7 Smartphone Photography Tips for Jewelers

Forget about DSLR. These smartphone photography tips will show you how to increase sales through high-resolution jewelry images using a device that’s right in your pocket!

If you have not heard about the persuasive power of phoneography yet, you must be living under a rock. Phoneography, a term coined to define photography using your smartphones, carries with it undiscovered potential that could save you from your early market exit.

Apparently, some jewelers might probably be considering breaking the bank just to get their hands on those big-ticket cameras. Don’t rush. While DSLR undeniably fulfills its promise of high-quality product images, smartphones can also definitely wow you with their user-friendly and convenient ways of producing amazing jewelry images.

After all, mobile phone photography has developed dramatically in just a short period. To quote Richard Gray here, ‘mobile phone photographers are more prolific than average “big camera” enthusiasts.’ This is because mobile phone photographers are always prepared wherever and whenever a photographic moment catches them.

And why not?

Smartphones are ubiquitous. There is no doubt about smartphone accessibility these days with over three billion smartphone users globally. There are many things you can do with your smartphone camera, but let’s take a trip down memory lane for a moment.

The first camera phone was built by Samsung in 2000. Samsung also developed the first 5-megapixel camera phone, but it was Nokia’s N95 that started the smartphone revolution. In fact, months after the launch of N95, the original iPhone with a 2-megapixel camera was introduced to the market.

To date, forget about 2-megapixels. We now have 12 megapixels, 16 megapixels, and the largest smartphone camera sensor, megapixel-wise – 48 megapixels. A further prediction of a 108-megapixel camera phone is also circulating, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and keep abreast of the latest smartphone camera innovations. While waiting, let’s make use of what you have in your pocket!

In this post, you will get to learn simple and practicable smartphone photography tips to produce high-quality jewelry images – ones that are scene-stealing and sale-boosting – because anyone can be a photographer these days – and that includes you!

7 Smartphone Photography Tips for Jewelers

Gather all the necessary jewelry photography equipment before starting your photo shoot.

Equipment such as a tripod and grip attachment can be purchased on Amazon with prices ranging between $12 and $25 depending on its features. If you already have a tripod, all you need is a good grip attachment that can be screwed on your chosen tripod and it will provide a spring-loaded holder.

Apply some resourcefulness and create your product backdrop using a white roll of paper or a white wall will suffice. This gives your jewelry images a clean and professional look. Additionally, external lenses will also come in handy at times when you want to produce macro images of your jewelry.

Tip #1. Check out the best apps to help you with mobile phone photography.

Test the reliability of your phone’s default camera app before installing other advanced camera apps. If you think that your phone’s default camera app is unable to provide the quality that you desire, it is recommended that you check out reviews of other advanced camera apps on your smartphone before installing one.

When other people vouch for the dependability and quality performance of a service they used, you can be assured of a rewarding result. Some camera apps you can use are Camera+ for iPhones and the top-rated Android Camera Zoom FX. Other than the basic camera features, these two offer more shooting capabilities such as special effects which could also boost the quality of your jewelry images.

Tip #2. Use natural lighting if possible.

Avoid grainy jewelry images by incorporating plenty of natural lighting. If you have not noticed, a grainy look happens when your camera adjusts its exposure feature to compensate for the inadequate lighting. To avoid this, set up your photo shoot in an environment where ample of natural light illuminates your jewelry. Natural light coming from your window is a good source that will give a soft finish to your jewelry photography. Taking a photo of jewelry requires proper lighting.

Tip #3. Know when and when not to zoom.

One of the most important smartphone photography tips is knowing when to zoom and when not to.

Zooming can be tempting especially when you want to bring focus on a specific detail of your item, however, this will damage the quality of your jewelry images. Cropping is the best alternative. The process of digital zooming may provide a close-up shot but it decreases the resolution quality of your image. As an alternative, indulge in photo editing software and crop your jewelry images from there. This yields a similar close-up appeal to your images, except the latter maintains amazing quality.

Tip #4. Turn on your camera’s gridlines.

A grid is one of the camera settings that allows you to assess the proportion of the subject you’re photographing. It is based on the “rule of thirds,” which is a type of composition that divides your image both horizontally and vertically into thirds. The principle states that by placing your subject in these intersections or along the vertical and horizontal lines, you will have a balanced and level photo that is engaging to your viewers.

But this is not the sole purpose of gridlines. You can also turn it on and use it as a marker to achieve a consistent measurement every time you take photos of your jewelry.

Tip #5. Don’t use the flash

If you’re one of the many people who think that the smartphone camera flash can enhance the quality of your photo, stop right now. This flash, when turned on, will prevent the natural sparkles of your jewelry from showing off naturally.

As an alternative, focus on using natural light or playing with your artificial light source.

Tip #6. Don’t forget the tiny details.

Does your jewelry design feature intricate patterns, textures, and details?

Don’t neglect the tiny details as often it is the tiny details that tell the story. It shows your creativity and craftsmanship while allowing viewers to experience your product image in a way that they rarely experience.

There are many ways of doing a detail shot. You can use a macro lens, create layers to add depth to your image and stimulate interest in your viewer, or simply capture a non-close-up shot that emphasizes a detail through amazing composition. Remember, not all detail shots have to be an extra close-up shot of your subject, but always train your eye to think visually.

Tip #7. Streamline your post-production process.

Smartphone editing can be tricky but depending on the amount of time you are willing to spare, you can always outsource your digital photo editing operations to experts who offer professional photo editing services.

These days, scalability is crucial to every business. When you are doing all the work and spending time on aspects of the operations that can be distributed to experts, you prevent your business opportunities for growth. Outsourcing jewelry product retouching to a known retouching company is always a smarter way to go. The volume of retouched images that those product image retouching services deliver in less than 24 hours is astounding! Not only do product photo enhancers enhance the quality of your photography, but those experts also furnish it with a professional touch that can truly speak with your potential buyers.

DIY photo editing probably works best when you only have one to two product images. In this case, you’re better off using editing apps like Snapseed. Meanwhile, other e-commerce platforms support third-party photo editing apps to assist online sellers with their product photo enhancement needs.

When being your own product photo editor, it is important to know when to sharpen your photos or when to enhance the color. These features are designed to bring stunning features of your items into focus, but be careful when to apply these and watch out for inconsistencies.

Overall…

Smartphone photography is here so don’t be scared to explore with it, especially if you have the most advanced smartphone. It is accessible and can also function as a digital inventory that you can access wherever you go.

Read further here to know more about smartphone photography tips coupled with the easy-to-use jewelry lightbox device from GemLightbox.

What other mobile phone photography tips do you have up your sleeve? Let us know in the comment section below!