Jewelry shots with no light box...

[dubydogg]

Well I currently do not have a lightbox and my mother needs me to take pics of her jewelry for her website. She has a small show tonight and needs the best pics possible for future use since people will most likely purchase them tonight. Can you guys give me some suggestions on what settings I should use and what kind of lighting without a lighbox? I shoot with a Nikon D70. Any suggestions on lightboxs and lighting supplies to purchase for the future? Thanks.

-chris

 

[RMThompson]

If it was me, I would build a 15 minute lightbox!

Get any cardboard box, and cut large WINDOWS in the three sides, and complete cut out the 4th side which will be your bottom. Tape some tissue paper over the windows, and put lamps on the outside of as many windows as you can.

Inside get a piece of posterboard and bend it slightly to give the look of no edges.

Should work well.

Anything non diffused light on jewelry is going to reflect too much.

 

[Hair Bear]

Good tip RMT

 

[fmw]

Get a sheet, cut a hole in it for the lens and suspend the sheet from its middle. No excuse for not having a light tent to do what light tents are made to do.

 

[RMThompson]

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/19002.html

 

[webtech]

I use velvet and face them towards a window with southern exposure to get the sparkle. I'll set it up on my stairs and go to town. Crinkled velvet (especially red) make a great backdrop for gold and silver. For colored stones, I'll sometimes use a glass table and put something contrasting underneath and shoot it that way.

 

[manwanis]

Thanks for all those tips.. Looks it works for me. As it suits my budget.