
Posts by Sara Rey:


Stephen Avery
Sara Rey Uncategorized project feature
Gem Photography for Stephen Avery
Here are some highlights from the photography that we did for Stephen Avery in 2023.
Avery has been cutting gems for decades–innovating the art form & earning awards all along the way–and he continues to wow the jewelry industry with his combinations of materials, colors, and shapes.
It’s been a real honor to get to collaborate for several years, including cataloging some of his personal inventory as well as gem material that dates back decades to unique or now-exhausted sources.






What is Tiffany Style Photography?
Sara Rey Jewelry, Photography, Preparing For a Photo Shoot article, FAQ


Sara Rey
What is Tiffany Style Photography?
Tiffany & Co. is a brand that's so iconic in pop culture that it's influenced everything from the cinema to the red carpet to our humble photography services.
Tiffany-style photography is a category of jewelry photography that is characterized by factors such as:
- Very high contrast in the metals: bright highlights and deep shadows make the jewelry pop off the page.
- High contrast and heavy blue/turquoise tones in the diamonds: their diamonds aren’t simply “colorless” or white; they utilize a strong blue coloration to add to their sparkle and make them pop against their signature white metals.
- A heavy hand in post-production that gives the jewelry an almost rendered look. Our clientele tends to be pretty split in their preferences: they either want a very natural look, so that their customers have no doubt that they’re looking at a real photo and not a CAD rendering, or, they love a highly stylized image that really draws the eye and frames the jewelry as the hero.
So, what do you think? Are you on team Tiffany?











THATCH Jewelry
Sara Rey Uncategorized project feature
Here’s a recent product shoot that we did for San Diego-based brand: THATCH.
The photography we did for them is a great example of something that’s easy to overlook when hiring a professional jewelry photographer: consistency. Do you see how every photo is the exact same shade & brightness of gold? The necklaces all reach the same point within the frame? The style of reflection is carried throughout the batch of images?
We’re fanatical about maintaining internal reference documents for every single client, so that every time we work together we’re able to deliver the exact same standards that we did before.
In a world dominated by ecommerce, having beautiful photos is a must. But having consistently beautiful photos is what gives your customers a professional & meaningful experience on your store.

3090 Gems
Sara Rey Uncategorized project feature 0 Comments
It’s always a pleasure photographing loose gemstones. Rather than focusing on showing all the design details of a piece of jewelry, the entire image is geared towards getting the highest performance and color accuracy out of the gem. Often compositing multiple images to get a level of brilliance the reflects what you’d see in hand, gem photography is truly an artform.

Derco Fine Jewelers
Sara Rey Uncategorized project feature
This summer we worked with Derco Fine Jewelers in San Francisco to create a new set of creative images for the home page of their website. With their reference image and our intimate understanding of how to properly style and light diamond jewelry, we were able to deliver a diverse but cohesive set of images, pre-sized for their web header images on both desktop and mobile.









Materials For Your Editorial Shoot
Sara Rey Jewelry, Photography, Preparing For a Photo Shoot angles, article, jewelry photographer, jewelry photography, photo shoot prep


Sara Rey
Materials For Your Editorial Shoot
In preparing for your photo shoot, we'll source any materials that we want to use as backdrops & props in the photos. Here's a simple list to give you some ideas. What resonates with you?
This list is not meant to be exhaustive, and hopefully it will inspire some of your own ideas for objects that will be perfect for your project.
And remember, your images don’t need to be filled with elaborate props & backdrops to be impactful. Some of the most beautiful photos are artfully arranged pieces of jewelry in a simple scene. Props & backdrops should play a supporting role in your photos, and appear only to help tell the story of your brand or collection.
PROP & BACKDROP IDEAS
- Fresh florals
- Fresh greenery
- Stones
- Mineral specimens/crystals
- Dried florals
- Flower petals
- Moss/lichen
- Branches/twigs
- Fresh or dried fruits
- Driftwood
- Shells
- Sand
- Sea glass
- Candy
- Herbs/spices (fresh or dried)
- Vases/vessels (glass, ceramic, etc.)
- Powders (flour, cement, etc.)
- Mesh produce bags
- Brand packaging (boxes, pouches)
- Solid colored backdrops
- Acrylic blocks/risers (white, black, clear)
- Wood blocks/risers
- Cement blocks/risers
- Steel blocks/risers
- Glassware (champagne, lowballs, bottles)
- Dishware
- Ring cones or other props
- Jewelry-making tools
- Marble objects or backdrop
- Wood objects or backdrop
- Slate backdrop
- Leather
- Gauzy linen fabric
- Lace
- Velvet
- Other fabrics
- Paper cutout shapes
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspaper
- Stationery
- Mirror discs
- Perfume bottles
- Vintage jewelry boxes
- Vintage hand mirrors
- Vintage skeleton keys
- Glasses or sunglasses
- Picture frames
- Trays (metal, wood, mirror, stone)
- Stamps
- Maps
- Hairbrush
- Makeup
- Ribbon
- Candles
- Game pieces/boards
- Desk objects/supplies (pens, rulers, etc.)

