Brief: To photograph a selection of jewellery for use in print & online. The clients guidelines were to make the stones in each piece "pop". The client favoured a shallow depth of field, to concentrate the eye on each piece. This selection shows photographs of ladies pendants & rings.

Set dressing played a large part in the photography process. In choosing a background, I do a series of test shots, analysing how the colours work with the piece & how each sits on the page. The client often has a large input when choosing colour schemes for each shot. I often use coloured fabrics behind pendants, as the folds create interesting gradients when out of focus. When shooting rings, I often use a sheet of clear glass, or black perspex to achieve a reflection.

Shooting in a light cocoon helps reduce unwanted reflections & allows you to control the light hitting the metals. It also provides a perfect structure with which to hang pendants.

Depending on the size of the piece, I find F10 produces very sharp results on the Nikon 60mm lens, dropping out just after the object. To achieve sparkling stones, one must have as much light available as possible. I find the three Bowens daylight balanced Streamlites provide enough to achieve good F-stop readings. These also have accurate colour reproduction. I also use a daylight balanced led panel to add an extra sparkle to multifaceted stones.