Sharpness

[astroNikon]

Light source: 3 light set up, strobes, with translucent umbrellas. One either side and the 3rd above. Natural light on 2 sides.

This is considered the "bible" for lighting.
This is an older version, there's a newer version ==> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240812255/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But it's all about the diffusion & reflection of light.

In short, the more diffusion panels the better. For instance.
If you have a flashlight pointing directly in your face it will blind you - the same with a camera sensor. A bare strobe will cause issues. A strobe with a shoot through umbrella diffuses the light some. A bounce umbrella is better, A brolly (bounce umbrella with a diffusion panel on it) is even better. Then you get into more complex system to control the lighting even more.

But the angle of the light to the subject which still reflects the light is important. Think of the object as a highly polished piece of steel you are shooting then you'll understand the issue at hand with properly positioned lights.

If you search for "diagram for product photography" you'll see many examples of lights positioning.

I'm not a pro at this, just do some product photog from time to time. But the set up is key and may take some time for proper positioning.

 

[gsgary]

The lack of sharpness on the sides is down to your lighting, how far is the cup from the background? Because it looks like light is bouncing off the background

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