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Archive 2014 · Ring shots

  
 
nolaguy
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Ring shots


Over the past three years or so I’ve seen a number of wedding photographers express frustration over their ring shots. Case in point, SloPhoto’s post yesterday. Joe, I hope you don’t mind me using your post and image for reference purposes.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1337614

Ring shots aren’t hard, they’re just different. I thought I’d take a stab at offering a bit of information in case you find it useful.

1) Unless matte or Florentine finish, a ring is polished metal and polished metal is a mirror. Don’t let it reflect anything you don’t want it to. Surround the front half of the rings (or as much as you can) with white, per the crude illustration below. It can be a white reflector, foam core board, a sheet, diffusion fabric, 11x17 copier paper, whatever.

2) If you’re setting the rings on a surface, consider using a 12x12 piece of black acrylic or any material you don’t mind being reflected off the rings. SloPhoto’s image is primarily hurting because most of the man’s band is nicely reflecting the honeycomb surface it’s resting on – not to mention Joe himself.

3) Regarding that, if you don’t want to be featured prominently in your ring shot, assume an oblique position relative to any broad metallic surfaces. In this example, (it appears) SloPhoto is almost completely perpendicular with the groom’s ring’s best reflecting surface, thus he is now immortalized in their album.

4) Use a quality macro lens in the 100 to 150mm range. This sort of thing is what they were made for. Taking ring shots with anything else is like wearing someone else’s prescription eye glasses.

5) Use a tripod or a super fast shutter speed (three or four times your focal length).

6) Jewelry develops a road film (and often light abrasions on the metal) within a day or two of normal wear, primarily due to cosmetics, hand lotion and washing hands/bathing. Suggest to your bride she have her rings professionally polished, cleaned and steamed the day before (polishing removes metal so this shouldn’t be overdone… show off your knowledge and remind her of that).

All the better if you’re willing to take 20 minutes or so and do the rings shots with her coming straight from her jeweler rather than day of.

7) Pinpoint LED’s or halogens can create dazzle if that’s the look your after. Otherwise, any sufficiently bright light source will generally work, it just may not highlight the diamond’s scintillation.

8) It’s all the rage to go wide open and shoot from inches away narrowing the depth of field to a few millimeters. I recommend you don’t do that. Just don’t. That’s an exercise in showing off gear rather than capturing the beauty of their rings. The entire ring (save perhaps the bottom of the shank if rings are laid flat) should be in focus. In SloPhoto’s example, I may be mistaken but it looks like there’s been artificial blur added. Some elements in the same plane are in focus, some are not. It is curious but I’m not certain what’s going on.

9) Diamonds are designed and cut to be at their best when viewed from the top. If you choose to shoot the center stone from the side, that’s fine, but you’re losing most of the diamond’s scintillation.

10) The diamond "substitute" Cubic Zirconia (CZ) begins gorgeous but they leak light badly. In SloPhoto’s example, the dark triangle you see in the center stone is reminiscent of the dead spot often seen in CZ’s (or poorly cut diamonds) at that angle. His couple’s stone is indeed a diamond, but it’s worth being aware of how CZ’s behave with light and to avoid angles that present that dead window (that lacks the “sparkle” the rest of the stone has) in the stone because…

11) Yep, with or without the bride’s knowledge, lots of engagement rings have CZ centers, not diamonds. Side note that CZ’s are relatively soft so they also abrade quickly resulting in a dull, less crisp look.

12) Certain shapes – notably average to poorly cut marquise and pear shapes have a dead area in the center of the stone known as a bow tie. You can recognize it because it looks like a bow tie

There’s nothing you can really do about that unless you want to Photoshop in some jazz later.

13) If you do all the above, your images may well resolve the junk in poor quality diamonds – particularly in emerald and Asscher cuts. If 1) your depth of field gathers all in focus, 2) the surrounding metal looks great, 3) you’re shooting the center stone pretty much from its top view – and the diamond still looks dull or lifeless, it probably is lesser quality and other than Photoshopping a nicer stone in its place, there’s not much you can do.

Hope this helps,

Chuck













Dec 24, 2014 at 03:11 AM
jmraso
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Ring shots


Thanks a lot for this piece of info !!!



Dec 24, 2014 at 04:40 AM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Ring shots


Damn did you used to work at a jewelry shop or what nolaguy?


Dec 24, 2014 at 04:53 AM
chrisbergmann
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Ring shots


Thanks! This was a great read


Dec 24, 2014 at 08:33 AM
Nikon_14
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Ring shots


Very insightful post, thank you.


Dec 24, 2014 at 08:35 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Ring shots


I admit I've never taken a ring shot and probably never will, but I admire you sharing all these tips with everyone. Really thoughtful! Thank you!


Dec 24, 2014 at 09:15 AM
kingadriano
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Ring shots


Damn, so much good information. Thanks for putting this up!


Dec 24, 2014 at 09:18 AM
form
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Ring shots


Actually many of my best ring shots have been with my 35L and 12mm extension tube. That includes the one in this shot:

http://www.joeyallenphoto.com/Weddings/July31_10/XochitlMathuri-0597_2.jpg
And most of my best shots have been with predominantly dark environments and a single flash.

I can't imagine my clients getting their rings professionally polished before their wedding day just because I might suggest it. Not that it wouldn't happen for a few, but the majority would probably ignore this idea.



