Lighting and Tips for Product photography -- emulating "Terrain"

[sorry, I couldn't' figure out where to post this in "practice" forums -- could an admin move the thread if necessary?] Moderator note: This thread has been moved from Business Forum

I am going to do some product photography for my 'day job' company (I'm an impassioned amateur at photo).

I really dig the look of Terrain and want to emulate that somewhat.

Does anyone have any thoughts/tips/links for lighting this kind of thing? I want to get that hip, modern, organic look on a hardwood floor or table. The products will be small packages, tools, various smaller-than-a-breadbox stuff.

Many thanks

LINK to sample product image of "Terrain"

Moderator note: Images removed and one link has been provided. Please refer to Photo.net's Terms and Conditions of Use and User Guidelines - Members can only post images that they have made themselves.

The tabletop images look like a strobe to camera left, and a strobe to camera right. Likely both in softboxes. The reflection of what looks like a softbox can be seen to camera right on the watering can table top image. The lighting ratio looks to my eye close, for example about a half stop less light on the strobe to camera right. There may also be a light on the background. The background looks around 1 stop less than the key light, maybe only 1/2 stop less.

To me part of the "hip, organic" look is the color palette. Whitewashed distressed wood, white, pastel greens and blues. High key rendering.

Looking at other watering can samples the 2 polished metal ones should give an idea of the softbox placement used. - I am not overly impressed by Terrain's photography. Their white balance seems to be all over the place when I compare various cans shot at the same location?

Anyhow: Get yourself a copy of "Light Science and Magic" - Used ones are cheap & good enough!

I'm not sure if softboxes are really the right thing to use. - Let's say they are convenient, Terrain seem using them "one lighting suits all" If you have a smallish room with white walls and ceiling bouncing 2 flashes should get you pretty far too, maybe use a 3rd without modifier as a main. Biggest issue is not casting 4 shadows like a football player by night.

The fill left of camera on that watering can shot could easily be a big reflector board. There's more than a half stop ratio to my eye.

In any case, reflector boards are cheaper and take less studio space than a big softbox. Way to go IMO.

Basically you can build up a large light tent out of 3 or 4 reflectors. Shooting glassware or reflective metal, for example, definitely needs such an approach.

The clamshell type lighting used by Terrain is admittedly a bit bland, but if you have dozens of products a day to shoot, then you can't afford the time for niceties of lighting. OTOH, fixing the colour balance should be essential, and it only takes seconds to set a custom White Balance on any decent digital camera. Perhaps someone should tell the shooter at terrain that there are other options than AWB!