Royal Product Photography and Videography in Advertising

Why Quality Product Photography Matters 

When it comes to advertising anything from the best cleaning products to premium sparkling jewellery, quality product photography and videography are essential. The visuals you use will play a big role in whether or not potential customers are interested in your product. In this blog post, we feature photography and video created for a premium cleaning product with the royal warrant previously issued by the Queen and now King Charles III, we'll discuss why quality still life product photography and videography are so important in advertising.

People are visual creatures. We're hardwired to respond to images and videos, which is why advertising that relies on compelling visuals is so effective, high-quality photography and videography can help you sell your products by showing potential customers just how well they work. 

In addition to helping you sell products, quality visuals can also help build trust with potential customers. If your product photos and videos look professional and trustworthy, people will be more likely to believe that your product is worth their money. If your product receives the royal warrant it's because it's used by the royal household and you can't get any more trustworthy than that. The photography and visuals created have to match that high level and reflect this.

The success of this shoot was due to the collaboration between the stylist and photographer. After the creation of the brief and discussion with the client, a plan was made to source suitable props and backgrounds. London has a plethora of prop houses and we used multipule locations to source and achieve the look and style for the different shots. Overall we came up with a few still life and lifestyle setups and each "look" had a few options with different product arrangements

Quality product photography and videography are essential for any cleaning product ad campaign. High-quality visuals can help you sell products by showing potential customers just how well they work. In addition, quality visuals can also help build trust with potential customers just like the royal warrant by making your ads look more professional and trustworthy.


"I know of no single formula for success, but over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal, and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration, to work together." Her Majesty The Queen

Location Jewellery Photography on model

Photography encompasses different techniques and styles and a growing part of the jewellery photography we offer includes videography and moving imagery, both on Model and in still life and lifestyle setups. This latest selection of images features photography shot in the prestigious Bloomsbury hotel in London. An amazing location with lot of opportunities for different looks and styles. With a limited amount of time available, a decision was made to focus on the bedroom, the bar and the garden. The jewellery was obviously our main focus but we wanted to create a narrative around the photography, and provide a lifestyle feel with one model. The client needed wide angle shots that then could be cropped into providing more overall assets to use. The other main requirement was for a selection of video clips that could be used in various marketing strategies.

lifestyle model photography with jewellery, model looks into mirror whilst wearing opulent jewellery in london location, shot by still life photographer chris howlett

The amazing Isabelle was our model and with a a few accessories and well chosen wardrobe pieces we were able to create some great lifestyle images. The first shot was set around the dressing table to give the impression of getting ready and trying on different jewellery products. Then a few shots in the bar, using the rich warm tones to create a look and style of opulence, next was some relaxed shots in the garden and finally in the bed with a book.

product photography with jewellery worn by model in lifestyle setting in london hotel
Outside location product photography, model wearing london Jewellery shot out side by product photographer chris howlett
bedroom lifestyle jewellery photography featuring model wearing nightwear and luxury london jewellery by product and advertising product photographer

Although the narrative is loose the photography, backgrounds and style look great, showcasing the jewellery in a visually interesting way, The final delivered asset included the video below which consisted of a mix of slow motion clips and a few basic video moves showcasing the jewellery in the various locations. With a growing demand for moving imagery and video content we will be back with more still life product focused video content soon

80s style jewellery product photography

Statement Necklaces, Bold Golds, Radical Look

The eighties was a strong decade for style and it produced some groundbreaking products and innovations including the Walkman, personal computer, the space shuttle, soap-on-a-rope and of course, the mullet… Ok, so not everything was cool but the 80’s certainly had a strong influence on the decades to follow. For this creative still life jewellery photography shoot I channelled some of this style, giving a playful nod to this iconic era. Utilising strong lighting, still life styling, vibrant colours and vintage props, I’d say we nailed it…

Still life jewellery photography. Statement silver necklace and earrings on pink and multi colour floppy disk from the 80s. Creative product photography from london
Grids and coloured perspex create a bright and modern creative jewellery product photograph. Shot in Still life studio in London by chris howlett
Dark grid, hyper real eighties inspired creative photography. A group of bangle sit on a multi coloured still life background, created in the London packshot studio
Bangles from the 80s make up this creative still life jewellery shoot, Photographed by chris howlett at London jewellery packshot studio

Neon coloured shapes with a grid-patterned block background work with the bold statement jewellery pieces, creating a fun and eye-catching look.

The image below is a nod to the famous 80s game Tetris and although the jewellery perhaps isn’t the best fit for the image it still works as a playful and attention grabbing jewellery photograph.

