Is there a simple way to shoot jewellery without a light tent? Mel Newberry, Bridgend

Chris says… Light tents are designed to produce a soft, even light without shadows, but there is a low-tech alternative.

Move a table as close to a well-lit but sunless window as you can. Cover the table with your chosen background, and position your object. The light from the window will be very soft, but the opposite side of your subject will be in shadow.

To fix this, make a home-made reflector. Use a large sheet of white paper or card (A3 paper might be large enough, but A2 would be better) and fold it or bend it around the shadowed side of your subject to bounce the light back.

You don’t always need complicated lighting to photograph jewellery – a window and a sheet of paper should do it!