The Jewelry Selfie and Still-Life
(From People Who Take A Lot Of Them)
Introduction:
The art of self-portraits requires patience and dedication. Then, to do it with your favorite accessories is another skill in itself. Trust us, we know. We agree that selfies and Instagram likes on our visuals aren’t everything, but selfies and vignettes are a fun way to be creative and document moments that matter. Whether you’re already a master selfie-taker or want some tips for photographing your accessorized-self or a jewelry still-life, keep scrolling to see our best tips for hitting all the angles for you and your jewelry.
The Backdrop
Since you’re already accessorized, the simpler the better. Keep the textures and shine on you and your jewels. A busy background is distracting and takes the attention away from the focal point of the image. If you're having trouble finding the perfect background you can always make a DIY backdrop by taping a white sheet to a wall or draping it over a doorway to hide excess patterns or unruly textures.
The Lighting
You probably already know that natural light is key to a good selfie or lifestyle shot, but different light captures different moods. Morning light is more cool-toned, making it the ideal time to capture silver jewelry and gemstones. Evening light also known as golden hour, gives you a warmer glow that is perfect for accentuating gold-toned jewelry. Face directly into the sun for that sun-kissed filter, or directly behind you to create a halo effect around your silhouette. Taking photos in between can distort an image because it creates confusing shadows on your face and body.
The Pose
Jewelry selfies are the best time to experiment with different poses and focal points. Take this opportunity to give your face a rest and crop to the body part being adorned by your favorite piece of jewelry. Try a shot of your neckline to focus on necklaces or a closeup of your embellished ankle to show off your layered anklets. Single hand selfies are also the perfect way to capture your ring stack. A must to hand selfies is to keep a relaxed and natural hand posture. Spread out fingers typically shoot better than a balled up fist. Natural movements such as your hand reaching for a cup of water or resting by your neckline creates more interesting and dynamic photos. Our biggest tip is to make sure your jewelry is closest in proximity to the camera so that it stands out as the largest focal point and doesn’t appear distorted — for example, hold your camera level to the jewelry being shot (for a necklace, level at your collarbone or chest wherever the necklace hangs) instead of high up with the camera angled downwards.
The Lifestyle Shot / Still Life
Want to keep the attention away from yourself? Using everyday objects as props has helped us create the most effortless lifestyle images. Capture your catch-all dish to showcase your daily jewels or add interest to the background by laying your favorite pieces on the pages of a favorite book. The camera won't be on you, but your objects will create a personal touch to the images.
The Edit
Editing selfies is widely talked about and can get controversial, but subtle edits done correctly enhance features and bring a focal point to a photo. Apps like Facetune are known for blurring away skin imperfections, but the trick is to use the brush tool to focus on small areas to avoid that over softened babyface photo (aka a dead giveaway for over-editing). On the other hand, use the “details” brush to enhance dainty chains and rings so you can see them from afar. Finally, ditch the filters and play around with the brightness and contrast on your phone’s camera for a more natural effect.
The Video
Sometimes a photo is just too flat to capture the glint of a high polished pendant AND your glowy skin. This is where a selfie video comes in. Use all the tips above but press record instead as you hit your poses and catch that light from all angles.
