Polarizing light source?

[airgunr]

If you are using artificial lighting. Instead of using a polarizing filter on your lense, can you polarize the source of the light instead? Say you are photoing a metal object and want to reduce the glare. Can you use some type of polarizer on your light source to reduce it since a filter won't reduce glare off of metal?

 

[Artemis]

No idea...unless you can get the substance they use for sunglasses...caus thats what they use for polarizers, or something similar.

Either that, or get some soft tissue paper and put it over the light source?

 

[Alison]

Sounds like what a soft box would do, spread out the light for an even look.

 

[tr0gd0o0r]

No idea...unless you can get the substance they use for sunglasses...caus thats what they use for polarizers, or something similar.

Either that, or get some soft tissue paper and put it over the light source?

I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but I think there is a little more to polarizers than that. (I only say this b/c mine has 2 layers of glass and it spins)

 

[StvShoop]

i don't know much about polarizing,
but i do know that the way to tell if sunglasses are polarized or not is to point them at a glaring surface and tilt them sideways... if the glare increases through the glasses with the tilt, then they're polarized.
i don't how it works, but i think that suggests that polarized stuff only affects the eyes/camera

 

[airgunr]

Thanks for the responses.

So far I've tried shooting with regular flash, flash with diffuser, studio flash bounce off of an umbrella, Studio Flash with very light paper to diffuese the light (a little like a soft box), flourescent light (so far the best of all), bright sunny day and bright cloudy/overcast day.

All have produced varying results but all have left me with glareing highlites off of a section of the curve.

I was hopeing that I could possibly polarize the light source itself to get rid of it. I know that a polarizing filter will not work on reflected light off of metal.

 

[voodoocat]

Polarizers work for all light sources. Glare will exist whether you use a softbox or harsh directional lighting. However, polarizers work on all reflective surfaces but metal.

 

[StvShoop]

put some kind of dust/powder on the metal? to reduce the specular reflection.
that's what i would do with 3d modeling software, but i realize this is different :roll:

 

[Shutterbug]

I'm not sure if they make them any more, but about 10 years ago Norman had huge polarizer sheets that fit over a frame, which connected to the strobe head.

I have several, though they are beaten an weathered... I'll look it up on ebay or something and see if they still make them.

 

[Artemis]

Polarizing sunglasses may do it? and I dont think yah a jerk i know what yah mean.

 

[thebassman]

I've used polarized sunglasses over my lens for some pretty neat looking shots (especially my prescription sunglasses.