Photographing your diamond ring with a smartphone.

Many of our customers come to us with pictures they have taken in a store or a restaurant of rings they like and would like to emulate.  Unfortunately these picture don’t always come being all that useful.

In this first example, much of the details are lost in the shadow.  In the second, the camera focused way behind the ring, blurring all the details.  In this third shot, something similar happened.  The macro focused on another finger and because of the narrow depth of field, the ring details got blurred.

I thought this would be a good place for a few tips on how to get a better shot:

It’s important to consider the purpose of the picture.  In our case we are trying to see the useful details of a ring so the primary subject should be the ring and the background should be a simple as possible.  If on the other hand, you are looking to create an artistic picture, then choosing an interesting background can add a lot.

Depending on your objective, place your ring on your background. This could be a table top, tree trunk, flower, or anything you want to use.

Try to find someplace where you don’t have to hold the ring as this will free up your second hand to take the picture.  If you have very steady hands (very few people do), you can try operating the camera one-handed and shoot the ring on your finger, but this might prove more frustrating than you think.

Make sure your primary light source is behind or to the side of you, not behind the ring.

Hold your phone about 8 to 12 inches away from your ring (depends on phone model) and zoom in about 30%.

Using your free hand focus (poke your phone) right on the diamond or main stone. This focuses the lens and adjusts the lighting for that spot.

Take the picture. If you find the picture to be blurry, try a few more times or try to find something to rest the phone on.  If you focus on a specific spot and then move your phone before taking the shot, the camera will refocus on whatever is in the spot you selected to focus on.

Using these simple tips can give you better results.

 

Happy shooting.