Beginner Photographer needs help.

[longbead]

I recently began photographing my jewelry with a Nikon Coolpix 4300 and cannot solve one problem. The sterling silver findings look gold rather than silver. I'm using two flourescent daylight bulbs, 40w. I've tried every setting I can think of on my camera, tried different backgrounds and varying ways of diffusing the light but still get gold rather than silver. Any suggestions?

[Hayley]

Do you have other lights on in the room? Incandescent lights are 3000 kelvins while daylight is 5600 kelvins. Since your fluorescent daylight bulbs are only 40W, other light source is your room will probably caste another light on your jewelry. 3000-3200 kelvins will cause your silver to turn gold. Most camera allows you to change the setting to Tungsten which is equivalent to 3200 kelvins.

Hope this helps.

[longbead]

Thanks for the reply. No, I don't have other lights on. I tried to make my own "photo studio" using a storage box (mimicking a tutorial where a tupperware bowl was used). I tried all the pre-programmed settings, landscape, beach, portrait, etc. with no luck. The only way I can get a decent picture is to put the bracelets on a table in my Florida room, on a normal sunny day but not in direct sunlight. I used the closeup setting on the Coolpix. And the silver stays silver.

[glass addict]

Is your storage box brown? If so, the gold may be coming from the boxes being reflected back into the silver, changing the color. Can you use a white plastic bowl or pick up a light tent?

Mary

[Mike Jordan]

Show a picture. It might help to determine if it's underexposure, color balance or reflective color off of the box. Without seeing a picture, the first thing I'd think was color balance of the light you are using with the reflective light off the box being 2nd. Under exposure will also change the color of objects and make it hard to get color balance correct.

Mike