Photographing shiny objects, part 1

16.06.2008

Photographing chrome objects

From a photographic point of view, shiny objects have a specific property - when we point the lens at them, we are not so much photographing the objects themselves, but rather everything else that is reflected in them. For this reason, to achieve a good visual result, we must pay special attention to the environment in which we work. In other words, we need to carefully consider what surfaces will be reflected in the object we are photographing.

Let's do an experiment by lighting a composition of chrome objects with the camera's built-in flash. As you can see in the picture, the result is catastrophic. The reason for this is the exceptionally large range of brightness between the flash, which is reflected in some surfaces, and the unlit part of the interior, which is reflected in other surfaces of the composition. We can avoid this effect by surrounding the entire composition with an evenly lit surface. The easiest way to achieve this is by using a product photography tent of the cone-cylinder type.

The tent is made of white coated fabric that diffuses the light passing through it. The diffuse effect is enhanced by the multiple reflections of light off the inner walls of the structure.

The tent is large enough to accommodate a product photography table . It unzips along its entire length with a double zipper. This allows us to work freely while arranging the objects inside, and when we are ready to shoot, we can zip it up, leaving only a small slit through which to insert the camera lens. The entire structure is supported by two elastic hoops and can be folded like a 5-in-1 reflector, thus taking up little space when the entire structure is supported by two elastic hoops and can be folded, thus taking up little space for storage.

In the picture below, you can see the same composition as at the beginning of the article. In terms of shooting technique, the main difference is that the product table is placed in a cone-cylinder tent. The tent is lit by two Dynaphos B-600 monolights with standard 14 cm reflectors.

The image has a predominantly light tonality, as the white walls of the tent are reflected in practically all surfaces of the composition. In this way, some of the lines of the objects are not particularly legible. In this particular case, we can emphasize the shapes of some objects by adding a black surface close to them. Then, in addition to white, we will also have black reflections. The effect depends on the size of the black surface, its shape, and most importantly, its positioning relative to the objects being photographed. Interesting effects can be obtained if we use a colored surface instead of a black one.

In the picture, you can see a general view of the entire setup in the studio. It is most convenient to hang the tent on a "giraffe" type stand, as this allows for precise positioning. The two flashes are placed opposite each other, at 90° to the optical axis of the camera. A product photography table is also used, but in this particular case, it is not an essential element. Any table or stand with a diameter of up to one meter can fit inside the tent.

Equipment used: