Reflective black surface

[sknowles]

I'm mentally stuck. I trying to photograph two onyx black wine glasses which have highly reflective

surfaces. I'm using two softboxes with flashes for main lighting on a various surface and background

colors - mostly black or near-white, using other colors in and around the glasses to highlight the glasses.

Is there a way to reduce or eliminate the reflection in the surface at glass level? Shooting above them

works, but shooting at table level brings the reflections in the glasses in the image. I know I'm missing

something in the lighting, position or something?

 

Ah, the learning curve of small, home studio photography.

[samantha_chang]

I'm a total amateur so don't take this as real advice, but something to consider. Possibly a polarizer can help?

[bill c.]

Scott- Gotta love that specular black stuff. Its texture is delineated not by its own texture but everything else's. If you light it it won't be black, if you don't light it you can't really see it.

 

The approach that most photographers use under such circumstances is to light only the edges of the glass. If you want to shoot directly from the front, put your softboxes on either side and somewhat behind the subject. You might want to narrow them down quite a bit-- I often find that three or four-inch strips work well, but wider strips are useful on occasion. Then use another softbox above and behind.

 

Everything else should be completely black, including the surface on which the subject sits. Black Plexi is a handy thing to utilize for that, as is a sheet of glass (I used to take a pane out of my storm windows and then just stick it back up when I was done) placed over top of a sheet of black velvet or some other deep black cloth.

 

It might take you hours to get the lights in just the right place, and you might have to utilize lots of homebrew holders and reflectors to make the light go where you want it and keep it from going where it's not wanted. The trick is to light up just the edges of the objects and then, to give them some roundness, put some specular highlights in strategic places on the front.

 

Happy shooting. -BC-

[paul hofman - south africa]

Hi Scott

 

Repositioning your lights is one option. The other is to get hold of an anti reflective spray. I use one made by Kenair. Spray it on at about 30cm away and coat the surface. Once you are finnised wipe it off.

 

Hope you solve your problem.

 

Regards

[garry edwards]

Scott,

 

You need to control the specular highlights (the reflections of the lights)

 

Please see the Lighting Theme, Controlling specular highlights http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BjHh&tag=

 

Different subject, different light position, same problem, same solution - a large light source close to the subject

[sknowles]

Thanks for the help and the links. I'll try these. Sometimes you can look at something all day

and can't think beyond a few ideas, but then someone thumps you on the forehead to say,

"Hey, have you tried...?." Riedel makes black (blind) tastings glasses (Sommeliers series)

which makes interesting contrast.