How to light a jewellery product shoot with a model

When it comes to lighting and setups, product and people photography, generally use completely different lighting plans and setups. So, what do you do when you have to photograph someone actually using or wearing the product?

This requires a slightly different way of going about things. In this excellent video from Adorama, Ab Sesay shows us how he tackles the problem of lighting a jewellery product hoot with a model.

Sesay begins by constructing a basic light tent around the model, using scrims and translucent material. He gives two different light set ups: a three light set up, and a 1 light set up. DOn’t be fooled into thinking you must use as many lights as possible, I love shooting with just one light, although you will need reflectors usually to do this.

Three-light set up

• Key light: The main or key light in this setup is a Profoto D2 strobe with a Fresnel lens and a quarter CTS gel to warm it up. This light is directed through a cookie to create the effect of sunlight breaking through trees or a window.
• Overhead Light: An overhead 3×4 softbox shooting through unbleached muslin provides fill light and starts to give dimension to the jewellery.
• Fill light: A large softbox behind the camera, passing through a bed sheet, offers soft lighting and specular highlights in the jewellery.

One light set up

If you don’t have three lights at your disposal you can still capture beautiful shots using just one light.

• Light Source: Use a Bare Bulb flash, offering a simpler setup compared to the three-light configuration.
• Modifier: A bedsheet acts as a modifier and reflector, creating a mix of hard and soft light.
• Additional Fill: A used piece of seamless paper placed on the floor adds fill light and enhances specular reflections in the jewellery.

Creative tips

Sesay also gives quite a few extra tips, from using wig tape to stop the jewellery slipping, to keeping the model warm and comfortable using a portable heater.

He also draws attention to the jewellery through clever styling and composition, leaving you in no doubt as to what the hero of the shot is. Above all, it’s down to story telling and creating a strong narrative that ties all the images together for the brand.

Try to think of the bigger picture rather than as a series of separate shots. This will pull more variety into your shoot which is essential these days when brands often require a library of images rather than just one here shot.

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