Inayaaz: Tips for Photographing

Now before i get into this i would like to say i am no expert here ..far from it in fact but when you plan to sell your wares online, excellent pictures are not just nice, they are imperative!
My jewelry is going to be mixed with thousands of other pieces on Etsy and it needs to stand out! People can not really see or touch your item so Photos must communicate an item's beauty and quality
So as much as i would want to just spend all my time creating i often spend more time behind the camera than i do making jewelry..
I have seen alot of improvement over time which is what has kept me going..if you don't believe me see for yourself:

Before

After

Now Of-course i know there is still room for improvement in my photography

but it has gotten much better

So here is what i did :

BUY A GOOD CAMERA

i know there are many people out there who will say you can work with a point and shoot camera but i am not one of them!The before picture was taken with one and as you can see its dull in the same background same light it doesn't capture the beauty of the stone or the facet's.

So Number one would be get a Good Camera and by that i mean a DSLR...i know i know prices are steep but if you r serious about selling online its a must!

KNOW YOUR CAMERA

I cant tell you what a panic i had when i first got my DSLR and my picture Quality remained the same!So that brought me the next most important thing which is to know my camera which of course means reading the camera manual. Boring, I know, but it’s worth it, as you need to know what your camera will and won’t do. There are lots of settings and terms, which can be confusing, but your manual will help with this. Visit the website of the manufacturer and also YouTube, as many manufacturers and photographers offer free online tutorials.You must learn terms like Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO.

Here are some excellent sources:

Digital Photography Tips for Beginners from Digital-photography-school.com

http://thomashawk.com/2006/04/10-tips-for-new-digital-slr.html.

These site offers a whole series of articles dedicated to walking a new photographer through the basics in layman’s language.

And lastly:

LIGHTING

Natural lighting will always be your best friend and given the choice between natural light and artificial i would always recommend natural. I know Natural Light can be unreliable but it is so easy to work with! You can use it to catch the different angles and facets and the best part is its completely free!