There are many ways to photograph earrings. In this blog article I will explain some of these and provide examples. This will give my clients an idea of how their own pieces may look after our photoshoot.
HANGING Earrings
Long drop earrings and hoops are mostly shot hanging. It is the easiest way for the earring to drop straight down and elongate any of its details beautifully, especially if they are chains.
Drop earrings can be photographed right next to each other. Most commonly however, they are placed just off center to each other, making one slightly higher than the other.
If earrings have lots of stones than they can easily be photographed looking straight at the camera. If they are mainly metal, then they are shot tilted away from the camera. This is to prevent camera itself creating dark reflections on the earrings. Earrings are also shot tilted away from the camera to reveal the clasp at the back.
FLAT LAY Earrings
For Flat-Lay images, earrings can be placed on a plain, coloured or styled backdrop like wooden boards, fabrics or textured and patterned paper. They are then photographed from above. In these instances, the clasps at the back either have to be removed or pushed through the backdrop itself. Sometimes the earring can be twisted to reveal the clasp on the side.
TABLETOP ANGLE Earrings Photography
Tabletop Angle images are shot from a lower angle so they are not considered flat lays. These images are great if a photographer is using shallow depth of field. This happens when sharp focus is at the front and the rest of the piece gradually fades out of focus towards the back.
TABLETOP FRONT Earrings Photography
When earrings are photographed with the camera lens looking straight at them, on the level of the table top, I call them Tabletop Front images. Studs and some small hoops like huggies are photographed this way.
COMPARISON Earrings Images
Comparison images can be created in camera by shooting different sized or coloured earrings together. More easily however, these comparison images can be done digitally, using already shot images and joining them into one final photograph.
STYLED with PROPS Earrings Photography
Earrings can also be styled using props. These props add interest and create a story about the piece photographed. Most clients like to get at least a few styled images. These images are usually used for website banners or headline images that represent each jewellery category on their website. They are of course also used for advertising and social media.
