Photo courtesy of Modahaus

 

The iPhone is making its way into the studio as more iPhoneographers are using their device under studio conditions. While the iPhone will never replace a good pro Nikon, Hasselblad, or Canon back, it is possible under controlled conditions to get surprisingly good results.

Recently, Modahaus published a blog post that details how to photograph jewelry using an iPhone 4 and a Modahaus Desktop Studio 216. Not only do they share their technique in detail, they also provide some great how-to and sample photos. The results are impressive, given that they were shot with a camera phone.

Because the iPhone has a rolling shutter where an image is not captured all at once, but in a sequence one row of pixels at a time, it’s not possible to sync the shutter to a strobe or flash, so be sure to use lights that are continuous source.

Also, the iPhone 4 does not like fluorescent lights — they cause a blueish-green spot in the center of the image.

Although the tips in the Modahaus blog post are designed to sell one of their tabletop cycloramas (and they’re pretty cool little gadgets at that), the techniques can be adapted to just about any type of studio photography.

The answer to the ultimate question ‘Is it good enough to present and sell jewellery online’ I have to say, yes it is. There is no issue in lack of resolution for the majority of instances where jewellery is displayed online.

Essential elements in the mix are:

  • A good iPhone photo app with focus, exposure and white balance control and delayed shutter release. (Camera+, ProCamera, and King Camera all have these features. =M=)
  • A flexible tripod and iPhone mount.
  • A set of easily positioned lights, each with the same colour temperature.
  • A compact versatile Table Top Studio such as the Modahaus Desktop Studio 216.

 

Click to read the full post How to Shoot Jewelry Using an iPhone 4 and a Modahaus.

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