iPhone6_How to shoot a shiny, stainless steel pot top?

[markg2]

I'm doing some home water tests that involve allowing tap water to sit overnight on a stainless steel pot top. In the morning, remove the water and determine the presence of dissolved solids that have come out of solution and deposited onto the top's surface.

I need to photo the 'ring(s)' that remain. However, no matter how I attempt to the shoot the top, the surface, as seen by the photo, is a 'mess' owing to the reflections off the top.

Is there not a way to image a very reflective, shiny surface?

Mark

 

[Designer]

Use a polarizing filter on the front of your lens. You adjust the angle of the filtering effect until the glare is diminished.

 

[Peeb]

I read the title as 'pop tart', and wondered how/why one would be made of stainless steel.

Now I'm hungry...

 

[snowbear]

Use a polarizing filter on the front of your lens. You adjust the angle of the filtering effect until the glare is diminished.

CPLs won't reduce reflections on unpainted metal but I'm not sure about stainless. I'm also not sure how well a CPL will work with an iPhone.

 

[markg2]

This: How to Photograph Reflective Surfaces

is apparently how you solve the problem. Unfortunately, the solution (even the simplified one) is way more than I'm looking for. For me, it's no picture.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[weepete]

Well it's a static object so you could use continuous lighting rather than a speedlight and a long shutter speed while keeping the camera static too. Just use the same principles regarding placement of the light source.

 

[Designer]

Is there not a way to image a very reflective, shiny surface?

Study this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Light-Scienc...agic+an+introduction+to+photographic+lighting