Ask Anything
Shooting the Bling!
Ask Anything ~ February 21, 2011
The bling.
You have to do it justice! Have you ever had a BEAUTIFUL ring to shoot and you just can’t get it to POP and SHINE like you want? Ummm…this girl has had her share of fuzzy ring shots and I know how frustrating that can be! I’m still not a pro at capturing the bling but I have found a few little tricks that have really helped me recently. I’m currently at WPPI and I hate that I can’t blog as regularly but don’t you worry…. I’ll be back in the swing of things soon! For now, enjoy some quick ring tips. When I first started shooting, I had a tiny little macro… I think it was a 50mm… I’m not really sure. All I know is that it was awful and that I was struggling to capture great ring shots!
I would try and TRY to get great ring shots and they just would NOT happen. I have since upgraded to the 100mm macro, 2.8 and I’m in love. I have realized since those beginner days that there were several things that I wasn’t doing right and here they are:
.
1. I wasn’t shooting in a LOT of natural light…umm… what was I thinking?! You definitely need a lot of light OR a great set up with an off-camera flash. Having a good amount of light will help your shots dramatically!
.
2. Focus manually! You will have so much more control when you’re in control of your focusing. I have actually been focusing my ring shots in LIVE VIEW since Kurt from Jodi Miller Photography introduced me to the idea a while back. If you have a Mark II, I highly suggest giving it a try! If anything, it’s just a fun new technique to try out!
.
3. Don’t worry about getting the WHOLE ring in focus! This was a huge issue for me!! Try focusing on the side of the ring that is closest to you OR the prong of the ring that is closest to you! You’ll realize that some of my shots do not have the whole ring in focus but because the first place that your eye goes is in focus, it gives the illusion that the whole shot is in focus.
.
Again… I’m not a pro at ring shots and I’m still learning…. but I have seen my ring shots improve in the last year and I thought I would share a few tips with you! I’m off to get into the Starbucks line and try to WAKE UP… it’s 6:50am in Vegas and we’re running on very little SLEEP! I am GOING TI STAY AWAKE through every presentation… I will, I will, I will!
add a comment ( 13 ) | link to post | share to facebook | become a fan of Katelyn James
Ashley Daniell: ( March 31, 2011 5:52 pm ) Ok, I have the 100mm 2.8 and I do shoot in as much light as possible and I do focus manually (tell me more about this Live View thing!), and I STILL struggle. So many of my ring shots are fuzzy. Using my macro is my least favorite thing because once I get the photos on the computer they look blurry. I hate it!! Please help!!
caroline: ( February 23, 2011 10:01 pm ) katelyn, when im gettin engaged, tell my man that I REALLY like the one on the seashell and the one on orange is appealing too. thanks :)
Lydia: ( February 23, 2011 6:32 am ) The pictures with the orange are gorgeous! Thanks for the tips and reminding me to practice before my next wedding!
Girish: ( February 22, 2011 5:33 am ) Stunning, very inspiring as well. I really like the leaves one. Well presented shots all of them. What lens did you use for this, is it the 50mm
Carly Arnwine: ( February 22, 2011 3:38 am ) love this! & great point on manual focus -- I need to experiment with that more.
Kristin Nicole: ( February 21, 2011 5:28 pm ) Ring shots without the 100mm 2.8 are just about impossible....I knew that was one of the first few lenses I needed as a wedding photog if I was going to get great ring shots.
Sarah Heinle: ( February 21, 2011 4:52 pm ) Thank you for posting this. Have a wonderful time in Vegas.
Jennifer Krieg: ( February 21, 2011 4:30 pm ) Beautiful shots! Still a fan of that last ring shot. Can we say A-M-A-Z-I-N-G? :)
Julianna: ( February 21, 2011 3:57 pm ) I want one!!!!! Great job, Katelyn!
Cecilia: ( February 21, 2011 3:40 pm ) Thanks for sharing the great tips & advice! Love photos of the ring on the orange, the ring "pops" and is beautiful!
toviah: ( February 21, 2011 1:27 pm ) 100mm 2.8 is my next lens. i have the angle finder which is great for macro shots! http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Angle-Finder-EOS-Cameras/dp/B00004WCEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298302021&sr=8-1
jenifriend: ( February 21, 2011 1:16 pm ) this lens is sooooo next on my list. having said that, i have been working on utilizing what i have - which is the most important thing - and i'm going to take advantage of your tips and see what i can create with what the lenses i have at home. thanks katelyn!
nancy mitchell: ( February 21, 2011 1:12 pm ) Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your starbucks and hopefully you will stay awake in class to day!