Lighting help needed

[tirediron]

So... how do I proceed? This image:

was shot as per the diagram:

One speedlight directly opposite the lens firing through a diffuser with a black flag (not shown in the diagram) slightly wider than the glass on it, and one speedlight camera left with a snoot to provide some illumination for the fruit. Overall, it's getting there, but I'm not happy with stem & base, nor the light on the cherry. Any thoughts on how best to proceed? I've tried every possible combination of diffuser, flag, etc that I can think of, but I either blow out the glass or get miserable reflection...

 

[rzxrey]

How about posting your results?

 

[tirediron]

How about posting your results?

You mean this result?

 

[tirediron]

Bada-bada-bada...... BUMP!

 

[JustinL]

have you tried lighting it from beneath?

Click me

 

[Derrel]

I think it really needs more frontal light, to show the cherry better. I'm thinking a very large, diffused source from "above" is the way to go...meaning like a monolight blasting onto a ceiling, and creating a LOT of light that rains down mostly, from the front...the reflection will not be of a light panel,box,or diffuser directly in front of the set (meaning not placed by the lens), but rather coming from "above" and on the "frontal" side of the glass. Glassware can be tricky. Devil's in the details. Your mileage may vary. Advice is dispensed by weight,not by volume: some settling of contents may occur in pixel transmission over the interwebz.

 

[hirejn]

I'm confused as to why you're firing a flash into a flag. What is the point of using a flash if you don't want the light to register? Are you metering the light or just guessing? You have to figure out how you want the image to look and light it accordingly. We don't know how you want it to look so it's difficult to advise on how to light it. To me it looks like it needs more pop so more light would help. Turn up the flash or dial down the aperture. The stem is difficult to separate because it's dark on dark. You may need more lights or a reflector.

 

[tirediron]

have you tried lighting it from beneath?
Click me

Cool! Great article! Thanks.

I think it really needs more frontal light, to show the cherry better. I'm thinking a very large, diffused source from "above" is the way to go...meaning like a monolight blasting onto a ceiling, and creating a LOT of light that rains down mostly, from the front...the reflection will not be of a light panel,box,or diffuser directly in front of the set (meaning not placed by the lens), but rather coming from "above" and on the "frontal" side of the glass. Glassware can be tricky. Devil's in the details. Your mileage may vary. Advice is dispensed by weight,not by volume: some settling of contents may occur in pixel transmission over the interwebz.

Thanks Derrel! I had thought of that, but I was thinking strictly in terms of an overhead strobe, which didn't worth worth a s**t. Your idea makes a lot more sense.

I'm confused as to why you're firing a flash into a flag. What is the point of using a flash if you don't want the light to register? Are you metering the light or just guessing? You have to figure out how you want the image to look and light it accordingly. We don't know how you want it to look so it's difficult to advise on how to light it. To me it looks like it needs more pop so more light would help. Turn up the flash or dial down the aperture. The stem is difficult to separate because it's dark on dark. You may need more lights or a reflector.

Dark field lighting uses a flag in the centre of a reflector to produce the wrapped highlights seen in the glass; those are great for edge lighting, but as you can see, the centre area, not so much.

 

[hirejn]

I assumed it contributed to the side highlights but I've never used the technique. I was referring to the cherry stem being difficult to separate from the bg, not the glass stem.

 

[TCampbell]

I agree with Derrel. The glass looks good (maybe a couple of white cards to help accent the foot of the glass... it washes out into the blackness) but the cherry and lime look a bit dim and could use a perk up with some light.

Justin, thanks for that link. I had done some testing with wine pouring into wine glasses... trying to capture the roll/wave that the liquid makes as it pours into a rounded glass, and it just wasn't working. I may have to the lighting from below strategy.

 

[Nahin]

I don't think it's has any problem, design and color contrast also lighting everything is ok indeed. Awesome and prodigious looking don't be silly.

 

[tirediron]

I assumed it contributed to the side highlights but I've never used the technique. I was referring to the cherry stem being difficult to separate from the bg, not the glass stem.

Gotcha!

I agree with Derrel. The glass looks good (maybe a couple of white cards to help accent the foot of the glass... it washes out into the blackness) but the cherry and lime look a bit dim and could use a perk up with some light.

Going to try that - it looks like it should do exactly what I want.