Tabletop photography usually has an air of gentle elegance to highlight the beauty of a product.
Professional photographers usually photograph most products for advertising purposes in studios. Much like lighting a person, the basic purpose of lighting is to ensure that all of the details of a product are correctly and fully exposed. More dramatic shadows would typically be reserved for higher-art photography. There are several key issues when lighting a product that require a different approach than photographing a person: contrast, under-lighting, background and color.
Instructions
1. Begin by setting up the same basic lighting as that used in a photo shoot with a human subject. This would include a key light, the primary source of light, a fill light, which "fills" in the details on the dark side of the subject, and a backlight to pop the subject off the background.
2. Under-lighting helps create visual interest as the light hits different points in the glass.
When the product is glass, a fourth light -- the under-light -- is sometimes added at the base to throw light up and through the object. This is used in many ads for liquor or to sell glass bottles. A small LED panel is a cheap and effective way to achieve an under-light.
3. Adjust the intensities of the lights so that one side is slightly brighter than the other. There is a wide amount of variance possible here depending on the specific branding of the product. In general, the contrast between the bright side (the key side) and the dark side (the fill side) will typically be greater than that of a human subject. This helps the product pop. The larger the contrast, the more dramatic the photos will appear.
4. Use the gray card in conjunction with the camera to check the color temperature of the light and ensure that colors of the product will be accurate. The colors of a product tend to be very important, as they will be a major part of the branding. To a certain extent, it can be fixed in post-processing; however, it is always better to do it right the first time. Use gels to adjust the color temperature or the quality of the lighting.
5. A simple background focuses all the attention on the objects in the photo.
Light the background simply. The most common background for product photography is white. The focus of the picture should be on the product, and so any lighting in the background that could distract potential customers should be avoided.
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