Blooming in close up jewellery

Hi chaps, this doesn't happen all of the time and I'm not sure what's causing it when it does. I have a small 'modelling' light and a 580 speedlite pointing UP to a big bounce card (so no direct flash). I think the 'glow' in the centre of the shot is called 'blooming' ... anyone any thoughts please ?

Heya,

It's a form of lens flare from a reflection into the lens. Just change angles.

Very best,

Hi Roger - this sort of looks like lens flare. By any chance are you using an inexpensive filter on the lens? Also, are you using a hood?

No hood (I'm using a Sigma EX 105mm DG Macro and the front element is way back in the barrel of the lens (like 30mm) so I thought a hood wouldn't be necessary) and no filter ...

rogertb wrote in post #17793718
No hood (I'm using a Sigma EX 105mm DG Macro and the front element is way back in the barrel of the lens (like 30mm) so I thought a hood wouldn't be necessary) and no filter ...

Use the lens hood. Or use a smaller lens hood if it's an issue.

Also, rokkit blower the surface you're shooting.

Very best,

Well posting here has made me dig a little deeper ... having tried your very helpful suggestions sadly the flare stayed, so I tried turning off model light (no good) and the flash ... anyway I'm pretty sure it's down to the light box I use - it's a white perspex box into which I have hung a black felt b/g and the jewellery sits in a black tile ... seems to work ok ... but I'm figuring there's enough light bouncing around inside the box from the 'walls' (that aren't covered in black felt) and that light is getting into the lens .... I'll try and shoot outside of the box or without the boc at all ... like this:

Attractive ring - does it have some interesting history behind it? I also agree with Malveaux's comment about blowing away dust. It will make cleaning up the finished image much easier for you in post

Why are you shooting at 2500 ISO ?
Are you doing this free hand ?

The colors of the ring doesn't look right to me,
I would be on a tripod and tethered with the ISO down to 100 and I wouldn't care where my SS was as long as the exposure is correct.
I would make sure that you are not getting any light from any other source.

When I use my speedlight 580 to do product photography I use a rogue flash bender.
Rings are so small you can use flashlights or a Led flash light with toilet paper and rubber banded over the lens of the flash light to soften the light.
http://www.amazon.com …ywords=rogue+li​ght+bender

I don't photograph jewelry but isn't the diamonds suppose to reflect a color spectrum ?
This was done in a photo tent or a light tent with a T3i 18-55 mm kit lens
.

IMAGE LINK: http://s1110.photobuck​et.com …0458_zps36d8def​c.jpg.html

farmer1957 wrote in post #17794790
The colors of the ring doesn't look right to me

I agree, not sure it's the colors exactly, but something is off. The last image looks more like a painting of jewelry than like jewelry itself.

Couple of thoughts:

Use a lens hood.
Make sure there no filter on the lens.
Make sure you don't have any sort of haze on the front or rear elements of the lens. You may need to hold the lens up to a light at an oblique angle to see if there is any haze, you wouldn't see it looking straight through the lens.
With the modeling lights on you should check to see if any light is hitting the front of lens. If so you need to flag it off so no light is hitting the lens directly.

Looks washed out or dull to me.
But personally I thinks its going to need more light to make those diamonds sparkle

Scatterbrained wrote in post #17794809
Couple of thoughts:

Use a lens hood.
Make sure there no filter on the lens.
Make sure you don't have any sort of haze on the front or rear elements of the lens. You may need to hold the lens up to a light at an oblique angle to see if there is any haze, you wouldn't see it looking straight through the lens.
With the modeling lights on you should check to see if any light is hitting the front of lens. If so you need to flag it off so no light is hitting the lens directly.

Along with those suggestions, you might also clean the front & rear elements of your lens.