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Shooting Shiny Objects
http://paulcbuff-techforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4899		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Dandev [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:27 am ]
Post subject:  Shooting Shiny Objects
I'm trying to shoot a piston. I have a large soft box with Einstein overhead, and a soft silver 64 inch PLM with diffuser on another Einstein to the side. Shooting on a black paper background.

I get a lot of reflections on the piston from the PLM.

Questions:
1. I'm using an umbrella reflector on the PLM - is that helping or hurting? The light seems to fall off at the edge of the umbrella. So I'm seeing a shadow behind the piston - where I think there should be coverage.
2. Should I try something else vs. the PLM and diffuser? Maybe a shoot through?

Thanks...
Author:  Technical Support [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Dandev wrote:
1. I'm using an umbrella reflector on the PLM - is that helping or hurting? The light seems to fall off at the edge of the umbrella. So I'm seeing a shadow behind the piston - where I think there should be coverage.

The PLM system was designed to be used with a 180 degree beam spread, which the umbrella reflector oes not provide. I would recommend shooting bare bulb, or with our 7UR http://www.paulcbuff.com/7ur.php Either way will completely fill the umbrella for better face evenness.

Dandev wrote:
2. Should I try something else vs. the PLM and diffuser? Maybe a shoot through?

I don't think a shoot through would help much vs. the PLM with diffuser. The lighting direction may need to be changed. Can you post a sample image so I can get a better understanding of the issues you are having?
Author:  craig16229 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Dandev wrote:
I'm trying to shoot a piston. I have a large soft box with Einstein overhead, and a soft silver 64 inch PLM with diffuser on another Einstein to the side. Shooting on a black paper background.

I get a lot of reflections on the piston from the PLM.

Questions:
1. I'm using an umbrella reflector on the PLM - is that helping or hurting? The light seems to fall off at the edge of the umbrella. So I'm seeing a shadow behind the piston - where I think there should be coverage.
2. Should I try something else vs. the PLM and diffuser? Maybe a shoot through?

Thanks...


When photographing shiny objects the angle of lights is crucial, and larger modifiers are not necessarily your friend (and many times they are your enemy). Boomed lights can be your hero.

Some examples shooting against a dark background. Note that the only mods used on the Einsteins are aluminum reflectors w/grids, and the speedlight bare except for a grid:

Image

Image

Image

Here are a couple of example shooting against a light background using the "Bright Field" approach (if you Google this you will find lots of specific information and examples on this), which is very similar to using a "product" tent:

Image

Image
Author:  Dandev [ Sun Feb 21, 2016 7:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Technical Support wrote:
Dandev wrote:
1. I'm using an umbrella reflector on the PLM - is that helping or hurting? The light seems to fall off at the edge of the umbrella. So I'm seeing a shadow behind the piston - where I think there should be coverage.

The PLM system was designed to be used with a 180 degree beam spread, which the umbrella reflector oes not provide. I would recommend shooting bare bulb, or with our 7UR http://www.paulcbuff.com/7ur.php Either way will completely fill the umbrella for better face evenness.

Dandev wrote:
2. Should I try something else vs. the PLM and diffuser? Maybe a shoot through?

I don't think a shoot through would help much vs. the PLM with diffuser. The lighting direction may need to be changed. Can you post a sample image so I can get a better understanding of the issues you are having?



Here is the image I'm trying to shoot. You can see the reflection on the piston. Image


Here is the set-up. Softbox on the top, umbrella on the left: Image
Author:  Dandev [ Sun Feb 21, 2016 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Thanks Craig. By the way - I'm using the Kupo stand you recommended for the softbox. It works great.
Dan
Author:  craig16229 [ Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Hey, Dandev

I think I may have shown you that product setup before but forgot (?) - sorry about my bad memory

:)

Anyway, it sure looks like your piston assembly is very similar in size to the glassware I showed. That being the case, your large softbox and Softlighter are going to give you soft, diffused light, but even with them at angles to your piston you are going to get fairly large reflection off the metal. The smaller you light sources are the easier it is going to be to minimize your reflections.
Author:  Technical Support [ Mon Feb 22, 2016 5:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Shiny silver objects are going to reflect everything, or nothing. Im not really sure what you are wanting to end up with, but I would position the as though it was the background. I would set the piston up on a "floor" and background that was *just* big enough to fill the frame, and still let light to come from both sides. You may need to use a longer lens and back up to get a smaller dark background. This will give you edge lighting. You can also leave some of the PLM peeking over the top for a rim light, so you now have 3 light sources from one light. If you have more than one softbox and light to dedicate to these lights, you can do that, too. This gives you form over the whole object without any direct reflections.

Then you can use the softbox from the front or side as you want for different effects. You can also use reflector bounce cards.

If you have a background system, you may want to shoot with your back to it, so the background is uniform.

There are a million ways to skin a cat, but these are my thoughts for a place to start.
Author:  Dandev [ Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Thanks
Author:  craig16229 [ Sat Feb 27, 2016 9:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Dandev wrote:
Thanks

. . . . . there is also a counterpart to the "bright field" approach I mentioned above: "dark field" lighting. Lots out on the interweb about it, too.
Author:  lucky96 [ Mon Feb 13, 2017 7:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Shooting Shiny Objects
Dandev wrote:
I'm trying to shoot a piston for professional event photography. I have a large soft box with Einstein overhead, and a soft silver 64 inch PLM with diffuser on another Einstein to the side. Shooting on a black paper background.

I get a lot of reflections on the piston from the PLM.

Questions:
1. I'm using an umbrella reflector on the PLM - is that helping or hurting? The light seems to fall off at the edge of the umbrella. So I'm seeing a shadow behind the piston - where I think there should be coverage.
2. Should I try something else vs. the PLM and diffuser? Maybe a shoot through?

Thanks...


Hello Dandev,


1. High output reflectors should be used for the piston.
2. Two 64 inch white PLM's with diffusers and black covers.
It is totally your choice.

It would not hurt to mix Einstein and AlienBees, though Einsteins all around will yield the best color consistency from light to light.
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