The method of shooting a watch

Photography of watch parts has its particularity. The first is macro, and then the pixel of the camera is required to be high enough, preferably12 million or more. I used Canon G 10, effective pixel14.7 million, wide-angle macro 1CM. As long as the method is good, you don't have to use an expensive SLR camera, just a suitable card machine.

My experience is as follows:

(1) Adjust the camera before taking pictures, and use the thinnest one.

(2) It must be macroscopic. If necessary, put a magnifying glass in front of the camera. Especially when taking photos of the movement parts of miniature watches, professional photographers will put on the macro lens socket, but the earth method is also possible, that is, there will be black circles around the photos taken, which can be cut and modified afterwards. (see photo)

(3) The light inside is the most important. Avoid strong sunlight and do not use incandescent lamps, even frosted bulbs, because they are yellow. Energy-saving lamps or fluorescent lamps are more effective, or indoor natural light with moderate intensity needs at least two lamps, both main and auxiliary lamps, and the rest is the angle of light source.

(4) The shooting angle and stability should be mastered. If possible, you can use a mini tripod, but I seldom use it, because you have to keep looking for the shooting angle, you can't have reflective points, and you have to avoid dark corners. Therefore, the illumination angle of the light source is also very important, and it should be adjusted in time. The incident angle is equal to the reflection angle. Usually in indoor natural light, the camera needs to shoot sideways at an angle of about 45 degrees. In order to avoid reflection, it is sometimes necessary to turn off the lighting on the roof. You will find that the case and glass of a watch are the easiest to reflect light, and may have any angle, especially the arched or dome-shaped glass.

(5) If you look at the watch, you sometimes need a bracket (watch stand), because many watches have straps, and some are tied into bracelets, so they can't be flat; The background color can be white, black, light gray and light camel, which is more suitable.

(6) There must be a soft box. Even for earthenware, I use a plastic bucket of 2 liters of pure water. Open the barrel a little wider and cut it in the middle. The soft box of soil is ready. This is the most effective way to reduce reflection and uniform brightness, and the light has a sense of diffusion and suspension. (see photo)

(7) Photos must be cut and retouched, especially according to the pictures of watch movements or parts. Photo cutting tools generally use PHOTOSHOP to "dig out" the content to be expressed and put it locally, or use WORD. Just set the picture to "float above the text" and then find a blank picture file to paste. Enlarge or reduce it to a suitable scale, so that the theme can be highlighted and the photos will be perfect.

(8) The basic requirements for taking pictures of watch movement components are magnification, clarity, artistic expression and no extravagant hopes. As for macro photography skills, there are many talents and professionals in each village, and I have the final say here.