Photographing a watch is never easy. From shiny surfaces to infinite curved angles, to glass over the face, the challenges of shooting a timepiece is particularly daunting.

Which is why we love to do it.

And that is our assignment this week. A perfectly lit, and styled, shot of a watch or fancy timepiece.

It can be a product/still life approach or you can shoot it on someone’s body. Just remember how important the lighting is to presenting the watch as a perfect, high-end piece of jewelry.

Here is a wonderful article on watch photography by someone who owns a watch company. You will learn a ton of great info there.

Another good source for shooting a watch.

TIPS FOR SHOOTING WATCHES (AND JEWELRY)

1. Dust and scratches.
   No matter how new the watch is, when you get close AND reflect light off of the surface, you are going to see micro scratches, dust, grime, and more. I suggest using the healing tool at high magnification, as well as the clone tool although that will take finesse. One of the best ways of dealing with dust and scratches is the Frequency Separation adjustment. See this link for instructions AND a free action to help you make the folders.
2. Hand position:
   The hands cannot hide the logo. This is why you so often see the watches with times of 10 minutes to 2 or 10 minutes after 10. In this way, the minute and hour hands create leading lines to the logo which is usually between them. (Google Watch ads). What if the logo is not in the traditional place? At those times, you must work to achieve a similar ‘balanced’ approach to the watch face.
   
   Here is an outlier in watch design. The logo is on the side, so the photographer had to work the minute and second hands a bit differently.
3. The band.
   The band may need reinforcement to keep it from collapsing on itself. Use tape, pipe cleaners, stiff wire, or whatever you can use to keep that band looking good. Blemishes on the band must also be addressed.
   Be sure to show the clasp if it is important, but not to the point of losing the face of the watch.
4. The face.
   If it is chrome, you must show the chrome. If it is brushed metal, you must show that. Watch how the edges look and make sure you do not eliminate all of the negative reflections. We need that and the transitions to show how efficient (glossy) the watch is.

   

5. The shape of the watch.
   Do not let the watch look distorted. Ultra wide-angle lenses or super shallow DoF can take away from the aesthetic of the item itself.
6. Lens choice:
   Whether you use a macro lens, or some sort of closeup apparatus (I prefer close-up tubes), focus can be very critical. Make several test shots to see where your focus is hitting. Watch for too shallow of a DoF, and take care to not move the camera at all.
7. Tripod or Studio Stand.
   Oh, how I love studio stands… sigh. If you are using a tripod, make sure it is stable, and cannot shift during the exposure. If your tripod has a ‘boom’ extension to let you work away from the verticle legs, use sandbags or water jugs to make sure the weight doesn’t allow the camera to move at all.
8. Multiple exposures.
   If you are using multiple exposures to blend in the watch with various types of reflection, make sure you are not casting shadows by moving around the shooting area. Reflections from shirts, jackets, or other outerwear may not be noticeable until you get that image up to 3-400% for retouching. Bah!!!