Foldio360 Smart Dome: The Solution to Jewelry Photography
May 25, 2023
Do you ever feel like your photos aren’t doing your jewelry pieces justice? Well, rest assured because you’re not the only one. Jewelry photography can be tricky due to the dainty and reflective nature of it. A tool that we like to use when it comes to photographing small, reflective objects like jewelry is our Foldio360 Smart Dome. Using an automated studio like the Foldio360 Smart Dome effectively simplifies the photography process while saving you some time, money, and space. This product can easily be used by anyone no matter the amount of photography experience.
Below are 5 factors to pay close attention to when it comes to jewelry photography and explanations on how the Foldio360 Smart Dome can meet your photography needs. Learn more general jewelry photography tips here.
1. Lighting
Having perfect lighting is the foundation to a quality photo. Of course using a quality DSLR camera is beneficial too, but it can’t serve its full potential if things like lighting aren't appropriately set. The lighting of your photo will determine the colors, textures, and overall mood of your photo. Plus, perfecting your lighting will probably save you some post-photoshoot editing time.
First rule of thumb when it comes to lighting is to not use your camera’s flash because it can be too strong and at too close of a distance, making it in the wrong position to light up the jewelry properly. Instead, we recommend using soft-diffused lighting as this will evenly light up the frame and prevent unwanted specks of light from showing up in your photo. It’ll provide a more natural glow while reducing shadows. If you’re shooting in an open space studio, you might need to strategize your light placement and purchase different tools like softboxes or umbrellas in order to achieve the most flattering look.
For ultimate convenience sake, we recommend using an automated photography studio like the Foldio360 Smart Dome. Its dual-shell, dome shaped structure is designed to deliver precise, uniform lighting to enhance your jewelry and make it shine in its best light. Shooting in an enclosed and automated studio like this allows you to have maximum control of your studio no matter when or where you’re shooting so your light settings remain consistent. Once you’ve connected your Foldio360 Smart Dome to either the foldio360 app or foldio360 Control software, you can adjust the brightness level from your electronic device. On top of brightness adjustments, you can also adjust your color temperature (2300K-5600K) to capture your product in the most accurate light.
2. Reflectivity
Wanting to show off the shininess of your jewelry while still trying to reduce the appearance of abnormal reflections can be tricky. Because jewelry tends to absorb the colors around it, we recommend using a plain white background to help your jewelry appear better lit and be the focus of attention. Plus, most online marketplaces like Amazon require a white background for product images. Fortunately, the Foldio360 Smart Dome is all white inside and out so you won’t need to worry about your jewelry absorbing different colors!
Not only does the Foldio360 Smart Dome’s white color help with reducing reflections, but also its removable top and front covers help eliminate reflections even more which comes in handy for smartphone photographers. By attaching a cover (which comes with the Smart Dome) to the front or top of the Foldio360 Smart Dome, it’ll provide you with the ultimate amount of white coverage! Whether you’re shooting from head on or from above, maneuver the sliding door on these covers and place your phone camera through the hole to take photos.
3. Product Styling
Providing a few different angles to your customers is important so they can get a better understanding of your product holistically from different perspectives. Top-down perspective for flat lay photography is a common angle photographers use for jewelry. Fortunately, the Foldio360 Smart Dome makes it easy to take flat lays while still in a studio setting. For DSLR camera users, you would have to remove the top cover to shoot from above. For smartphone camera users, you would have to keep the top cover on and place your phone right on top of it so your phone’s camera lens matches up to the sliding door’s opening.
Aside from flat lay photography, you could use the Foldio360 Smart Dome’s top cover to also take hanging shots for necklaces to show how it naturally falls. Check out this video demonstration! You can do this by slipping each end of your necklace inside the silicone grips located on both sides of the top cover. Taking photos from this angle can provide you with great detail shots for your necklaces! No need to purchase or assemble a make-shift necklace stand.
4. Camera Setup
The secret behind a clear, crisp photo is a tripod. This is key for stability and consistency so your photos turn out clear, professional, and like they all belong together. More information on recommended DSLR camera settings are included here.
If you mostly rely on your smartphone to take photos, you do not need to get a separate tripod. Instead, utilize the ballhead located on the front leg of the Foldio360 Smart Dome specifically meant for the Phone Mount Kit (ball head tripod) to be mounted on. The Phone Mount Kit is separate from the Foldio360 Smart Dome but is a great add-on piece that is stable, flexible, and easy to assemble.
On the other hand, if you typically use DSLR cameras to shoot jewelry, you’ll often find yourself using a low shutter speed which a tripod will come in handy for to keep your camera still for a long time. We recommend using a tripod like the Tripod50V not only because of its portability, but also because of its compatibility with both smartphone and DSLR cameras.
5. Shopping Experience
Shopping online naturally comes with more risk than shopping in person, especially for first-time customers, which is why it’s important to provide the most you can to provide an in-person like store experience. This is a great way to build trust between you and your customer and present your brand in an authentic way.
One way to stand out is by providing 360 interactive images and videos so customers can see every angle of your product. This could also help with your website’s ranking in Google when users engage with your content more. The Foldio360 Smart Dome makes it easy to take 360 visuals because of its built-in turntable. No need to purchase a separate turntable! The Foldio360 Smart Dome also has a Center Point Indicator feature which indicates the exact center of the turntable with a light reflection which is key for a well-balanced 360 image. Once you’ve connected your Foldio360 Smart Dome to the foldio360 app or foldio360 Control software, you can control the turntable’s rotation direction and speed just the way you want. Presenting your product online never got easier!
