Luxury Product Photography

Step 1: Import your photos
The first step of editing jewelry is to import your photos into Lightroom. You can do this by clicking the Import button in the Library module and selecting the folder where your images are stored. 

Step 2: Crop and straighten
Once you have imported your photos, the next step is to crop and straighten them. This is especially important for jewelry photography, as you want your pieces to be the photo's focus. 

Step 3: Adjust exposure and white balance
The next step is to adjust your photo's exposure and white balance. Exposure refers to the image's brightness, while white balance refers to the color temperature. Jewelry photos should be well-exposed, but not overexposed, so adjust the exposure slider until you get the desired result. Going after a dark and moody aesthetic, you will want to underexpose your image slightly and boost the contrast in the Basic Panel or Tone Curve panel. For white balance, try the Auto option first, and if it's not quite right, use the Temperature and Tint sliders to fine-tune the colors.

Step 4: Adjust shadows and highlights If you want to take your jewelry photography to the next level, Lightroom's Shadows and Highlights tools are a must-use feature. By selectively adjusting the shadows and highlights, you can bring out the intricate details of your jewelry pieces and make them stand out more. 

PRO TIP: If you're working with multiple shots of the same jewelry piece, adjust the shadows and highlights the same way across all of them to create a consistent and professional look.

Step 5: Enhance details and sharpness
Jewelry photography is about capturing the details; the next step is enhancing them. Use the Clarity slider to highlight the points in the jewelry and the Sharpening tool to make the image sharper. However, be careful to do it sparingly, as too much clarity and sharpening can make the image look unnatural.

Sharpening is usually one of the last steps in your image editing process. Through sharpening, you can boost the contrast between pixels and the margins of your subject, creating a more sophisticated look. 

PRO TIP 1: When editing jewelry photos, it's essential to consider the image's overall composition. Consider using a neutral or solid color background to create a clean and minimalist look. Alternatively, you could use a textured or patterned background to add visual interest to the image.

PRO TIP 2: Add sharpening only to specific areas of your image, as there isn’t any point in sharpening the image background or the props you use. Keep the sharpness the highest when you want the buyer’s attention to land first.

Step 6: Remove blemishes and distractions from the image background

The final step of image editing is to remove any blemishes or distractions in the image background. Next, use the Spot Removal tool to remove any dust, scratches, or other imperfections in the jewelry. This is a helpful tool to help you eliminate any minor flaws in your images and make your product and image background look flawless. To use this, click on the Spot Removal tool and move it to the area of your photo where you want to remove a blemish, then click again. Lightroom will automatically sample pixels from a nearby area and replace the blemish with similar-looking content.

You can also use the Clone Stamp tool to remove any distractions in the background.

Okay, so here’s what you need in terms of tools and photo equipment:

• Solid camera or a smartphone with a powerful camera.

• Tripod that doesn’t need to be too fancy or expensive.

• White paper sweep or poster board for the background.

• Any kind of table or desk that is of regular height and size.

• Empty corner with white walls and plenty of natural light.

Product photography shows only items, so you don’t need much space. Honestly, you only need an empty corner with white walls and big windows to get the most out of natural light and shadows. You don’t need to pay studio rent to shoot professional images.

The same goes for the equipment. If you have the budget and you want to splurge, go ahead! But the truth is that nobody will notice the difference between a $3,000 Nikon and a Samsung Galaxy camera but you. There are more creative things to invest that money in.

Read more: best camera for jewelry photography

3. Luxury Product Photography Focuses on Logos

Think Disney, Nike, or BMW. A logo isn’t just a visual representation of a brand – it’s so much more than that. It triggers a sense of longing, respect, or pure joy, acting as a powerful tool that succinctly tells your brand story and instills consumer trust, making a product more desirable.

So naturally, you would want to incorporate it in your product photos.

There are several ways to do this right. If your product includes a logo, you’ll want to make it shine. Beauty products are an excellent example of this. Clothing brands sometimes include a separate photo of a brand logo on the inside of a T-shirt or the sole or the side of a shoe.

4. Make It All About the Product

Here’s the golden rule of product photography—always make it about the product. The item you’re trying to sell should grab attention and linger on. Professionals make the product pop by using background colors, lighting, and textures to create contrast.

Now that you have the customer’s attention, you must get their trust.

The best practice for this is to show your products from as many angles as necessary and include a photo story that involves a model. Zara does this beautifully—after a series of product shots and closeups that show the material, there’s often a model on a location.

5. Use Splash Photo Effects

We love it so much that we’ll never grow tired of it—the splash effect.

You know what we’re talking about. The splash makes icy drinks irresistibly refreshing. It envelopes cosmetic products in a revitalizing cloud of hydration. The splash is everyone’s favorite shooting technique because it shows the item as fresh, clean, and juicy.

6. Create Exclusive Lighting

Lighting is tricky for product photography because you need to get it right. The tiniest lighting mistake can make the product look cheap and unappealing, while perfect lighting can elevate your photo to brand-new heights. Unfortunately, lighting isn’t easy to master.

First, professional photographers use different types of lighting for different products because some items must be presented with clarity while others benefit from a dash of mystery. So to adjust the light and create shadows, you need to understand the product.

Then, what? You have a picture of a product in your mind. Now, let’s shoot.

Product photography lighting is manipulated through a combination of natural and artificial lighting, such as overhead lights, strobes, ring lights, and flashguns. The use of background and reflective or light-soaking surfaces is also important. They are all part of the light setup.

You may also like: Jewelry photography lighting setup

7. Luxury Product Photos Are All About Details

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