Eliminating shadows with speedlights

[ElizaMM]

Still looking at lighting kits -- working with 2 speedlights--can someone please give me set-up advice for this...
When I photograph a small object on a flat surface, any small object, nothing specific--a cup, a bottle, a chachka--I always end up with unwanted shadows, or glare. If I place the two speedlights at 45 degrees on either side of the camera, two crossed shadows appear behind the object on the supporting surface. I have tried placing objects on a stand, but then the stand appears in the photo, which I don't want. I want a plain white or black, background. With portraiture, the shadow seems to fall away, since the subject is so far from the background, but the flat surface does not allow for this. How is this achieved?

 

[480sparky]

Use a light tent for a white background. For black, use a black cloth under the object and keep the background as far away as possible.

 

[ronlane]

What Sparky said. Plus it is about distance of your subject to the background if it is on the background you need to pull the object further away from it. Also the angle of the camera will have an impact on seeing the shadows as well. If you are level to the object, you will not see as much of the shadow as you would if you are shooting down on it.

 

[Designer]

Still looking at lighting kits -- working with 2 speedlights--can someone please give me set-up advice for this...

It's not easy, but I think you need to defuse the light more. A light tent will help considerably in diffusing the light. One method is to place your speedlights on opposite sides of a light tent. Then get the camera low enough so that the table top shadows are not so prevalent.

 

[adamhiram]

If you are just using bare speed lights, you are creating hard light which results in hard shadows. You need to use a light modifier to soften the light, such as an umbrella, soft box, or even simply bounce the light off of a larger reflective surface like a reflector or piece of styrofoam or poster board. A light tent will do the same thing to a greater extent if you want to get rid of virtually all shadows.