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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Problems with reflections
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 04/05/2007 05:20:56 PM · #1
At work I sometimes need to photograph very shiny and reflective products.

This flag pole, for instance, is reflecting my light tent (that is the very bright part along the outer edge) as well as the whole darn office!

I don't know how to fix this. I have tried cloning, blurring, and a few others, but it is never any good - mostly because it loses that shiny mirror finish, which makes it look totally wrong.

At times I can hold up a white sheet behind the camera which helps a little bit, but with something as rounded as this one, nothing helps - it will have to be fixed in post processing.

Can somebody please teach me how to do this properly?

Edited to add the thumbnail (DUH!!)


Message edited by author 2007-04-05 17:23:40.
 04/05/2007 05:54:58 PM · #2
I think you've already answered your own question. For something like this, you can get rid of most of the reflections by hanging a sheet or something, and just having a hole for the camera lens to peek through. Most of the time, you can then position the item so that the camera reflection is invisible. For something like this that's completely spherical, you can still use a sheet to cut down on the amount of post processing you do, but you will probably have to do a bit of cloning to remove the camera reflection.
 04/05/2007 06:33:17 PM · #3
For something so reflective, it is the reflection that makes it so attractive and define how ... erm ... reflective it IS. Without getting it fully into a light tent under controlled conditions to control WHAT is reflected ... I can only think of distorting the reflection in a fluid way so that one cannot ascertain WHAT is being reflected ... like one might with liquify or twirl (as I used here).


04/05/2007 07:24:27 PM · #4
Originally posted by annpatt:
...For something like this that's completely spherical, you can still use a sheet to cut down on the amount of post processing you do, but you will probably have to do a bit of cloning to remove the camera reflection.


That is what I was thinking but started to wonder if you would lose the ball of it in the background since the entire thing would be white. As it is the edge of the ball is almost lost on the background but your middle helps show the shape of it.

What if you did hang sheets to create a tent but also either changed your background to black or maybe had black curtains in the middle (where you would be shooting through) and white towards the edges.

Wouldn't this add that nice bright reflection around the edge like is already captured but also add something in the middle to help preserve the shape of it?

I really don't know as I don't get the chance to do this type of photography but seems to make sense in my head (which is another reason I may be way off the mark lol).
 04/05/2007 07:30:34 PM · #5
I'm with sabphoto. Try different color back/side-grounds and a dark sheet with a hole to shoot through. If you need a white background you could always change it in post processing.
 04/05/2007 07:40:03 PM · #6
Thanks for the ideas so far.
Sadly, I have basically a zero budget and am expected to churn out the photos at the speed of light....... no chance to try out different backgrounds, or spend much time on it.

At least I'll now feel more confident to tell them they can't expect miracles.

The swirl looks very pretty, but would be a total disaster on a hardware store's website where people would either refuse to buy such a thing or insist on having the exact one WITH the swirl!
 04/05/2007 08:23:25 PM · #7
1)turn out the light in the room
2) get some gauss & cover the opening as much as possible allow only a round hole to shoot thru
3) move the shiny object as far from the opening as possible
4)move to the back of the room to shoot from

or

1) use dull'ing spray
i understand that 'pam' works well ;)
 04/05/2007 08:32:35 PM · #8
LOL forgive me for laughing and let me explain

Originally posted by ralph:
1)turn out the light in the room
2) get some gauss & cover the opening as much as possible allow only a round hole to shoot thru
3) move the shiny object as far from the opening as possible
4)move to the back of the room to shoot from

or

1) use dull'ing spray
i understand that 'pam' works well ;)


1) Hmm....... I don't have a flash - that will be one heck of a dark photo!
2) I can't afford that :-(
3) My office is so small you can't even swing a kitten (let alone a cat in it), so moving "far away" isn't possible.
4) I have about 1 1/2 meters (or about 5 feet) from my light tent to the wall

1again) Pam...... now we're getting somewhere - perhaps they can find it in their hearts to spring for one of those!

Thanks for trying :-)
 04/05/2007 10:31:51 PM · #9
You could try hairspray th bring down the reflectiveness.
At Least you won't be able to tell what is being reflective.

Message edited by author 2007-04-05 22:32:16.
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