Annette (PreciousMetalsWire) took me up on the offer that I made last time for a free studio session for one of her items. She chose a set of sterling silver rectangle hoop earrings, and says “silver earwires are a pain to take pictures of, because they always looked washed out to me.” Here’s one of Annette’s photo of this item: 
I think Annette was being a bit too hard on herself. That’s really a pretty nice shot – good focus, no camera shake, proper exposure, realistic colors and an overall good representation of the earrings. But since I made the offer, I thought I’d give it a go and see what else I could come up with. First, a simple shot with the earrings suspended in front of a plain white background (click to zoom): 
Next, a close-up against the same background: 
Then, for a more dramatic effect, the earrings laying on a reflective black background:
And for a totally unexpected and fun look, and to show some sense of scale, a caffeinated shot:
There you have it. A variety of photos that I hope show off the beautiful simplicity of Annette’s earrings. Click here if you want to see a few more.
Next time — Art Deco Wine Glass Charms.
greenpix 
I’m sure Annette is thrilled with your beautiful shots of her rectangular hoops. Especially love the close up and the earrings laying on the reflective background … and I know exactly where I can get my hands on one for myself ;D
Nice work, I like the one on the reflective surface too – looks sexy, cool and clear.
I like the close up and shiny black background photos. I have a question, when you use a F stop like 8, it gives the photo a lot more depth and perspective and the details in the back look out of focus which I like…but when you are selling jewelry on Etsy (which I do) and a customer wants to see details on the earrings they will only get a fuzzy picture. Not sure what’s better for sales!
I would appreciate your opinion. Thanks so much
Well, I can certainly help you control your depth of field, whether shallow or deep. But when it comes to opining about what your customers might like better, I’m clueless. What I might suggest is that you do some of each (putting your most eye-catching shot in the first slot, of course). You can have a few “creative” shots where you minimize the depth of field, and a few “conventional” shots where you make an effort to show the entire item in focus.
One thing to keep in mind though is that not images with out-of-focus areas are created equal. The term “bokeh” generally refers to the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus area. There are some lenses that provide really nasty bokeh, and others that give you a soft, dreamy look. The shots on the black and the coffee backgrounds exhibit pleasant bokeh, as does this image: https://www.etsy.com/listing/84204167/oktoberfest-beer-photo-octoberfest-art?ref=exp_listing
Yes, I vote for the reflective black background too. If ever I manage to get ‘arty’ shots of my products – which would normally be by accident! – I never know whether to use the shot as my lead photo or not. I think it might help get you into treasury collections on Etsy but I don’t know about a sale. Hopefully, it would make the client look at the rest of your photos which could be more ‘conventional’ and at least you’ve managed to show off your photography skills too.