Dec 24, 2014 at 12:02 PM
Prettym1k3
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Ring shots


I'm typically quite disappointed with my ring shots, but that stems from me feeling like I'm alwasyd doing the same thing. And usually, I am. I'm always taking pictures of either 1, 2 or 3 rings. Once I don't look at the pictures for a few weeks or a month, and then go back and look again, I'm typically quite happy with them. I've had a few that I really liked.

No tripod. No reflective surface. I'm always trying to do something a little different, and something that reflects the environment.













Not rings, but I like this one:




Dec 24, 2014 at 12:56 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Ring shots


Dude — #2, so money

I love ring shots as they allow you to slow down and create something purely for art's sake.



Dec 24, 2014 at 01:19 PM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Ring shots


I guess the information is useful.... Seems like a lot of do's and don't creating restricted shooting.

I see more of it as what is the intent of your shot? Do you understand macro photography?
Do you practice when it is time to shot a ring shot at a wedding?

What happens to the DOF when shooting macro?
So... would you shot at f2.8 or f11?

Seems like a basic question but I have seen shooters trying to shot these shots at f2.8.
Specifically speaking when shooting through a macro lens.

Different when shooting using a normal lens like a 50mm.

Cleaning a ring ... try champagne.

-Mark



Dec 24, 2014 at 02:21 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Ring shots


With rings, I'm always an "ƒ8 and be there" type shooter


Dec 24, 2014 at 02:35 PM
nolaguy
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Ring shots


Thanks for the kind words, all. And thanks to those rounding out the conversation.

Joey, you make a good point. Really nice “macro” results can certainly be achieved with good glass and extension tubes – and that is a great shot. I suppose my central encouragement in the macro recommendation is I see lots of super talented photographers showing beautiful work with the only significant compromise in the entire album being (their words, not mine) the ring shot. On one hand it can be difficult to justify a $700 or $800 lens pretty much dedicated to such a minute portion of the 2,000 images shot. On the other hand, weakest link and all that – if I shot weddings I’d want my ring images to be on par with the rest of my work and so would quickly justify the expense. Plus, my 105 doubles nicely as a great backup portrait lens. Just my opinion.


Michael, thanks for sharing. I like a lot of what you posted. To be clear, I really didn’t intend to address the creative aspects of the ring shot, I was more trying to offer simple guidelines that would perhaps help when photographers are frustrated with the results they’re getting. If you’re happy, you certainly don’t need my input.

Nor did I intend to suggest this was the only way. My little list was simply saying if you want to bullet proof competent ring shots with little fretting, these are the factors in play – the physics, and how to easily control them.


Returning to Joey’s comments: would a bride have things spiffed up just for your ring shot?... I’ve no idea, but she should regardless of photography. She’s going to be wearing an immaculate, unsoiled wedding band for the first time. It shouldn’t make her engagement ring – which probably costs many times what the band did – look like crap. And folks, you’d be surprised at how a couple of weeks of every day wear can take the edge off a diamond’s glory.


Mark, sorry if it seemed like a burdensome do’s and don’ts list - and your points/questions are valid to be sure. Again, it was offered for those might want to know what to “do” if they “don’t” want unexpected results. Cheers.


Kurtis, in answer to your question, my grandfather was a watchmaker, a gentleman and a bad boy. All of which I love. I was exposed to this stuff from about age 5.


Merry Christmas, all.

Chuck



Dec 24, 2014 at 02:54 PM
Prettym1k3
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Ring shots


nolaguy wrote:
Michael, thanks for sharing. I like a lot of what you posted. To be clear, I really didn’t intend to address the creative aspects of the ring shot, I was more trying to offer simple guidelines that would perhaps help when photographers are frustrated with the results they’re getting. If you’re happy, you certainly don’t need my input.

Merry Christmas, all.

Chuck


Understood, Chuck. And they're great tips. I don't disagree with you. Your tips offer great advice, and a "safe" way to make great ring shots.

Merry Christmas!




Dec 24, 2014 at 03:06 PM
form
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Ring shots


I still consider this a safe way to take ring shots as well (it's about my only ring shot from today too): http://www.joeyallenphoto.com/D750/A&A-Preview-003-2.jpg


Dec 24, 2014 at 08:01 PM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Ring shots


ricardovaste wrote:

I've never taken a ring shot and probably never will


I take 'em at most weddings but I don't show 'em on the website.




Dec 25, 2014 at 06:03 AM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Ring shots


LeeSimms wrote:

With rings, I'm always an "ƒ8 and be there" type shooter


I stop down more than that even ... like f/16.




Dec 25, 2014 at 06:04 AM
Lauchlan Toal
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Ring shots


D. Diggler wrote:
I stop down more than that even ... like f/16.



I don't do weddings, but when I shoot jewelry for commercial work I'm generally at f/8 for optimal sharpness (since I'll usually want to crop a bit past 1:1), and I take 4-12 shots and focus stack them. If you don't have half an hour though, f/16 should work.



Dec 27, 2014 at 06:02 PM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Ring shots


Lauchlan Toal wrote:

If you don't have half an hour though, f/16 should work.


Yeah, I don't get these people shooting macros wide open.




Dec 29, 2014 at 04:27 AM
boshek
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Ring shots


I think this is a post I will print and save!!!! ty


Jan 02, 2015 at 09:30 AM





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