Cloud Dome Photo System

Jewelry Discussion
1

Fellow Jewelry Peers: Has anyone used the Cloud Dome Photo System?
I’ve read a few reviews, but would like to hear pros and cons from
owners before I purchase. Also what about the white Infiniti Board
as a backdrop?

Thanks
Elizabeth Kariotis
Elisaabet Ltd
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 565-9415

2

I am happy with the cloud dome, you don’t need artificial lighting,
you don’t have shadows or reflexions on your photos - as they
promise in the ads. The only uncomfortable thing I feel is that you
set up your piece, put the cloud dome over it, check through the
lense, find something to correct, take the cloud dome away,
rearrange your piece, put the cloud dome over it, check, find, take
away etc. There is no “access” to your piece from the side, so you
always have to take away the whole thing with your camera and such.
This way it takes a long time till I am satisfied, maybe I’m just
too picky the way it should look…

Edith Schneider Jewelry
P.O.Box 52001
Palo Alto, CA 94303
es@edithschneider.com
www.edithschneider.com
(650) 813 9755

3

Hello Elizabeth,

I don’t have a Cloud Dome yet, but hope to purchase one very soon,
and use it with both digital & 35 mm film cameras which I also will
purchase soon…

However in December a friend visited me, and photographed several of
my enamel jewelry pieces with her Nikon Coolpix Digital, and her
Cloud Dome.

She was able to transport her Cloud Dome minimal effort, and space
in her vehicle. It took a very short time to set up in my studio, on
one small table with two lights, each shot took only moments, and
the shots were all very good.

I’ve photographed jewelry many times in the past, with more
elaborate set ups, and had mixed results, some were only okay, some
were pretty good, and some were good enough for magazine images, but
they all took a lot of time to get set up, achieve good depth of
field, correct metal colors, and alleviate the darkest of shadows
and reflections, it usually took more space for the set up, plus
tripod and cloth blinds to diffuse the lighting. I don’t really have
the space for that sized set up in the studio space anymore. So I’m
enthusiastic about the size of the Cloud Dome, and that it is also a
mount for the camera as well as a light defuser… compact, quick
and easy to set up, and transport.

The shots my friend recently took with her Cloud Dome are up on my
website in Gallery 4 if you’d like to see them. Click on the thumbs,
(please note the thumbs of each shot were originally done on a
scanner) behind the thumb size images, I have replaces the scanned
stuff with the New Cloud Dome & Nikon Coolpix shots. They are much
better than the scanned images I had done.
http://users.netconnect.com.au/~sscalise/Gallery_4.html

I also had the large tiff. file shots we took, made into slides and
I have used them to apply to several art shows, I’ve gotten in all
of them so far.

My friend also recently wrote an article about how she takes her
photos and she includes info. about how she sets up her Cloud Dome,
lights and background paper etc… in that article. I posted a link
to the article on Orchid a while back but I’ll add it in again.

http://enews.heywoodenamels.com/V3_No1_February_2004/eNAMEL_vol3_no1_Febr
uary_2004_photographing_enamels_01.html

Also Many people on Orchid have posted info. on their experiences
with the Cloud Dome, numerous times in the past, there are over 100
posts in the archives if you search “Cloud Dome” and set the search
to “ALL” years in the orchid archives on the site. Some really
useful posts, the subject has been really well covered.

I hope you receive all the answers you need on the subject.

Warm Regards
Sharon Scalise
Ornamental Creations
@Ornamental_Creations
http://users.netconnect.com.au/~sscalise/

4 
The only uncomfortable thing I feel is that you set up your piece,
put the cloud dome over it, check through the lense, find something
to correct, take the cloud dome away, rearrange your piece, put the
cloud dome over it, check, find, take away etc. There is no
"access" to your piece from the side, so you always have to take
away the whole thing with your camera and such. This way it takes a
long time till I am satisfied, maybe I'm just too picky the way it
should look.....

Edith,

This is a very simple thing to fix. Drill a small hole (or more than
one) just above the rim at the base of your Cloud Dome. Now you can
insert a dowel rod, a pencil, or a piece of wire through the access
hole - to move around or rearrange the subject of your photo.

I’ve already made this suggestion to Cindy - who owns the Cloud Dome
company. I think it adds to the flexibility of the system.
Meanwhile, it only takes a few minutes to put in your own neat hole.
I used a drill press, but you can use the largest drill bit that
will fit your flexshaft - and then enlarge the hole with various
burs if need be.

If you do not wish to go to that much trouble, it is even simpler to
raise the Dome half an inch or so from the tabletop. Use whatever is
handy - in my case, that would be books… You can even make
this permanent by gluing some small plastic, wood, or Styrofoam
blocks to the underside of the rim…

Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
2207 Lucile Ave.
Stockton, CA 95209
209-477-0550 Workshop/Studio/Classrooms
instructor@jewelryartschool.com
jewelryartschool@ aol.com

5

Hi Elizabeth,

I bought mine about 2 years ago and use it all the time. It makes
photo-taking effortless. If you go into the archives you’ll see LOTS
of opinions and about it. Some people prefer to create
their own systems (some similar to the Cloud Dome as well as others
very different) and I’m sure some of them work as well, but I chose
not to take the time to analyze which one to use, look for the
various supplies, and set it up etc. This was easy to order, the
owner Cindy Litchfield is easy to talk to if you have any questions,
and it’s really easy to get great photos with. Easy is good. (Also,
I liked the idea of supporting the person who originally developed
this particular plastic dome system with her own time, brains and
money.) Can’t help you on the Infiniti Board, but hopefully you’ve
gotten a response or two already…

Cindy Crounse
Refined Designs Original Fine Jewelry