Tetris inspired creative product photography featuring Jewellery and creative styled props and products. Created in london by still life jewellery photographer chris howlett
Ecommerce creative web banner for jewellery including rings necklace and earring set. Creative packshot and jewellery product photography from London

The final darker image on the left of this group was based on those VR-type graphics and colours which were all the rage in the 80’s, again featuring the grid pattern and a vibrant multi-colour surface which ties it all together as a group

The overall success of the jewellery photography is a mixture of a detailed but very flexible brief and a well-selected props to bring ideas to life.  Next, quickly executing the shots and style we liked whilst maintaining both quality and  an eye-catching style. Perfect for online marketing like websites and social media where a decent amount of shots are required to make it cost effective for the client.

All the Jewellery Photography was completed in our brand new creative photography studio in South East London. Further details on the new studio space will follow and address details can be found on my studio page.  Of course, you can always just get in contact to discuss your next photography project. We look forward to welcoming to our new studio soon!

Luxury Jewellery photography diamonds in the Sand

Creative Still Life Jewellery Photography

Some clients provide a detailed breif with layouts crops and visual examples, others just have a basic creative idea. Either way, my job is to ensure the client receives quality bespoke and creative still life photography. The brief for this recent jewellery shoot was quite loose with the main theme based around sand, desert and shells. The choice of background and props need to add interest, maybe tell a story, but should never overpower the image. so sourcing the right materials was vital to the success of the shoot.

jewellery photography from london. wedding rings and diamond bands on terracotta submerged in sand. created by still life photographer chris howlett photography

For this creative still life jewellery shoot, sand was the main background. I like the contrast of rough grain against smooth precious metals. There are lots of different types of sand available, but unfortunately, most don’t look great when photographed close up. So I had to rely on my experience to source the exact one - super fine desert sand normally reserved for reptile enclosures! A broken terracotta plant pot and chalk stones provided the ideal surfaces to balance the jewellery. Other props included broken travertine tiles, pebbles, chalk and shells dipped in gold.

four sapphire polished diamond stones place on sand, shot in london creative product photography studio
diamond wedding bands creatively placed on quartz stone by still life jewellery photographer chris howlett
Diamond ruby sapphire polished gems placed on chalk stone in sand, photography created in london still life studio by Chris Howlett photography

When photographing jewellery I like to keep everything sharp and in focus but this means that the finest of detail is captured. So cleaning the jewellery (and avoiding touching the sand!) was crucial to making the post-production and retouch processes that bit easier. You can see from some of the diamond shots each individual sand grain is visible in super close up macro photography .

Jewlry product photography. Diamond rings creatively styled in submerged sand. Small set build in london still life product photography studio

All the shots were created with mixed lighting. The big, bold shadows highlighting the texture of the grains of sand, combined with soft directional light for the jewellery makes it stand out, looking rich and opulent.

Diamond and emerald necklace pendants draped on top of seashells dipped in gold paint and surround by sand. All photographed by chris howlett photography in london
sea shells with diamond rings creatively balanced in this still life jewellery product shot

if you have ideas or a breif and would like to discuss your photography options get in contact and we can make a plan and create eye-catching photography. Alternatively stay up-to-date with our lastest blogs page or follow us on social media.

Howlett photography offer creative still life photography, product and packshot photography, on-model photography and video content so lets get shooting….

London Diamond & Jewellery Still Life Photography

Jewellery Diamonds & Luxury Metals

Jewellery photography is about making the product look luxurious and opulent. Precious metals should look smooth but three dimensional whilst the diamonds or gem stones need to show depth, clarity and sparkle. The two lighting styles are not necessarily compatible, so multiple shots with different lighting are combined to make one high quality jewellery still life image. Examples of my creative jewellery photography can be found on my jewellery portfolio page . And although the following selection of jewellery photography remains simple, it also highlights the fine elements of the high quality stones whilst demonstrating the effect the lighting has on the final look.

Jewellery macro diamonds professional photographed from london still life photographer chris howlett. how to shoot diamonds

The facets and the cut of a diamonds are an important aesthetic and it’s essential to show the different elements. Most diamonds and precious stones are small so it’s also important to utilise a high quality macro lens to capture the details with suitable magnification. High resolution capture will often showing the diamond in greater visual detail then the naked eye. A mixture of soft and hard lighting show these blue sapphire, ruby, emerald, citrine and clear diamonds at their best; with intense colour depth, clarity and a bit of sparkle!

creative jewellery photography, citrine and sapphire precious stones shot with macro lens by commercial London jewellery photographer chris howlett

The choice of background, angle and lighting style all effect how precious stones and diamonds look. Below are several combinations including ruby, emerald, sapphire and citrine collections, all shot with softer lighting and show off the facets and colour depth with great detail.

