Diamond rings........

[pomeroi]

Please help!
I have hundreds of stock that need editing. i can do the straightforward(cropping & dodging etc)but want them to look like the second image I found on a website that has the metal looking very clean & white and especially the diamond.

Andrew

[Cassidy]

What I presume is the original looks very flat for an original photo as if it has been brushed or blurred, however, I tackled this with a couple of crazy curves adjustments, one for the diamond and one for the ring followed by a bit of dodge on the diamond and a slight levels adjustment on the ring.

[pomeroi]

Hi Cass,

Sorry, I think I have confused things......the photo i have taken is on the right. I would like it to look very similar to the ring (that is found on a website) which is on the left

Andrew

[PatrickB]

Pomeroi,

you aware those are two different materials? One is brushed metal, the other one polished. I hardly think you want to make both look the same?

[mistermonday]

Hi Andrew,
If you mean something like the image attached, you can just desaturate the image and apply a curve to increase the brightness / contrast. Regards, Murray

[pomeroi]

Patrick,

the so-called brushed effect is 100% not brushed - thats the strange thing.
The ring is produced by a company I know. They only took the photo's(as I have done). The retailer it has been sold to(along with other jewellery) has given the images to their web creator. Now he has done something pretty clever and created a very consistent effect on the metal and kept the diamond extremely bright.
I have tried saturating and blurring - never looks quite as good..........

So basically, the ring definately started the same as my ring(polished)

[meok]

I wish I can help, but the problem lies in the photography itself, very crude and amateurish. To take decent jewelry pictures you need main 3 things: A decent camera with a good macro lens, very soft light and and a good control of reflections. The pic you have lacks of all 3. There is unfortunatly no amount of retouching that can make it look like the other. If you need tips on the photography, feel free to email me.

[Cassidy]

Ok, another try, Filter ->Distort->Diffuse Glow, Graininess 0, Glow 2, Clear 18
Dodge on Diamond and darker shoulders
Adjust levels

You could smudge the back of the band to even

[Cassidy]

ok a little more, sharpen and then smudge of shoulders and back band

[studioj]

EXCELLENT TECHNIQUE CASSIDY!!!!

I love it

[Cassidy]

oh studioj, very flattered, red all over

[studioj]

Use curves in your face's green channel

[Cassidy]

roflmao here

[PatrickB]

Don't be funny about this, I once looked at my girlfriend for some time when she asked me "What are you thinking about?" and I answered "Spot Healing Brush"...

[Cassidy]

Oh dear, in stitches here

[pomeroi]

Cheers Cassidy!,

Almost as helpful as Meok..................not, can't all be perfect like some!

[Cassidy]

dont take it personally pomeroi, I actually thought the photo (after advisement) was one of the most realistic I had seen. I photographed my white gold ring and it looked absolutely awful and that was after polishing

[pomeroi]

Many thanks Cassidy

you've made me feel a whole lot better, i'll put the knife away :

[dkcoats]

Originally Posted by meok

...A decent camera with a good macro lens...

Even better: a view camera so you can use swings & tilts to get the whole thing in focus.

You're absolutely right (and others, including me, have said this before in this forum) that if the original photograph isn't up to snuff, there's not much even the best retoucher can do, especially with subject matter like this.

dc

[Kraellin]

Originally Posted by PatrickB

Don't be funny about this, I once looked at my girlfriend for some time when she asked me "What are you thinking about?" and I answered "Spot Healing Brush"...

patrick, i've had a girlfriend or two where i was thinking more along the lines of 'warp mesh'

craig

[SteveB2005]

I have to agree with meok about starting with an original good image of a ring or jewelry before retouching or enhancement can be applied. All the retouching techniques available won't turn a weak photo magically into a masterpiece. I have photographed and retouched a variety of jewelry items and all have their own list of challenges. I have no absolute formulas to achive guaranteed results when photographing jewelry other than practice, trial and error and experience. steve