How to Reduce Grain When Photographing Jewelry

Grain is not the product of the photo's subject, it is the product of the camera settings and the light available. The word photography means writing with light; if you can control the light, you can create a perfect image. In film photography, grain is the layering of silver halide clumps that create the image; the faster the film speed (ISO), the greater the film grain. However, there are times when a grainy appearance is unwanted. When photographing objects such as jewelry, sufficient light is key. More light allows for a slower ISO and, therefore, reduced grain.

Instructions

Arrange lighting. Jewelry is often finely-detailed and, therefore, should be shot in studio or other bright lighting. Grain is a required aspect of photography and is produced in order to define the image. With sufficient studio lighting, apparent graininess will decrease significantly. This does not mean a professional light set, but rather a well-lit, white backdrop or light box (white, five-sided box that concentrates diffused light). If outside, you should wait for clear, direct sunlight and work with diffusing screens (screens that block direct beams that cause unwanted glare).

Diffuse the light. "Would you like to understand digital photography methods that bring expert photographers to where they are today? Well, The Top Secret Photography Techniques would help you out in doing so. To get spectacular photographs we primary need to look at some basic photography strategies. The most important one I am able to share with you is determine about light. You can come across everything about photography techniques on , The Top Secret Photography Techniques. Whenever you discover about light and in what way it interacts with the direct environment then your photographs will get improved..". To minimize reflections, jewelry should never be photographed with direct light. Diffusing screens from which to bounce the light or light boxes are the best way to break up and evenly distribute large quantities of light. You will need two or three "daylight" white lights (available at any hardware store) if using a light box, and at least one background light and one key light pointed at a screen if using a studio setup. White reflects brightly, so surround your jewelry with a white ground, background and side screens when photographing jewelry. Once you have sufficient light, you can change your camera settings to reduce the grain.

Adjust the ISO value in the camera settings to 100 and increase your aperture to achieve proper exposure. Grain (referred to as "noise" in digital photography) becomes more apparent when there is low light. A low ISO setting and increased aperture produce images that are not necessarily "sharper," but rather clearer. With sufficient studio lights, you will be able to shoot at a much higher f-stop (aperture), thus capturing a clear, bright photo with virtually no grain.

Use caution adjusting levels with photo editing software. Altering the levels of a photo is done when insufficient light or "white light" was captured. Increasing the white output will increase the grain. If there was over exposure, altering the black exposure will not increase grain unless the mid-tone and white are altered as well.

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