Bright diamond and citrine luxury jewellery collection with soft lighting by advertising still life jewellery photographer from london
ruby gem stone collection in different sizes and shapes with bright plain background shot in london photography studio
Luxury sapphire jewellery photography by still life and product photographer in London studio

In addition to smaller precious stones, I also shoot larger gem stones, which may not hold the same value, but still deserve to look valuable and luxurious. The shots below were captured with a hard directional light from top left combined with softer top light and lots of reflectors to bounce the light back into the gem stones. The end result is a shot with great colour rendition and vibrance combined with bright sparkle and definition.

orange citrine large gem stones fom london jewellery photographer chris howlett.jpg
london green emerald gem stones jewellery collecton.jpg
london purple amethyst gem stone collection from howlett photography.jpg
large jewellery gem stones.jpg

Remember if you need your jewellery or luxury product photographed, either in macro with super close up detail, a simple high quality product packshot or something more creative, get in contact and lets make it happen.

African jewellery shot in london

Jewellery On Model

For the last post of 2019 I decided to showcase some more jewellery photography, this time on model. Working with a great team including models, hair & makeup and art directors, together we created eye catching stills photography and video content for international jewellery brand Patrick Mavros. The stills photography was used both online and for printed media included in the flagship London store and for “look books” sent to clients. The video content was purely for instagram and other social media stories and was subsequently shot in a portrait format, you can see a combination of some of the video’s below.

The jewellery designs have deep connections to and are inspired by Africa and we wanted to carry that through into the photography. Our model looked amazing and with some creative makeup, combined with the bold colours associated with brand, we were able to capture a selection of images that could be used for multiple platforms.

Jewellery model photography with gold and green jade and precious stones. Shot in London for african jewellery brand
Creative model jewellery photography with orange studio lighting and silver jewellery, shot in london by product photographer chris howlett

As we were shooting stills and video simultaneously with a limited time to capture a multitude of shots i decided to use continuous light source instead of the normal favoured strobe or flash lighting; with one main key light shot through a parabolic reflector and then a small soft fill light from the right to add the fill. A small backlight added a slight graduation to the background colour. A medium depth of field was chosen and allowed the jewellery to be in focus.

striking bold creative jewellery photography with necklace and ring shot over the shoulder in london studio by chris howlett
gold and grey tones make up this sophisticated professional jewellery photograph with model posed away from camera wearing gold bracelets rings and earrings, shot in london

I’ve recently completed a variety of video content and it’s a growing part of my business. So if you’re looking for either still life, model photography or videography get in contact to discuss your requirements. we look forward to hearing form you in 2020!

Jewellery Video Still Life & Models

Model Photography for Jewellery products

Successfully combining 3 different disciplines for a single high end jewellery advertising campaign required simple planning, creative thinking and experience. This meant the still life photography, model shots and video content complement each other seamlessly. Keeping it simple doesn’t have to mean easy - the model shots alone required a fantastic team in charge of styling, hair & make up. Simplicity is key to consistency which is crucial to building brand identity with photography.

jewellery photography from london. Model wearing necklace and 2 rings shot with soft beauty light.
model wearing jewellery with white top and soft focused lighting hand together and model looking at camera.. Created in london jewellery photographic studio

The images were used for e-com platforms as well as other traditional marketing formats. The model shots required a slightly larger team and more logistical planning compared to the still life photography. And overall the soft focused lighting and similarly toned backgrounds produces a luxury consistent feel across all the shots.

Diamond ring stack with collection of luxury items. Strong shadows against grey neutral background. Creative still life jewellery created by chris howlett photography in London
Still life jewellery with a mix collection of jewellery items styled in a creative way with soft shadows and bold colours, shot in London studio by chris Howett
London ring shot on grey soft background paper. gold and silver luxury items arranged in creative stylised way.
diamond engagements rings in long line with sparkling diamonds and polished golds, in pink gold and silver, shot in london jewellery photographic studio by chris howlett

The lighting for the still life is always going to be different to the model photography however by using a single main high quality key light source across all shots, including the video was paramount in achieving the consistency required. The main light was a focused soft light that wrapped around the subject providing a clean and 3-dimensional look.

Check out the video below!

Your next campaign may need creative still life, model photography, videography or all of the above. We’re here to help realise your vision - just get in touch to discuss your requirements and let’s make some great eye-catching imagery.

