Ask the Experts about Jewelry Making

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Topics: Jewelry, Finished, Photos

Q.
Hello! I have a question about photographing my jewelry. I had planned on photographing my pieces, print them out in wallet sizes and put them into page protectors most commonly used for baseball cards. Is that considered unprofessional? Should I use a larger picture, and protectors for them? Also, I don't have a digital or 35mm camera right now, but I do have an iPhone 4. The camera on it, at least to me, seems to be just as good as a digital, although I dont know what the megapixels and other specifics are. Would that be a camera that I could use until I can afford a nice one?
- Michelle
A.
It's not clear how you would use the album that you described above, regardless, small wallet-sized photographs would be too small to show your jewelry effectively. Also, taking good quality photographs of jewelry is extremely difficult. Even professional photographers find it a challenge because of the curved surfaces and shiny materials. You should strongly consider hiring a professional photographer who has experience photographing jewelry and gems until you have a good quality camera, a good lighting set up and experience. The investment in a professional's work will be well worth it.

If money is tight, contact a local college or university that has a photography program and see if there is a student willing to photograph your work at no charge in return for letting them use the photographs to build a portfolio. A student is likely to have access to good and possibly professional equipment, along with enough training to do a decent job.

- Dr. David Weiman
Dr. David Weiman is a respected expert in the field of marketing and selling handcrafted jewelry and a well-read contributor to Fire Mountain Gems and Beads "Ask the Experts". He is the author of Introduction to Marketing and Selling Jewelry, The Jewelry Selling Answer Book and The 5 Keys to Selling Handcrafted Jewelry. A free newsletter on selling handmade jewelry is available at his website: www.marketingjewelry.com.

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