For Photographers: Tips for Photographing Rings

For Photographers

February 10, 2015

One of my favorite parts of the wedding day is the getting ready portion! It has a mix of all of my favorite things to photograph: details, candid moments, and portraits. And you can’t beat the energy in the room where the bride is getting ready…there’s just something so hopeful and happy about it! I love it.

During this part of the day is when I aim to shoot the rings. I suggest that the girls have the rings ready with the rest of her getting ready details (bouquet, invitation, shoes, dress, etc) so that I can photograph everything together. A huge reason for this is light. I love consistency in my work. My main goal is shooting for an album, because at the end of the day I want the images to be able to tell a seamless story from start to finish. I don’t like mixing types of light if I don’t have to…so I prefer to shoot the rings in the same light I’m shooting the rest of the getting ready details in! I also really love to combine the rings with other elements from the day, like the invitations or other pieces of the bride’s jewelry, and getting ready is the perfect time for that!

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Using the right equipment is key for amazing ring shots. I use the 100mm 2.8L Macro for all of mine. A macro lens is key to getting big, close up images of jewelry and other small objects! The 100mm 2.8 is one of my most highly recommended lenses for wedding photographers because you can also use it as a telephoto lens when photograping the ceremony or reception! Before I used the 100 2.8L, I did ring shots with a 35 1.4 and cropped in a lot. If you don’t have a macro (get one!) you can try shooting the rings with whatever lens you have that focuses best close up. For me, that was the 35 1.4.

When you’re using the 100mm, one thing to remember is that the depth of field on this lens is much shallower than on a 35 or 50 because there’s more compression. I would typically never shoot above 2.8 (or 3.2 for large bridal parties or family shots) but when I’m shooting the rings, I bump my aperture up a lot so that what I want to get in focus IS in focus. Typically I shoot rings between 3.5 – 5.6 depending on the detailing in the rings, what kind of background I’m shooting on, the light in the room, etc.

This image was shot at: ISO 640, F/ 4.5, 1/320

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I always try to ensure that the rings are facing the light. Diamonds look so pretty and bright when there’s light reflecting off of them! If you don’t have window light, take the rings (and the other accessories) to a spot where there is light. Once you have light, you can think about creating creative backdrops for the rings. I don’t take props with me to weddings because I want the images to be unique to each couple’s day and props wouldn’t make sense for that. Instead I look at the other things available to me (invitations, veil, etc) and try to create something with those!  The image below was actually photographed on leftover bouquet ribbons!

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Focusing when shooting rings can be tricky. I personally use autofocus when I’m shooting rings, but a lot of photographers I know focus manually. I don’t struggle too much when shooting autofocus, so it seems pretty simple to me to just keep doing it that way. I’ve also seen photographers use tripods to photograph rings…but I don’t like to bring a lot of equipment with me to weddings. My best tip for focusing when shooting ring shots would be to breathe OUT right before you shoot (instead of holding your breath) and make sure your shutter speed is high enough (can be tricky in a darker getting ready room).

When I edit my ring shots in Lightroom, I use the brush tool to brighten the diamonds and also desaturate them. Why do I desaturate? The diamonds look brighter and clearer when you do. Sometimes there may be colorful things in the room reflecting in the stones that might look a bit distracting. Eliminating that makes for cleaner shots! The image below was photographed on an envelope liner from their invitation suite…I filled in the empty spots in Photoshop after the fact and brightened everything up to get the image on the right.

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Lastly, I apply all of the principles and ideas to all of the jewelry photos that I take! Combining elements from the wedding day to create layered and interesting shots is one of my favorite things to do and helps give life to these basically inanimate objects 😉

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I hope this helps you create more beautiful and creative ring shots! These types of photographs are so much fun to play around with on a wedding day. If you’re wanting to get really creative with your shots, practice at home with your own rings (or even some fakes! You can get them at Macy’s for pretty cheap). The more that you practice shots like these, the faster you’ll start to create signature looks that feel consistent and on brand!

Got a burning question or a great idea for a future “For photographers” post? Leave a comment or shoot me an email! 

Also, if you love these posts, make sure you check out the For Photographers website with workshop and mentoring info! 

 

Leave a Comment

  1. Alicia Lacey says:

    Love the tip on facing it towards the window for more “shine” — never even thought of that!!

  2. Kimmie says:

    Katie, I love this post! I use a 35mm/1.4 right now, so it’s encouraging to hear that you started off by using that, too!! Thanks for all of the tips and for sharing!! xo

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