Margo jewellery on model

Shooting jewellery can sometimes combine both still life and fashion elements as part of a single campaign. Shoots like these require superb production and organisation skills. Above all, pre-planning is essential - the types and numbers of shots required, studio and prep space requirements, hair/makeup artists, stylists, props - the list isn’t endless, but there are loads to be considered and addressed by both the photographer and client before the shoot to help make production run smoothly.

Someone once wrote about ‘best laid plans’, but if you’re capable of thinking on your feet, and are creatively flexible in your technical abilities, you’ll still manage to realise expectations and give your clients results they’ll be delighted with.

model with jewellery pulling back hair to revel drop earring and gold bangle, shot in london by chris howlett
Jewellery on blond hair model hand on hip with large gold ring on finger, model looking at camera with large statement pendant around neck
jewellery still life with charms rings and pendants in gold metal leaf on soft pink background. Shot from chris howlett photography

Enter: Margo, exciting new British jewellery brand

Shot in a fantastically sourced location house in central London and produced as a team of photographer, stylist, hair/makeup artist, models and art director. Our original plan was to convey and evoke 60’s luxe, and from the picture on the left, this works really well. A slight change in art direction, however, and by the end of the shoot, the preferred look swayed towards neutral, so we amended the backgrounds accordingly.

Sixties look to this jewellery on model shot. Black model wearing long gold chain and large ring, looking straight at the photographer
Creative still life photography with jewellery on black and silver spotted textiles. Image compliments model shots and is part of series
Earrings worn by model as she glances to the right of camera, studio lighting and photography by london photographer chris howlett
powerful strong pose by model wearing jewellery statement diamond necklace beautiful lighting shot in london location by howlett photography

Look out for more blog posts on jewellery: model photography, creative still life and also high end video.

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Howlett photography provide everything from the full package (including production and model booking) to individual one off bespoke commissions. No matter the scale of the project, get in contact to discuss you next shoot.

Creative Still Life Jewellery Rock & Raw

Jewellery photography for Rock & Raw feature in this week photoblog. I was asked to provide a set of creative still life and model photography. Below are a few examples of the creative still life photography, next week i will showcase some of the model and product packshots.

Studio product and lifestyle creative still life jewellery photography. Pendents are surrounded by raw crystals with creative jewellery photography lighting. Images made by studio photographer chris howlett
hands with jewellery, model lifestyle jewellery photography shot in london studio

Additional lifestyle shots with the jewellery positioned on a whole citrine crystal on the right, positioned on hands above and below the still life shot is created with the spiritual cleansing smoke created from a sage smudge stick.

The crystal pendents are surrounded by carefully positioned raw rock crystals including clear quartz, citrine, amethyst and topaz. Strong directional light creates bold shadows and depth to the colourful jewellery collection.

creative product jewellery photography. crystal pendent on citrine crystal studio photography by chris howlett
lifestyle creative jewellery photography. A trio of crystal pendants with sage smudge stick and smoke shot in london photographic studio by chris howlett

"Our pieces enshrine the individual powers of crystals and we weave ritual and ceremony into everything we do. All our pieces are created with the intention of bringing healing and transformation and our work is guided by heart-centred meditation."

still life collection, jewellery pendants on clean white background, creative studio product pack shot by chris howlett

The largest impact for any website redesign is the photography, if your looking to revamp, restyle or refresh your brand then get in contact and lets create some great content together.

creative jewellery photography

creative still life jewellery photography. I've recently been shooting on different locations in London, creating small bespoke creative sets in which jewellery is artfully placed. Below are a few recent examples - you can see more of the collection on the

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creative jewellery photography - valentines collection

blog features creative jewellery photography for a well know London jewellery company, offering stunning collections of handmade fine and designer jewellery. The peices i photographed included intricate charms and luxuary earings, demanding high quality jewelery photography. The style and colour palette are based around the final design brief and the shoot was created around for a valentines theme. 

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Jewellery photographer London & the UK

I really enjoy shooting jewellery and the technical demands that good jewellery photography requires. I have built up a variety of jewellery clients, mostly based around Hatton Garden, but also all over London. Providing both creative and packshot photography. Below are a few examples of recently completed work.

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Creative Jewellery Photography London - SHO

Beautiful diamonds, precious metals and eye-catching designs are what Hatton Garden jewellery designer Sarah Ho is known for. When asked to shoot her latest Numerati collection, and working within the theme of simplicity and elegance, I decided to make the main focus the diamonds and precious metals in this collection of rings, earrings and pendants, I've also included a few examples of the jewellery packshots on white and, in a later post, I'll showcase them on models.

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