video : episode 15 , studio lighting basics for shiny metal and reflections
June 16, 2008 – 12:30 amThere are a couple of ways to improve your photo studio lighting. You can buy a book (or watch a video, or read a website) that shows you exactly where and how to set up studio lighting. That’s a necessary part of the process and will definitely make you a better photographer. But to really master lighting, you need to understand how light works. My challenge in this video was introducing an intimidating sounding concept: the law of reflection. But, as you’ll see, once you understand this concept you’re a step closer to really taking control of your photographic lighting.
And big thanks for the video opening and closing go to members of the Ohio Valley Camera Club, David and LaDawn Ziser, elzora, Noah H., Jason P. and the one person I probably forgot and hope will forgive me!
Subscribers view video here:
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The webgallery of still images from the shoot may be viewed here (do you see the banding in the background gradations? this looks like a job for 16 bit!)
The background light was a Genesis 400 strobe unit with a grid spot. The main light was the Calumet Genesis 200 1-Light Kit
(minus the umbrella).
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24 Responses to “video : episode 15 , studio lighting basics for shiny metal and reflections”
A “basic” principle a person wouldn’t normally been thinking about… Very helpful as it helps the noobs like me to save time to think through other things…
Thanks for this very well tutored video!
PS: Is it me or they where a couple of familiar faces in that last part in the video?
By Celso on Jun 16, 2008
Thanks for all the videos they are great!!!
Hi from Santiago-Chile!!
By Juan Pablo Jaramillo on Jun 16, 2008
wow…great technique, thanx sharing!
By Tom on Jun 16, 2008
Once again a great video ! I am reading Light: Science and Magic and seeing a video example of one of the chapter really help me. So Tx very much !!
By Frederic on Jun 16, 2008
It looks like you had a lot of fun at your studio drop-in.
The law of reflection brought back some memories of college. I took a senior level, indepent study course on optics as part of my minor. I’ve played around with the concept at home using a fork and some foam core. It is good to see it in a video though.
By Craig Lee on Jun 16, 2008
I heard in a podcast once about lighting shiny objects, “Don’t light the object, light what lights the object.” Thinking this way I’ve always thought to shoot through something (like an umbrella) to light a mirrored surface. Or, in your setup here, I would point the light at the foamcore board.
What’s great here is that you’re making your shiny object the light source itself, throwing light out at the foam core boards. Really fantastic stuff, thanks!
By Paul D'Andrea on Jun 16, 2008
As always, a nice step-by-step explanation! You also seemed to “fill the frame” more so in this video
By Matthew Botos on Jun 16, 2008
You are really teaching important stuff in a very simple way. Its great. Thank you!
By GuilleGB on Jun 16, 2008
Great step-by-step tutorial! Maybe next time you will tell us how to control the ratio of the light on the two sides of the cheese grater? I imagine it is varying the distance to the foam boards?
By Maverick on Jun 16, 2008
So many different tools can be used to accomplish these results and I would most usually start with a softer main light source to begin with. The goal with the video was to start with a worst case scenario, nasty glare, and then get it back to something more controllable.
There is one real benefit to starting with the hard light source in some isolated cases. If the object you’re photographing has a lot of angles it’s easier to move the smaller light source around and “hide” it’s reflection in a crack or feature somewhere on the object. Starting with a big softbox, for example, makes that difficult in some cases. No matter where you move it, it’s visible in the object.
By Jim Talkington on Jun 16, 2008
Ahh, that is a good tip about hiding the light source reflection in a crack or hole. Hmmm, maybe a quickie video on it?
By Craig Lee on Jun 16, 2008
I’m with you on the angles of reflections, but in this example, the card reflections in the metal give it the impression of being dull metal (or at least not chrome). How would you set it up to make it obvious it’s chrome without having it all dark (Pic 2) or all light (Pic 6)?
By eaglekepr on Jun 16, 2008
If you want the reflection a certain color, use a different color reflector. I would probably try a silver reflector instead of a white one for a chrome look, but it might not diffuse the light enough to hide the light source’s shape.
By Craig Lee on Jun 16, 2008
eaglekepr, that’s a great question. It’s also a little more advanced than I wanted to go with this particular video. Let me attempt a quick explanation:
To really make chrome look like chrome we need to create gradations of light in the reflection (lighter and darker areas). As you noticed, these reflections are flat and even (though they are doing some nice things, like bringing out the raised edges on the grating holes). We could create gradations by feathering the light onto the board unevenly, maybe angling the board differently or adding another light, a bright spot, onto the board to create a hotter spot for light to radiate from.
We’ll definitely get to this in a future video. It’s a more advanced technique (it can take years to learn really well) and most often requires using additional lights. I hope this is enough to get you started!
By Jim Talkington on Jun 16, 2008
Excellent, something to look forward to! Thanks again for your work on the site.
By eaglekepr on Jun 16, 2008
Very helpful, thanks!
By Isaac on Jun 16, 2008
I took a go at this tonight; here are my shiny photos, including some colored reflectors.
I also just did a rough color calibration of my monitor; do the results show it worked?
By Matthew Botos on Jun 16, 2008
Yep, Matthew, you’ve got it, that’s the very principle in action. I’m on my laptop so I can’t be critical but the photos appeared neutral and well exposed so I’d say your calibration is in the ballpark.
Here’s a thought if you still have things set up and don’t mind taking it a step further. That rounded handle is really tough to deal with. See how there’s a hot spot in the middle that elongates up and down it? Would you mind trying to lift your main light up higher (but then pointing it down) to see if it lessens that reflection? And then trying to move the cards in as close as possible? No worries if it’s already been put away, I’m just curious if it’s possible to conduct a long-distance light experiment.
By Jim Talkington on Jun 16, 2008
Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I already cleaned up the dining room studio, but as a thought experiment it plays out - a high light should reflect low and cut the direct glare into the lens.
By Matthew Botos on Jun 17, 2008
Hi Jim. This video has been an inflexion point for me, because I took it into practice. In my case using a portable strobe (Metz 54)
I’ve put an album in flickr with all the photos step by step, and it was impressive for me the clear progression I got following the intructions on your video
By the way, I have subtitled the video in Spanish as always
El video en español aquí:
http://www.nova-foto.net/2008/06/18/prophotolifecom-video-15-metales-brillantes-y-reflexiones/
By Alfonso - Phosy on Jun 17, 2008
Great video as always. This is by far the best photography site I have come across.
By Rick on Aug 10, 2008
Hi Jim,
These videos are superb, I think I’ve discovered more over the last couple of days than I would have in weeks with a pile of books!
As a newcomer to strobe lighting - I’ve been struggling with fluorescent continuous lighting up to now - I decided to go with a Genesis lamp (there’s a huge lead time in the UK for some reason); is it worth going straight for the 400 over the 200 as a long-term investment or is this too powerful for predominantly table-top applications?
Keep up the good work!
By David on Aug 11, 2008
Hi David, I’m glad the videos are a help. The Genesis 400 can be turned down in power over a 5-stop range so don’t worry about having too much power. If you can afford the 400 I say go for it.
By Jim Talkington on Aug 11, 2008
Thanks Jim, that’s very helpful.
By David on Aug 11, 2008