Lighting for furniture photos

[mikemizza]

I take pictures of custom high end furniture. I need to get some lights to illuminate the bottom portions of the furniture. I have two umbrella lights for the upper portion and tops. Any ideas?

 

[JerryPH]

Small kicker or strip lights or well placed reflectors all will do what you want.

 

[Happy Hour]

I did this a while back I can't find the pics of it. But I took rope light on th inside edges of the furniture (so it was hidden) wicked effect on the furniture! it looked like all the furniture was floating.

 

[dpolston]

Can you shoot them in a high key situation (all white backgrounds)?

 

[JerryPH]

Can you shoot them in a high key situation (all white backgrounds)?

Asking the client if they have the tools to do so, or if it is just possible? In general it is possible and may even be more desireable to leaving it in the showroom.

Finding a piece of white muslin that big may be a challenge.

 

[dpolston]

I gotcha!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Small kicker or strip lights or well placed reflectors all will do what you want.

Yes, and a large softbox for fill light would be good too.

 

[nicfargo]

I would think you'd be able to achieve your goal through some old fashioned reflectors (basically aluminum foil wrapped around cardboard). How are you firing your lights? Wirelessly? If so can you add lights to it? If reflectors don't work, I'd just look at using small strobes placed on the ground at the furniture...probably with some sort of diffusion.

 

[Don Kondra]

Hi Mike,

You might find this interesting http://americanfederalperiod.com/woodshop.html

The article is written by Rob Millard who is primarily a fine furniture maker. I found this in a recent post of his on Knots, the Fine Woodworking Magazine web site discussion forum.

Cheers, Don.

 

[Kawi_T]

I take pictures of custom high end furniture. I need to get some lights to illuminate the bottom portions of the furniture. I have two umbrella lights for the upper portion and tops. Any ideas?

I am also in the business of high end office furniture. I am the warehouse manager for a company called US Design in Lemont Illinois. We are a subsidiary of the Florense company of Brazil. Last month I installed 5 offices at a local bank and afterward took pics of our work. They look HORRIBLE! I'd love to see some pics of your work.
Tom

 

[mikemizza]

give me an email address and I'll send a few.