PB Cohen Creations

I hired a guy the other day to take some good photos of some of my pieces to submit to galleries and art fairs. This is a remarkably bad photograph of the event (I didn't want to disturb him at work), but it shows that this professional photographer is doing a few things that all the articles on the internets about how to take photos of jewelry tell you not to do! Like using the flash on the camera (well, this is a strobe). Or lighting only from one side (can you see that?). Or — and this picture doesn't show it — not using a tripod.

Seriously, by the end of the session this guy was holding the camera in his hands! He explained there's a "zen" involved in photography: you hold still, you take a deep breath, you let it out and hold it, and in that moment you can press the button without the force of your heartbeat shaking the camera while you're taking the picture.

Yeah. Snipers do the same thing.

It was fascinating watching him work. I'm always simply trying to get a decent photo of small, shiny things — you know, something that depicts the piece clearly. He was obviously trying to take a pretty picture. Occasionally, this drove me crazy. But for the most part it was fun to see someone so engaged.

I've learned that arranging jewelry for photographs is very different from arranging jewelry for display. I've learned that I need to spend more time cleaning/polishing before a photo shoot. A lot more time. I've learned that there are f-stops above 8 ("above?") (and that a quick look at my camera suggests it isn't capable of those — bummer).

It'll be a little while before the photos are ready. Can't wait to see them.