Proper way to photograph a white object

[gossamer]

Thanks so much. Those are great comments. I really want to do this the right way. I think learning this will help with other projects as well.

From the diagram, it looks like you're shooting down on the subject, is that correct? How can I place the reflector in front and still be able to shoot from straight on?

The problem with this shot is that it shows the wrinkles from the muslin background. Do you have recommendations for something small yet straight enough to use for stuff like this that I can continue to use without getting wrinkled? Does this mean I don't have the lighting right to overpower whatever is lighting the background?

The polished stainless top is going to be a problem for you, rather than spill some trade secrets and get it right in camera LOL, you would be best to do it in post by shooting a few exposures and combining them in PS.

Do you mean your trade secrets for eliminating the reflection from shiny objects?

 

[adamhiram]

I'm certainly no expert, but I can offer a few tips (or more accurately reiterate tips already posted here)...

• As @Designer said in the first reply, light the object first. Decide on a starting point to expose the object correctly, independent of the background. For an object such as this bottle, I would think that would mean lighting it from the front and maybe from one or both sides for more even lighting top-to-bottom. You best bet is a large soft box, diffusion panel, or reflector. This is your starting point.
• Next light the background. For a solid white background you should be fine with what you have, or you can pickup a large roll of white seamless paper for under $30 that will last you forever. Personally I just use a few large sheets of white posterboard. Now blast it with enough light, separately from the subject, to drive it to pure white. Just be careful not to overdo it or you'll start losing the edges of the object.
• For non-glossy objects with few or no specular reflections, such as a plush toy, you're done. For everything else, now comes the challenge of creating highlights, shadows, and reflections that compliment the object, as @JBPhotog described. This is often done with various rectangular softboxes with black masks and flags, and can make use of compositing from multiple exposures. It's up to you how far down that rabbit hole you want to go - for a full page print ad you'll want to take the time to get everything perfect; for a bunch of product thumbnails on a website, those details probably don't matter as much.

For a quick primer on product photography, particularly glass and other transparent/translucent/glossy objects, I would recommend doing a quick search on fstoppers.com for bottle, glass, product photography - they seem to do a few features on this each year.

 

[JBPhotog]

From the diagram, it looks like you're shooting down on the subject, is that correct? How can I place the reflector in front and still be able to shoot from straight on?

The problem with this shot is that it shows the wrinkles from the muslin background. Do you have recommendations for something small yet straight enough to use for stuff like this that I can continue to use without getting wrinkled? Does this mean I don't have the lighting right to overpower whatever is lighting the background?

You can still place bounce cards to the front if you are shooting straight on. It gets a bit more complicated of course since the cards are in the way but one can either stack cards leaving a gap where the lens shoots through or use a white card and actually cut a hole, I prefer the stack if the objects are not chrome or shiny gold or silver, it gives one a bit more flexibility to move them. You could also mitigate this by asking if you really need straight on or would a slight vertical elevation work, this is where a view camera excels. Using a longer lens will let you keep the gap or hole in the front bounce cards as small as possible, it also helps with convergence of the product lines.

I would highly recommend using Formica or some white laminate as your sweep. Most countertop manufacturing shops will sell you a half sheet, certainly a full sheet if you have the room. You will need a shooting surface as wide as your Formica so it can lay flat and an edge to clamp it down on the front, then you can sweep up the back to create a seamless background. The beauty of Formica is it can be cleaned if you are using liquids or products that may leave a mark. Surface gloss is your pick depending on the look you want, I prefer a flat eggshell as it has the least amount of texture and reflection.

I took the liberty to highlight a couple of your issues. Ambient reflections are an absolute no no in product photography, note the highlight in the left shoulder area. They replicate themselves all over your bottle, cap to base. All lights even shiny stands need to be hidden by blackout material in order they not be seen in your product. Even a coloured shirt will bounce back into your product, I'd suggest shooting a chromed kettle if you really want to see how much of your shooting space shows up in the shot, LOL.

