Need some help shooting products in plastic packaging

[matta]

I've been having trouble shooting things in clear plastic packaging (the kind that that's a real pain to get things out of). I've tried shooting in a light tent, but it still does not look great. My main problem is reflection. The products are cylindrical, so EVERYTHING gets reflected. Does anyone have any good techniques for this sort of thing?

 

[biggoron]

just an idea, never tried it. Maybe put the product in a cardboard box, or make a large box and make the inside black or white. that would eliminate all reflection from the surrounding area. then light it up from the front and shoot from the front.

If it is reflecting your image as well, you might need to PS it afterwards

 

[bazooka]

Perhaps if you post a shot or two that you've tried already but aren't happy with, we may be able to tweak your setup to improve the result. It's tough to give any specific advice as the shape and contents of the package may have an impact on your lighting setup.

 

[Big Mike]

When you have objects like that, that exhibit properties of direct reflection, you have to be concerned about the 'family of angles'. That basically means that if the surfaces of the object line up to reflect light directly from the light, off the object, to the lens, then you will get those reflections in the photo.

If your object has flat sides, this is much easier to deal with, but when it has rounded surfaces, you probably can't avoid it. In one of my classes, I have the students try to light and shoot a mirrored x-mas tree ball. No matter what you do, if you want any light on the visible side of the ball, the light source will case a reflection on the ball.

But you do have some control. Firstly, the size & shape of the reflection will mimic the shape and relative size of the light source. So if you put a big light, close to the object, you will get a big reflection. If you put a light farther away (and/or use a smaller light) the reflections will be smaller. Many product photographers might choose to use strip lights, rather than round or square lights (modifiers). This can give you a line reflection, which may look better on your object.

Lastly, you can choose to try to 'fill the family of angles'. So that instead of a smaller reflection, the reflection is much bigger, perhaps covering the whole surface of the object. This is something that a light tent might be used for. Sometimes this looks better, sometimes not. Product lighting really has to be taken on a case by case basis.