Help photographing some "interesting" objects NSFW

Butterman

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Hey everyone, I'm glad to join the forum and looking forward to becoming part of the community here.

I've been a part time product photographer for about 5-6 years now. I currently started a new full time position for a sex toy company as their photographer and retoucher. I'm halfway decent with with photoshop and comp work but clear objects have always been a bit of a nemesis of mine. Upon starting to research their website during the interview process and actually starting the position I noticed their products are so heavily photoshopped they almost always end up looking like renders which is a bit intimidating to me.

My first week starting, I was tasked with photographing some clear "pumps". I'm okay with shooting simple glass objects like wine glasses for example (normally i'll use a speedlight from behind the object and flag the edges for some shape), however this object has writing etched into the product to show measurements like you would see in a measuring cup so to speak. I'm having trouble understanding if I am able to really get that in camera or if it just needs to be completely photoshopped. The other part of the problem is that the clear plastic area's of the pump that are translucent in need to be masked in PS where it is then transfered to the package design team to be put on packaging. That means the clear glass needs to be masked out where they can place the product in front of gradients/graphics that show through the product as if it was shot with said gradient behind it I'm guessing? This is an existing photo from their website I need to create.
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Anyway I hope I can maybe get some help, and thanks to anyone who wants to reach out and discuss any of this with me.

Portfolio: patrick hendry
Instagram: @Agent_Butterman
 
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I can't help with the lighting issue save to wonder if a backlight or light from underneath the subject and behind (or even inside) might help highlight the markings more clearly by giving an additional angle of light to increase contrast over the markings specifically.
Otherwise its a problem even in teh real world when clear plastic measuring containers have no colour difference on their markings. They are often more readable when filled with a coloured liquid though, so perhaps even some kind of coloured insert (paper?) could help. It wouldn't even have to travel all the way up, just part way to show a few of the markings.

Note I've added a NSFW comment to the title since whilst there's no nudity or such the subject matter might raise some eyebrows for some, so just playing it safe (if anything it will probably get the thread more attention rather than less)
 
Note I've added a NSFW comment to the title since whilst there's no nudity or such the subject matter might raise some eyebrows for some, so just playing it safe (if anything it will probably get the thread more attention rather than less)

Includes 1 stay hard cock ring. This looks like next level spam to me. "Hi guys, I'm having trouble shooting this product. Here's two pictures of the product. Reach out if you want to talk about any of this. Here's my website and instagram."
 
Note I've added a NSFW comment to the title since whilst there's no nudity or such the subject matter might raise some eyebrows for some, so just playing it safe (if anything it will probably get the thread more attention rather than less)

Includes 1 stay hard cock ring. This looks like next level spam to me. "Hi guys, I'm having trouble shooting this product. Here's two pictures of the product. Reach out if you want to talk about any of this. Here's my website and instagram."

It's not our normal product, but the users website is a perfectly normal Adobe Portfolio page showing portraits, landscapes and other products the photographer has taken. No connection to any form of sale or trade what so ever. I don't see any attempt to spam or advertise nor solicit sales.
 
I'm having trouble understanding if I am able to really get that in camera or if it just needs to be completely photoshopped.

I've done a few glass shots using the "White Line" and "Black Line" method highlighted here Sekonic > Classroom > Articles . "White Line" will do a better job with details in the glass, while "Black Line" does better outlining the shape. Nothing says you can't use a composite of both methods. Both methods are about controlling the light with reflectors and flags.
 
Thanks so much for getting back to me with all the helpful advice and articles everyone! I'm going to take another stab at it today and see if I can come up with something that closely resembles their expectations using a few of these methods. I'll report back with what I end up coming up with.

I think my biggest issue is trying to figure how I can mask out the plastic properly where graphics will be able to show through the subject while on packaging.

Note I've added a NSFW comment to the title since whilst there's no nudity or such the subject matter might raise some eyebrows for some, so just playing it safe (if anything it will probably get the thread more attention rather than less)

Thanks for the heads up, I apologize for not throwing that into the title. It won't happen again!

Note I've added a NSFW comment to the title since whilst there's no nudity or such the subject matter might raise some eyebrows for some, so just playing it safe (if anything it will probably get the thread more attention rather than less)

Includes 1 stay hard cock ring. This looks like next level spam to me. "Hi guys, I'm having trouble shooting this product. Here's two pictures of the product. Reach out if you want to talk about any of this. Here's my website and instagram."

@JonFZ300 And that sounds super paranoid to me. A product is a product and they all need to be shot by people in our profession one way or another. A job is a job and subject matter could be WAY more fringe than a couple of sex toys on white seamless.

The portfolio and links I provided was intended to do nothing more than show what my experience level is for other posters to better gauge what advice may help me or critique my work in order to help me become a better photographer. If I had linked to the company website or a personal store to sell products, that would be an entirely different story and that should be overwhelmingly obvious.
 
What do those things pick up and measure? I see grad marks on the side... the photography looks good.
 
Definitely a good idea to add the NSFW to the title!
 
What do those things pick up and measure? I

Seriously JC??????? :bouncingsmileys:
What??? I never seen such a thing. I read its a sex toy but trying to figure its game....[emoji848]

i think its for pumping breastmilk?

anyway, i do a bit of product photography and use a 16x16 inch LED lightbox... these all look like they were shot in something like that.
honestly, they look fine to me. you could always take out the round shadows with an editing program, but im not sure if it would be a significant improvement or not.
 
What do those things pick up and measure? I

Seriously JC??????? :bouncingsmileys:
What??? I never seen such a thing. I read its a sex toy but trying to figure its game....[emoji848]

i think its for pumping breastmilk?

anyway, i do a bit of product photography and use a 16x16 inch LED lightbox... these all look like they were shot in something like that.
honestly, they look fine to me. you could always take out the round shadows with an editing program, but im not sure if it would be a significant improvement or not.

Oh, that makes sense. It holds a whole bottle. I guess the sex toy thing threw me off...Im stupid like that.
 
It's not our normal product, but the users website is a perfectly normal Adobe Portfolio page showing portraits, landscapes and other products the photographer has taken. No connection to any form of sale or trade what so ever. I don't see any attempt to spam or advertise nor solicit sales.

First post, asking how to shoot a subject and the picture of the subject is an already perfect advert shot, with the product name and all right there. I guess I'm paranoid.

@JonFZ300 And that sounds super paranoid to me. A product is a product and they all need to be shot by people in our profession one way or another. A job is a job and subject matter could be WAY more fringe than a couple of sex toys on white seamless.

Paranoid, cynical? yes!! lol Why wouldn't they just use the already perfect pics that you posted? Really have no dog in this fight, just weird that it's your first post and includes perfect advert pics and you're asking to shoot/edit an advert pic. Carry on.
 

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