The second highlight on the label is showing you the gaps in your bounce cards, this "zebra" effect is also a non-starter, your client would say "our logo is not striped" and reject your work. Ultimately, there will be a small black area reflected on the product where the lens is shooting through but adding light totally around the front will eliminate most of the stripe areas. Like I said in my original post, shiny product work is "the" most demanding of skill and talent for the product shooter, welcome to my insane world, ha ha!

I would digress from some previous posters. Do not add more lights especially anywhere within 180 degrees of the front of the bottle, unless of course you want to see large hot stripes on the product which I believe you saw in shot #2?

Do you mean your trade secrets for eliminating the reflection from shiny objects?

No, I mean controlling the dynamic range in camera by special lighting techniques. With the advent of PhotoShop most of this can be done in post, the operative word is "most" not "all". It requires way too much detail and technique to attempt to explain here.

 

[DanOstergren]

This is what looks like the original product shot from the manufacturer

https://cdna.4imprint.com/prod/rend/700/451172/388_103.jpg

This looks like it was cut and pasted into an all white background image.

 

[JBPhotog]

This is what looks like the original product shot from the manufacturer

https://cdna.4imprint.com/prod/rend/700/451172/388_103.jpg

This looks like it was cut and pasted into an all white background image.

That's what "close cutting" is, which is the correct technical term.

 

[DanOstergren]

This is what looks like the original product shot from the manufacturer

https://cdna.4imprint.com/prod/rend/700/451172/388_103.jpg

This looks like it was cut and pasted into an all white background image.

That's what "close cutting" is, which is the correct technical term.

I'm simply saying that if the OP wants to duplicate the look of the example photo, he must use that technique then.

 

[gossamer]

This is the final version of that attempt. I still feel like the bottle is a little lost in the background, but I managed to get rid of most of the reflections and learned a ton in the process.

You can still see some of the texture of the background. I couldn't find a completely white piece of paper that was large enough and flexible enough for this in time. Where do product photographers get their supplies?

I could get rid of all the reflections by shooting in complete darkness, but the camera won't focus, lol.

 

[JBPhotog]

See my previous posts on the following;
- black cards to add an edge to the white bottle will give you the separation you want.
- a solid surface for the background, i.e. Formica or seamless background paper.
- a more refined approach to reflector card placement will fill in most of the dark stripe on the face of the bottle, fixing the rest in post is the the next step.

The use of speedlights for product photography is not the norm, you need studio strobes with modelling lights to aid in focusing, light placement and modifier choice.

Good for you to tackle this subject, the learning never ends.

 

[gossamer]

Thanks so much for your summary and follow-up. I had used two Flashpoint XPLOR 600s with 38" octoboxes for this.

The black cards are off to the left and right of the bottle, correct?

I believe there's a store that sells Formica nearby, but is this the type of paper you think would be best for this?
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Seamless-Background-Paper-yards/dp/B000ONTJ8W/

Do you have any suggestions for black cards? I could probably build something with construction paper and cardboard, but I'd rather just buy something that's reasonably priced and be done with it.

 

[JBPhotog]

Thanks so much for your summary and follow-up. I had used two Flashpoint XPLOR 600s with 38" octoboxes for this.

The black cards are off to the left and right of the bottle, correct?

Partially correct. They need to be behind the back plane of the bottle and close enough to show a thin black line along the edge of the bottle on each side(see below for detail). This is where modelling lights are critical, you put your eye in the lens centre looking at the product and see how the position of the cards reflect back into the product. Without modelling lights, getting it right is virtually impossible, unless of course time has no value.

I believe there's a store that sells Formica nearby, but is this the type of paper you think would be best for this?
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Seamless-Background-Paper-yards/dp/B000ONTJ8W/

Yes seamless paper works. However, with multiple shots it can get marked and with liquids it is not an option. Formica is the 'go to' as it is far more durable, liquid proof and can be cleaned.

Do you have any suggestions for black cards? I could probably build something with construction paper and cardboard, but I'd rather just buy something that's reasonably priced and be done with it.

Black construction paper laid on the surface works go give you an outline, lots of experimenting with angles and distance are required for each product. If the goal is to close cut in post processing to drop onto any background(including pure white) or isolate it, then giving the product an 'edge' makes your time in PS vastly easier, more accurate and more efficient.