So, you have your shiny new engagement ring, it’s time to take a photo so you can share it with your friends and family.  After our fun post about engagement rings yesterday, I thought it might be a good time to talk about how you can take a fabulous ring shot at home with a point-and-shoot camera.

1.  Take Off the Ring.  I know this is hard, but trust me, it will be much easier to take an awesome shot with two hands.  And let’s be honest, it’s hard to make fingers look good up close, even if you do have an awesome manicure.  So let’s get creative!

Actually, this is a good time to give your ring a little bath to bring back that sparkle and get rid of all the lotion, soap, etc., that builds up.  You can use a jewelry cleaning solution, or a little dishsoap and a toothbrush.

2.  Find the Light.  Good light is essential for great photographs, and that is true no matter what you are shooting or what you are shooting with.  Natural light is the best, so if you can find a window or head outside, you’ll be set.  You will also want to turn off the flash on your camera.  Trust me on this one.  On-camera flashes are rarely flattering, and shooting up close with a reflective surface like your ring can lead to some pretty messy results.  So turn off that flash and head towards the natural light.

3.  Find a setting or Background.  This is where ring photography gets fun.  The trick is to look for objects that will be just a little bit bigger than your ring, but still small enough that they will make sense in your shot.  In other words, you are looking for settings that are similar in scale.  Also look for interesting colors and textures that create an interesting backdrop, as well as objects that might be meaningful for you.  Flowers and hand-written notes work well with rings because they are similar in size, rich in color and texture, and often very personal.  But seriously, you can use almost anything here.  We often enjoy using reflective surfaces or dark glass.  Experiment!

4.  Try Different Angles.  This is fun, experiment with shooting your ring from different perspectives.  How does it look from the top?  How about the side?  Try standing it up (you can use a little tape if you need to!), or hanging it from a branch or string.  What details do you love most about your ring?  Show us!

5.  Put Your Camera on Macro Mode.  For most point-and-shoot cameras, that’s the mode with the little flower symbol.  It allows you to get closer to objects than you would normally be able to get while still being able to focus.  If you are using a cameraphone, you may not have a macro mode.  In this case you can try backing up and zooming in to get some of the details you’re looking for.

6.  Get Closer.  You want the ring to really fill the shot, so get nice and close!   This is not a shot of some flowers with a ring in them, it’s a photo of a ring.

7.  Take a Breath.  You need to hold still so that your image turns out nice and sharp.  So use both hands, take a deep breath, and relax.

8.  Shoot!  This is it!  Have fun, try different angles, shoot your heart out.  You’ve got this!