Getting the Shot. Photographing our Fair Trade Jewelry.

Every season Dunitz & Company produces a look book of our fair trade jewelry. This season was no different. Have you looked at our Fall 2017 Look Books for our new wholesale collection? Truth be told, I'm the one doing the photography. I'm not a professional photographer for sure. And I must say, after several seasons of snapping attractive models in our newest designs, I've gotten better and better at it. Here are a few tips for you.

1. Sun is NOT your friend. Shadows are NOT your friend. And Shade is your friend. I always shoot outside with available light.  When you schedule a shoot with a model, I can almost guarantee the sky will be void of clouds.  This might not be the best example. I found a great tree for a background. But darn, that sun was creeping through everywhere. In this case, I could have cropped the shadows out and brightened the photo. We chose not to use it. Too bad, huh? Great spot. Beautiful woman. Fabulous fair trade jewelry!








2. Simple backgrounds seem to work the best. I like solid walls or near solid walls. Texture is fine. Actually texture is great. I find flowering shrubbery distracting. I see lots of fashionistas snapping away in front of painted murals on Instagram. What do I focus on when I see those photos? I see the fabulous artwork, not what the blogger had intended me to study. Hey, here's a sample of that. And, yes this comes from my very own camera. Left photo-Ugh. (After I snapped this one shot, I concluded it just didn't work for me.) Right photo-Love! It's a solid textured wall! These two shots are raw from the camera. Neither has been cropped, lightened or had blemished removed. I do think you can tell which works better for showing off Dunitz fair trade jewelry!

3. I always think it's best to have your raw photos as good as they can be. I've become fairly proficient at fixing this and that in Photoshop. (Thank you, Photoshop!) But seriously, the less you have to do after the shot is taken, the easier life is. I do think having access to some sort of editing software will enhance any photos you take.

4. Find great locations. Find places with lots of walls. Lots of walls that are shielded from the sun. Or just have in the back of your mind, that you always want to avoid the sun and shadows. One of my favorite places to photograph is the world famous Hollywood Bowl. Our offices are not far. And my home is even closer. (If you watch me personally on Instagram, you've already seen that I attend a lot of shows there in the summer.)  The Bowl has a plethora of walls. Green Walls. White Walls. Grey Walls. Brown Walls. Brick Walls. Tiled Walls. Striped Walls.  If you're in Los Angeles, you might also check out Echo Park. It's fun to walk around and there is a great big grey arch there. Not near a park? Get creative. Scout your residential or business neighborhood. You're sure to find shaded walls on all sorts of buildings.

I'd love to see what you come up with. I shoot fair trade jewelry. I'm assuming you'll be shooting your models wearing something completely different. In any case, I'm sure my tips will help you create fabulous images. -ND