Building Your Creative Shoot
Sara Rey Jewelry, Photography, Preparing For a Photo Shoot angles, article, jewelry photographer, jewelry photography, photo shoot prep


Sara Rey
Building Your Creative Shoot
When it comes to planning a creative photo shoot, we'll start by working together to come up with the aesthetic vision for the project. Below, find a summary of some of the things we'll discuss.
What's Inside
Story
Is there a story that you want to tell with this set of images? It may relate to your company itself, or it may be specific to the collection that you’re launching. You can also think of the story as the “scene” of the image, or the theme. It could be a beach picnic, or a working woman’s desk, or a secret garden.
Although it can be a helpful jumping off point, your images certainly don’t need to have a complete story. Sometimes just a vibe or a particular aesthetic is enough to communicate.
Brand Words
What are the words that you associate with your brand, your designs, or this specific collection? You likely already have some in mind, but here are some ideas:
- Modern
- Ethereal
- Bold
- Edgy
- Classic
- Feminine
- Vintage
- Luxurious
- Bohemian
- Artful
- Energetic
- Traditional
- Quirky
- Glam
- Sleek
- Free-spirited
- Minimal
- Bright
- Romantic
- Architectural
- Clean
- Airy
- Colorful
- Mysterious
- Simple
- Futuristic
- Sophisticated
- Warm
- Relaxed
- Elegant
- Soft
- Natural
- Earthy
- Retro
- Vibrant
- Chic
- Energetic
- Masculine
- Breezy
- Beachy
- Fresh
- Urban
- Geometric
- Eclectic
- Playful
- Dramatic
- Sexy
- Organic
Composition
Do you like full, voluminous images, or do you prefer a simpler composition where the jewelry & lighting do the heavy lifting?
There’s no right or wrong answer. I tend to look at fuller compositions as more of a story-telling image, where you’re trying to express a mood more than document every detail of the jewelry. On the other hand, simpler compositions tend to have fewer props & other objects in the image, so the jewelry really is the sole focus.
Needless to say, we can do a combination of these styles that will be cohesive & suitable for different purposes.
FULL COMPOSITION
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SIMPLE COMPOSITION
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Tone
In this case, tone is referring to whether you prefer light, medium, or dark images. This impacts things like which backdrops we choose & how we use our studio lighting.
LIGHT
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MEDIUM
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DARK
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Colors
For large sets of images, it’s good to have a plan for how color will be used. Color shows up in a few ways: the backdrop material, the props, and occasionally the light itself.
A good rule of thumb is to select 2-3 background colors (if you’re unsure, go with a neutral like white, grey, taupe, or black) & 3-5 accent colors that can be used in props and other materials that show up in the images. This is also an opportunity to mix in your brand colors, if desired.
And don’t forget, monochromatic images make a big impression too! You don’t need to use a lot of color in your images to make them impactful.
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Lighting
I consider the quality of light to be on a spectrum from very soft, diffused light, to very harsh, defined light (and shadows).
Soft & diffused light is a neutral, flattering lighting style for jewelry & products. The shadows are natural & subtle. The viewer’s attention is focused on the objects in the image.
Harsh & defined light is dramatic. It casts long & dark shadows, and creates hot highlights on the objects in the image. This lighting style is associated with a more modern, bold, or edgy look.
SOFT & DIFFUSED
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HARSH & DEFINED
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Angles
There are three main viewing angles used in editorial photography:
- Overhead (used in flat lays, also called “bird’s eye view”)
- Face On (also called “head on” or “eye level”)
- Three Quarter (in between the overhead & face on view. Camera may be looking down at the jewelry at about a 45 degree angle.)
Most shoots combine all of these angles for different photos, but you may find that you really prefer a certain one. For example, a still life photo shoot will be utilizing almost exclusively a face-on view. On the other hand, a flat lay style shoot with be shot with the camera overhead, looking down on the scene.
OVERHEAD
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FACE ON
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THREE QUARTER
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Materials
Be sure to check out my blog post about materials that work great as props & backdrops in jewelry photo shoots.

Photo Angle Guide for Jewelry
Sara Rey Jewelry, Photography, Preparing For a Photo Shoot angleguide, angles, article, jewelry photographer, jewelry photography
Please use this page as a visual guide to select the angles you’d like your jewelry photographed at. It helps us communicate clearly about the type of photos you want, and is used as a reference to maintain consistency in your projects over time. Don’t see the angle you want? No worries – send us an example and we’ll match it for you!
Rings
Pendants & NECKLACES
Earrings
Bracelets
Charms, Pins & Brooches
Cuff Links
Loose Gems
Watches
Belts & Buckles

Sapphire Ring by Lauren Fine Jewelry
Sara Rey Photography jewelry photography, jewelry photographer

This stunning green/blue sapphire ring by Lauren Fine Jewelry was set with diamonds throughout the halo, gallery, and twisting down the shank of the ring. I combined the individual shots for this compilation image.