lens to ensure that no oil residue or any dirt is left on the surface to ruin the quality of your output.

Step 5.

Next, zoom in and tap to focus. Adjust brightness as you desire.

Step 6.

And finally, click to capture.

The result, as pictured below, shows a clear and well-focused photograph of a ring at a three-quarter angle. However, if you look closely, you’ll see a little bit of tack sticking out underneath the band. We get what you’re thinking. In fact, it’s always a follow-up question every time the three-quarter ring angle is brought up. Can we photograph the ring without seeing the tack? Yes, definitely! If you’re meticulous and crafty, you can just use a tiny amount of tack and make sure it’s hidden well underneath the band.

Three-Quarter Angle Shot: Unretouched (captured using a smartphone and the GemLightbox)

ring photography tips
A cubic zirconia ring at a three-quarter angle was photographed using the GemLightbox and a smartphone. No retouching was done
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The Post-Production Process

But what if you’re not crafty or meticulous enough to make sure that the tack was well hidden underneath the band? In this case, post-production is your “best assistant.” Remember what Peter Belanger, an Apple photographer, said about the post-production process? Even an expert photographer like him believed that no matter how well the photography outcome appears to be, when you magnify it, especially at 100 percent, the human eye can easily spot imperfections we thought weren’t visible, and there is where post-production serves as your reinforcement. Effortlessly send your ring product images to us, Picup Media, and we’ll help you polish the image to perfection. The retouching activities involve removing all the background, sharpening up the gems, removing specks of dirt, including your pesky visible tack, and polishing the entire image.

Below you can see the final ring product image after it was retouched. Notice how there were no longer traces of tack where it used to be; only beautifully striking shadow.

Final Ring Photo at a Three-Quarter Angle: Retouched by Picup Media

ring photography tips - retouched
A cubic zirconia ring at a three-quarter angle was photographed using the GemLightbox and a smartphone. Retouched (removal of visible tack) by Picup Media.
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Watch it Here! Ring Photography Tips: Video Tutorial

Are you more of a visual user? Watch our 2-minute ring photography video tutorial below and begin photographing your jewelry pieces at any flattering angle you desire.

Fast and easy, isn’t it?

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Got other ring photography tips up your sleeve? 

How about you, what other mediums or props do you use when photographing rings at a three-quarter angle? Feel free to share your insights in the comment section below!

Picup Media Family
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