How to light jewelry on model?

Fill light on the opposite angle to key light.

photographed by Li Gao.

the basic concept of lighting jewelry on model is easy, think of it as a beauty portraiture, but with jewelry being the main star of the show. You need are two lights, light 1 acting as key light (pic 1) Light2 acting as fill light positioned 6hours or 3hours ahead of key light (pic 2)

If you want a high contrast dramatic look, key light alone is enough you can see nice shadow (left face, nose, ears, neck opposite of key light source.) if you want a more evenly lit look, simply use fill light to hit shadows.

Thank you for reading. Until next blog!

-xoxo, L

chicago interior design

Attending my first NeoCon in Chi-town! But first, time to explore neighborhoods outside of downtown. Don’t worry, I brought my iPhone pro and gimbal for press previews for tomorrow ;) here’s a sneak peak of lobby at Mart and me with first press badge! Interior designer’s project/works are so beautiful… cant wait to share videos and photos! bbl!

—xoxo, L

What is Lens vs Perspective Distortion?

Lens distortion is produced by optical aberration within the glass. Straight lines in reality appears to be curved or deformed in the image. Straight lines are very important in architectural photography. I seen more heavy lens distortion in wide angle and zoom lens than in prime lens. The 3 main types of lens distortion are: barrel, pincushion, and complex. This can be fixed manually in RAW image processing softwares like Lightroom.

Perspective distortion, also known as converging verticals, is produced by where/how the camera is placed in relation to the subject. This can be fixed using a tilt-shift lens or in post production. Always start with lens distortion, then perspective correction.

Stay tuned for how to fix distortions for architectural and interiors photography. Thank you for reading. Until next blog!

-xoxo, L

Audio 101

Microphone: connects to your device via wired or wireless methods. Choose from Lavelier, Shotgun, Handheld, desktop, device mounted, boundary, large diaphragm and more.

Headphone: over-ears and closed-back design to block unwanted outside noise. Use on field recording and in studio monitoring (where isolating decibels and frequencies are important.)

Digital Audio Workstation: application that lets you record, mix, and master your audio productions.

Hardware Audio Interface: connects one or more professional microphones, musical instruments, or other gears to your main dashboard.

Acoustic Treatment: reduces unwanted acoustic reflections. Use on locations where you can’t permanently mount hardware setups.

Pop Filter: small screen the diffuses “P” sounds pop and “S” sounds hiss. Mics often pick up too much of the plosive and sibilant sounds that the labium oris produces.

Most of built-in microphones in DSLRs and Mobiles are low quality, picking up ambient noise that’s difficult to post-process and edit out in post-production. When a quiet and isolated space is unavailable, a directional microphone helps reduce any unwanted noise.

Stay tuned for Audio for Photography Videography 101. Thanks for Reading. Until next blog!

—xoxo, L

When to use Prime vs Zoom lens?

Prime lens have fixed focal length ranging from 5.6mm to 800mm. To change the field of view, operator must physically move camera closer or further to subject. Use prime lens when you had time to location scout and pre-light, know the focal lengths you need for desired shots and scenes, or prefer quality over versatility. I use

• 24mm for architectural interiors photography

• 50mm for fashion photography

• 85mm for jewelry on model and beauty photography

Zoom lens have variable focal length. To change the field of view, operator remains stationary and rotates the lens itself. Use zoom lens when you prefer flexibility over quality, or you need to shoot same scene at multiple focal lengths with no time allocated to change lens, camera and/or light settings. I use

• 17-40mm for architectural interiors photography

• 24-70mm for fashion photography

• 70-200mm for jewelry on model and beauty photography

Here’s the takeaway:

• Use zoom lens to determine your favorite focal length, then invest in the best prime lens available in today’s market that’s closest to your pre-determined focal length.

• When confident, use prime lens. When doubtful, use zoom lens.
  

Thanks for reading. Until next blog!

—xoxo, L

How to shoot Jewelry on model photography?

Question: What’s the best in camera setting to capture jewelry on model photography?

Answer: ISO 100, 85mm, f/13, 1/125 sec.

Here’s the visual proof. For this jewelry on model test shot in my studio using strobe lights, all parameters are fixed except the variable F stop. Zoom in to the jewelry and you’ll see why f/13 produces the sharpest depth of field.

Stay tuned for how to light jewelry on model photography. Thanks for reading, until next blog!

—xoxo, L

f/7.1 jewelry on model

f/10 jewelry on model

f/11 jewelry on model

f/13 jewelry on model

f/7.1 zoom in jewelry

f/10 zoom in jewelry

f/11 zoom in jewelry

f/13 zoom in jewelry