November 19th, 2009 | 
Everyone knows how tricky it can be to shoot a reflective object, especially if the object is spherical shaped or cylindrical, like a kettle. Recently we had a photo session for some new Walmart kitchenware, and I want to share some tip’s & trick’s I used to get it done.
First, the kettle:
Product kitchen Photography. Electric Kettle.
It was a mirror-like chrome kettle, which reflects everything around it. I tried a shooting box but it wasn’t working for me (I don’t like it anyway 
, as I did not have enough flexibility with the lights, plus the camera was placed about 8 feet away (can’t use a wide angle, need to keep proportions ). Dulling spray was not helping much either, as it was hiding the real kettle surface, so I’ve decide not to use it at all.
I built a huge white box around the shooting table. Each side was a 6 foot wide white paper hung on a backdrop support. I also placed large softboxes on both sides. The small opening for the lens was cut into the front. You can see the reflection from the lens as two vertical lines in the front of the kettle. We didn’t remove them in Photoshop so we could show how even small things like a camera lens can be a problem when you shoot a highly reflective subject. I had to shoot it strait on because it was required by the client.
Lighting Schema :
Lighting schema for highly reflective objects
Moving in the opposite direction, below you can see another kettle with a matte metal surface. It was an easy setup compared to the first one.
Photography of glitter surface
One of the products we shoot was a waffle maker. When I attempted to use the same long focus lens (Canon 180mm f3.5 L) for this shot, it looked… nice, but something just wasn’t right with it.
Long focus lens image: palin look
When I tried to compose the photo with a wider lens ( Canon 24-70 mm F2.8L), the result was more satisfying. I know, some may like the first shot better, but the client agreed with me on the wider angle, and this one was selected.
Short focus lens photo: better perspective, interesting look
Lighting Schema:
Lighting schema to show texture on the object , still life and product photography
The main idea of this post is to show some of the specifics of a product shot and the way to provide better results for your client while meeting the required specifications. For example, the first kettle reflection issues might be easily fixed by shooting the kettle from above, eliminating reflections form the lens on the object. But because the shot angle was dictated by the client, this was not an option.
About The Author: Alex Koloskov
The lighting magician, owner of AKELstudio, Inc.
Очень интересные статьи !!!
Wow, your shots are really great, I hope you can share some of your techniques, because I am also a photographer
Thank you, Alex!
I dabbled in photography for a long time, and found both passion and some ability to do it in me, but last few years dropped it for other things. Recently, my friends called me to participate in their low-budget commercial projects as a DoP; and the first one was so cheap it was partly a photo-story done Guy Ritchie style =)
so i’ve been shooting it for a week now, and last three days i come to your blog and get all sorts of inspiration and useful info! I realized that I’ve never seen such useful blog on strobe photography (both simple, thorough and very very specific in important details – and which details are unimportant!).
As I’m new to strobe photography (only shot available light earlier) your blog helped me tons. Sessions done using your ideas gave me a lot of insights. Thank you.
Ayur Sandanov, Moscow
Hi alex , i really want to thank you for your valuable tips ! it’s amazing !
Thank you, Mohamed!
BTW, you’ve got a great portfolio:-)
Alex
Salman, Thank you, I glad you like the blog.
Seen your rice pictures, very well done! You have used top-behind lights to make rice look shiny and glow, the best way to get it done properly, IMO. A little bit more lights from behind would make it glow even more. Good job!
Thanks alot for quick response and remarks
photography is my habit and rice is my business, i have canon eos 500d and tamron 90mm macro lens which i bought to capture pictures of rice.
by the way tilt shift technique was really amazing, actually i saw images of rolex watches on rolex.com and was amazed to see such quality. they were positioned same as your watch in the article.
Thanks once again, your blog is nice place to visit again and again
Salman,
I have it, use search:
http://www.photigy.com/watch-photo-shoot-advantages-of-tilt-shift-camera-adapter/
Your rice website is nice, but I am not sure you’ll get your target audience from here:-)
Good lick in any case:-)
Hello
very nice work, thanks for sharing really appreciate your work
I will be glad if you can post any ideas for shooting reflective watches as well, what kind of lighting should be used for watch photography.
Thanks
Salman
Wow great stuff, Ive been looking for some advice on product shots.
I have to shoot shiny Christmas balls for a catalogue, any advice on how to remove my refection from the shot?
I look forward to seeing more of you amazing work.
Thanks
Fred
Fred,
Well, what i can say: shiny Christmas balls is the worst to imagine to shoot:-)
Kidding:-) despite it will reflect all your studio, you still have option to shoot it in a shooting box:
Just place there some seamless plastic, like a cyc wall and get 2 lights from the sides. Better to have straight narrow opening in front for the lens, instead of the hole: it will make reflection look nicer.
Let me know how it works, I love such technically challenging projects;-)
-Alex
Thank you all, your opinion is very important to me.
Hi Alek
Congratulation!
I am very impresses with your art.
Little about me,
I am like you from Kiev. Now I am 71 year old live in Los Angeles and still very active. I have my businesses running by my children so I can enjoy photography. I have one of the best equipment available: Mamiya RZ67 with all available lenses for Mamiya and PhaseOne Digital backs H20 and P21+, Canons 20D, 40D, and 5D MarkII with all available lenses from Canon, also I have a Toyo large format camera with PhaseOne adapter for digital backs (I use H20 and P21+) with every available lenses for Toyo camera. All kind of lights: LCD, Soft boxes, ProPhoto strobe lights system….
Only one thing which I do not have is a really good made photo picture.
I need to make really good and creative product photos for our Product Catalog and new web site which we are developing now.
My short background:
Back in USSR I was an Engineer and scientist for several industries including Antonov KB after I graduated from Kiev Polytechnic Institute in 1963. Also I have a degree as an Artist-Architect from Promishlenno-Chudogestvennoe uchlishce it was that time in Lavra. Also a had a PHD degree in Engineering psychology from Moscow aspirantura. In the United State I am from 1979 was working for NASA under Shuttle design and later moved to Cosmetic bushiness following my wife’s lifetime profession. Than My children entered in to the bushiness and now I am enjoying to do creative things for them. It is real fun and I would like to continue to enjoy it.
I wood very much appreciate if you will take a look at our web sites http://www.rayaspa.com and http://www.rayalab.com and suggest how I can improve my photography skills to make some really good pictures for our catalog and web sites by using availabale to me equipment
Warmest Regards,
Norman Taver
Very usefull information on your blog! For that I thank you and I hope you’ll keep sharing with us!
Appreciate the sharing, nice!
The waffle maker shot with the 180mm doesn’t seem natural as the perspective is quasi nonexistent. It is OK to shoot object frontally but not at an angle… That’s a good demonstration. Thanks for sharing this with us !
Great Shot! keep posting your works.
Nice work!