Beating the Creative Block: Bracelet Photography Ideas
The task of coming up with new bracelet photography ideas for your next product shoot can move a little slowly, especially if you’ve used up all the props you have on hand and feel like you’ve exhausted all your options.
And here at Jewelry Retouchers, we understand how coming up with new ideas for bracelet photography can be quite a draining when your think tank is running on empty. It’s like you’re starting to feel the pressure of having to put out another set of eye-catching photos so your products can stay on your market’s radar, because let’s face it — good photos get customers.
If you know exactly what we’re talking about when it comes to coming up with brand new ideas for your bracelet pictures, then this article was made just for you.
How Do You Take Good Pictures of Bracelets? Plan for your Bracelet Photoshoot
Imagine this scene: You’re back at the drawing board trying to squeeze out new concepts for your photoshoot and caught in a slump.
With years of experience, we find that one of the best ways to get out of the idea board and into the shoot is to understand what these photos will be used for and why you need them.
Planning for a bracelet shoot, even when you don’t have any good ideas yet, is critical to making sure that it runs smoothly. We’ve listed down some things you need to ask yourself before getting started on your shoot:
What Are My Goals?
When planning for your photoshoot, it’s important that you understand what it’s for early on, so you know what you’re working towards. There was a study conducted on social media engagement that shows how a photo can have different levels of engagement depending on the social media channel used.
Setting down a structure is an excellent way for you to narrow down what you’re going to be looking for in terms of inspiration and composition. Think about where these photos will be used to maximize your possible engagements.
For instance, website photos would often be more composed and have a commercial feel to it, whereas Instagram photos can have a more approachable and relaxed set of pictures.
Do I Have Pegs?
If you’ve been photographing products for a while, you probably have dozens of jewelry photos that you take inspiration from saved on your phone. Pegs are there to help guide you on how you want your photoshoot to look like, but more importantly, they’re supposed to help your creative juices start flowing.
When it comes to thinking of new bracelet photo ideas, you can try finding your muse from different places. Try looking at magazines with covers that you adore, peek at the portfolio of different photographers who are working on a different genre, or scroll through your phone’s social media feed and see how people are taking photos.
Your “Aha!” moment can happen anytime.
What Do I Have On-Hand?
Look at all the items you think and don’t think you can use for your photoshoot. You can do this by taking a walk around your place and opening the cupboards, closets, and shelves. By doing a quick inventory of what you have on hand, you have an idea of what you can do.
When you have an inventory of the items available to you, you can start letting your imagination run wild.
What Do I Do After the Shoot?
The truth of the matter is that photoshoots are endurance runs for your creative brain, but it’s also a physically exhausting activity. Your brain is exercised while creating new concepts for your photoshoot, your body is taxed while you run around trying to get that perfect shot, and your mind and body are pushed to its limits when it’s time for jewelry editing.
What we’re trying to say is, the process may be long, but it doesn’t have to be tiring. Take breaks and rest up to avoid burnouts. Ask for help whenever possible.
Use Props Differently
Now that you have your photoshoot planned out, it’s time to execute. Props are an important part of your production because they help you tell your product’s story, and they can add new dimensions to your photos with their varying shapes and sizes.
How do you elevate your bracelet photos? Use your items in manners they’re not supposed to be used for and forget symmetry. It’s time to break the rules a little bit and just have fun.
For example, instead of using a vase with flowers as part of your earrings’ background, hang your bracelet around the mouth of the vase and arrange the flowers at the bottom. Use frosted glass for shadows and observe how it can add depth to your photos. Take a page from mother nature and arrange foliage and flowers beautifully for it to be the background of your picture.
The key trick here is ensuring that your bracelet stays at the center of everyone’s attention, even with all your props and backgrounds.
Use Different Textures
Whether you’re draping tables for backgrounds or clothing models, you should remember that different fabrics exude different feelings.
Here are some ideas on what aura these fabrics can give your bracelet photo:
- Silk can give off a luxurious and elegant feeling.
- Linen can give off a casual and rustic aura.
- Knitted or crocheted fabrics can give off a homey and relaxed atmosphere.
- Denim can give off a casual and on-the-go vibe.
- Velvet can give a sense of opulence and affluence.
- Sheer can give off a dreamy and soft ambience.
Your photo can feel different in the swish of one fabric. Use this to your advantage and show your clients the lifestyle your bracelet can give them.
Have Different Angles
Show off your bracelet by photographing it in various angles.
If your bracelet is encrusted with different gemstones on different parts, make sure to show them off by taking pictures of it in different angles. Another idea is to stack identical bracelets on top of one another to show off its various faces.
Give yourself options to choose which side of the bracelet you’d like to show off on your social media or choose to show off all angles of your bracelet on your website’s catalog. Not only does this give you more options to choose from when it comes to publishing, but it can also help your clientele get accurate information about the product they’ll be purchasing.
It’s important to make sure that you clean your bracelet thoroughly before getting into these shots and remember that high-end cameras, and even phones, can capture pesky dirt on your gemstones. This is all perfectly normal and a basic knowledge of how to edit jewelry photos should take care of these small nuances.
Everyday Life
Bring your bracelets out from your home and out into the world by showing them off in action. Show off what your clients can do and where they can go with your bracelet.
Flaunt your bracelet’s versatility and anti-tarnish capabilities by showing it off while holding a cup of coffee and then holding a tennis racket. You can also showcase your piece’s water resistance by featuring water in your photo or even by photographing it at the beach.
Give your clients an idea of how purchasing your bracelet can add value to their outfit and how it can help them achieve the habits that they want.
Are you Ready for the Next Step?
Photoshoots like this can really stretch out your creative brain but getting rest and asking for help is one way to beat this creative block.
Hopefully, you’ve gotten some fresh new ideas by now as to what you can do on your next photoshoot, and maybe you’ve even gotten a whiff of inspiration and are setting up already.
But before you hit “Post” on your new snaps, do a quick check on your photos by zooming in on your bracelet to check if there are any imperfections and if you can still do a quick edit. When it comes to exquisite jewelry photos, every single detail matters, especially if it’s a closeup.
If you feel like your bracelet still isn’t looking its best after numerous edits, and you’ve run out of ways to make it look shinier, why not contact a jewelry retouching company to help you add that missing sparkle to your photo?
Jewelry Retouchers specializes in giving your jewelry that extra care to make it look picture-perfect and accurate for your clients.
Visit our page today if you need bracelet photo retouching tips or if you want to learn more about our services.
