Tips for Photographing Models Wearing Your Jewelry

by Rebecca Brooks.

This post by Rebecca Brooks is a response to Getting Your Friends to Model Your Jewelry by Alyson Garvey.

I erased moles and scars in Photoshop and added more hair to the image to make it appear more polished and professional

Now You know the untapped reservoir of free models!

Our friends and family are always more than happy to dress up. You might be surprised who would enjoy being a model for a day.

Years ago when I used to do freelance hair and makeup for friends in art school, we definitely worked with ‘free’ or barter models all the time.

Most of the time people are more than happy to help for free.

It’s something new for them to do, and exciting.

Plus they get a great portrait of themselves out of it!

Now with so many apps all you need to do is focus your camera and shoot, so being a trained professional isn’t super necessary but experience with your camera does help.

The more familiar you are with lighting and how your camera responds to certain types of light the easier it will get to have great photos.

Lighting Tips:

Tips for Photographing Models Wearing Your Jewelry, by Rebecca Brooks - featured on Jewelry Making Journal

if the lights are too harsh on your model just add a screen in front of your light, like white tissue paper.

It will soften any glare, like from an oily nose etc.

Just make sure your tissue doesn’t catch fire.

I use high power LED bulbs in the cheap metal utility clamp lights, and tape either tissue or printer paper over the bulbs.

It depends how soft you need to go.

Makeup Tip:

If your model’s makeup is melting under the warm lights you can blot off the oils by laying a tissue over the face and gently pressing the tissue against the face.

Don’t wipe the tissue, keep in place and press, then peel it off gently.

Then your model’s makeup looks freshly applied without caking on too much cosmetics.