Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Letney Jewelers was founded by Michael Letney in 1984. As a custom jewelry artist / designer who focuses on creating one-of-a-kind pieces, Michael’s work is hand-crafted and intricately detailed. As Unity Jewelers online presence grew, Michael knew he would need something more than a simple light box to ensure his pieces could be displayed online with the level of quality that would properly represent his creativity and vision.
At the Las Vegas JCK show in 2019, he and his son met with representatives from Ortery Technologies for a demonstration of Ortery’s jewelry photography systems and was immediately impressed by the quality of photos, 360 product views and videos the Ortery systems could create. Before the show was over, he purchased a 3D PhotoBench 80 and a 360 Jewelry turntable for shooting necklaces in 360, as they hang naturally.
Three years later, the Ortery systems are still serving his team well as they launch their second website LetneyJewelers.com
“We use our Ortery system to create eCommerce photos, videos and clips for our social media activities. The systems are easy to use, bulletproof in design and help us capture and communicate the beauty and detail of our jewelry online.” - Michael Letney, CEO Letney Jewelers
Letney Jewelers is currently using a Canon EOS R with a 100mm Macro lens on a Window 10 computer to create their imagery. In addition to shooting on pure white or transparent, Michael and his team often improvise and use their own props to create the lifestyle look-and-feel they desire.
The jewelry photography systems from Ortery are software-driven and manage every aspect of the jewelry photography workflow. Built specifically for jewelry photography, the PhotoBench 80 offers a real-time preview of the product to be shot, allows for side and top photography and features a built-in transparent turntable. The LED lighting in the studio is dimmable from all six sides – top, bottom, front, back, left and right. With focus stacking and variable color temperature control, users can get ultra-crisp photos of silver, gold and gemstones of every color on a pure white or transparent background.
The 360 Jewelry turntable sits on top of the PhotoBench 80 and is seamlessly controlled through the same software interface as the PhotoBench 80. The video below shows examples of hanging necklaces and pendants shot in 4K video quality by Letney Jewelers.
“We are always excited to see the creative results our customers make, especially in the jewelry industry where the importance of quality and the impact of excellent visual communication is magnified”, said Sam Shearer, Managing Director of Ortery Technologies. “It’s been our pleasure to work with Michael and his team over the past three years and we look forward to many more years to come.”
About Michael Letney
Beginning as a custom jewelry designer over 40 years ago, Artist Michael Letney has hand-crafted thousands of beautiful, unique jewelry masterpieces. Michael studied marketing at the University of Tulsa and currently holds numerous patents and trademarks. He has created products for global retailers and ministries and has seen his designs touch lives in many nations. His passion is to share the hope of the Gospel through products with purpose and his greatest dream is to leave a legacy of hope for generations to come.
About Ortery Technologies
Ortery is the industry pioneer and leading manufacturer of professional product photography solutions that automate inhouse photography. They allow anyone to capture and display eCommerce, video, 3D and 360 product photos. Ortery customers benefit from specialized hardware and software working together to simplify and accelerate every step of the product photography workflow.