Jewelry Product Photo with pure white background

[Evonam]

Hello All,

I'm new here to the forum and I wanted to pick the brains of the experts on here. I've been doing photography for a while and I've been doing product photography for our online store. Recently, I've been asked to retake my photos with a pure white background for another website. Currently my photos are typically laid out like this.

I have tried to get my photos to look sharp all the way around like this photo below with the same all white web ready background but I am stumped.

Any tips on how to achieve this look? My current set up is a Nikon D750 with a Nikon 105mm 2.8 Micro. I am currently shooting in a lightbox with two Godox Flashes in soft boxes with a remote trigger. I've stepped up my f-stop all the way to 20 but it's not coming out this clear. I can back up the camera but then I am losing details in the gemstones. This is the best I've been able to do with some photoshop.

Thank you for any help and pointers that any of you guys can provide!

 

[JBPhotog]

I'd suggest you stand up your rings like the sample you provided. Laying them down will deaden the brilliance of the gems since they are not backlighted by the white background but are transmitting the shadow.

As far as getting the full ring in focus, you are limited using a one shot process with a fixed lens. A tilt shift lens (85mm PCE) can change the plane of focus so you get a sharper ring but at this magnification it is going to be challenging. With your current gear, pull back and then crop in post or focus stack.

Also, this level of photography comes with the full suite of post processing techniques to bring it to life.

 

[Rickbb]

Look into focus stacking, not sure if the 750 has it built in, or if your lens will work with it, but a focus rail and good stacking software will work wonders.

 

[cgw]

With respect, that look is tough on the eyes and subtracts interest from most pieces shot that way.
Have a look here for the kind presentation shot in the kind of light customers might prefer.

Google:

NYT Jewelry photographs

 

[Evonam]

Thank you for the responses. I appreciate all the feedback. I just tried focus stacking and it does look much better. I've read about that in the past but it totally slipped my mind. I don't think the 750 has it built in but I did it all in post in PS. I'm still struggling to get the right look though with the pure white background.

With respect, that look is tough on the eyes and subtracts interest from most pieces shot that way.
Have a look here for the kind presentation shot in the kind of light customers might prefer.

Google:

NYT Jewelry photographs

Thank you for the pointer. I checked out what you mean and I do agree that those pictures are easier on the eyes. However, the website that is requesting the picture is requesting one picture on a pure white background and another picture like you one you directed me too which is more of a "lifestyle" type of picture. I am struggling with the pure white background that would look appealing.

I am trying to reference "professional" jewelry website pictures and I'm trying to copy their lighting for the photographs. Straight out of the camera, achieving that pure white look is nearly impossible for me without overexposing the image. I am trying to edit the background in post to make it pure white but the ring looks out of place. If you have any experience with that look, I would appreciate anyone that could help.

 

[JoolsW]

Yes, tricky job. When I did jewellery photography, I found the best solution was to use a light-tent. This allows you to flood the whole thing with loads of light, then use dark / coloured papers adhered to the outside of the tent. So you can build shadows and highlights into your subject. Think flooding with light and then painting with dark. Don't know why your DOF is so soft considering you're at f20, surely a long lens isn't going to help that DOF problem?. Maybe you should try a prime or wider lens? Personally I'd avoid flash (but maybe that's just me).

 

[RAZKY]

I am trying to reference "professional" jewelry website pictures and I'm trying to copy their lighting for the photographs. Straight out of the camera, achieving that pure white look is nearly impossible for me without overexposing the image. I am trying to edit the background in post to make it pure white but the ring looks out of place. If you have any experience with that look, I would appreciate anyone that could help.

You might try using a light box for the background, adjusting your subject lighting for an exposure of a couple of stops less.

 

[RAZKY]

Don't know why your DOF is so soft considering you're at f20, surely a long lens isn't going to help that DOF problem?. Maybe you should try a prime or wider lens? Personally I'd avoid flash (but maybe that's just me).

Zoom or prime, wide angle or telephoto, the depth of field at any given magnification ratio will be the same.

 

[JoolsW]

Although faster glass may help, no?

 

[RAZKY]

Although faster glass may help, no?

Faster glass would aid manual focusing, but that's about it. For most close-up/macro work they don't stop down enough to provide enough depth of field..

 

[Evonam]

Thank you again for the responses. I am already using a Lightbox for this shoot. I've been experimenting with the focus stacking and that seems to be the trick. I haven't tried flooding the entire box with light and creating shadows though. Seems like an interesting idea to make the entire background more ultra white right off the bat. It is a lot more work but I can get the entire ring to be in focus now with the focus stack. However I'm still having some issues in post to make the background ultra white without the ring looking out of place.

 

[Woolsocks]

Thank you again for the responses. I am already using a Lightbox for this shoot. I've been experimenting with the focus stacking and that seems to be the trick. I haven't tried flooding the entire box with light and creating shadows though. Seems like an interesting idea to make the entire background more ultra white right off the bat. It is a lot more work but I can get the entire ring to be in focus now with the focus stack. However I'm still having some issues in post to make the background ultra white without the ring looking out of place.

Mask out the background and add solid color i.e white. Perfect white background.

 

[JoolsW]

Please explain...

 

[Woolsocks]

Please explain...

 

[RAZKY]

Thank you again for the responses. I am already using a Lightbox for this shoot. I've been experimenting with the focus stacking and that seems to be the trick. I haven't tried flooding the entire box with light and creating shadows though. Seems like an interesting idea to make the entire background more ultra white right off the bat. It is a lot more work but I can get the entire ring to be in focus now with the focus stack. However I'm still having some issues in post to make the background ultra white without the ring looking out of place.

Sounds like you're using a softbox - I suggest you try a light box instead. It need not be very big for youe small subjects. There are other brands, but I only have experience with Porta Trace:

porta Trace light boxes - Google Search