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Taking pics of shiny objects.

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darktiger

[H]ard|DCer of the Month - April 2007
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
11,819
To you pros out there, what is the best way of taking pictures of shiny objects such as scissors, knife blades, etc.....With flash on, we you see the bright area in one part of the object. Without flash you do not get the luster of the shiny object. Having nature light to kill the shadow still looks okay. I want the objects to look professional. Any ideas?
 
Just like I recommended to another guy for different reasons, you'll need a hotshoe flash that allows you to swivel the flash head to bounce off walls or the ceiling. Or you can use an off shoe cord with the flash so that the light isn't hitting the shiny object and bouncing directly back at the camera.
 
you may need a light tent or something like that. Basically white cloth in a cube or some shape with your lighting on the outside, object on the inside, and your lens sticking through a side. Maybe an extra spot light to get the highlights you want.

Product photography is a fairly specialized field, but i think there is plenty of info on google. maybe photo.net too.
 
If you dont want to buy an expensive lighting system, just put the camera on a tripod and use overhead light like a soft light in the kitchen and such. Using a slower shutter speed you dont need a flash, hence the triped.

You could also invest in a Polarizing filter which helps reduce flair a lot.
 
This photo was taken with the flash pointing directly at the relatively glossy, white piano keys. I just held a piece of white paper in front of the flash. You have plenty of options without getting into lighthouses, tripods, and off-camera flash attachments. Diffusing the flash with a piece of paper can be very effective, though it may take a couple of tries to get it right. If your camera has a manual mode, stopping the aperture down to something like f/11 can really help (though make sure you keep the shutter short, probably 1/125").

That said, if you have access to these more sophisticated methods, go for it! I got some great results by mounting the flash on a tripod and bouncing it off of the ceiling. This CD was shot in a lighthouse with a similar flash setup.
 
I used to take pictures of knives with a home-made "light tent" that consisted of a shower curtain and three flood lamps. Disable the camera's speedlight, use a tripod and the timer
 
Well I have done it the really easy way, I use my finger to shade the flash, just blocking it till I get the results I want. Also I use thin strips of electrical tape. Those I place the first in the center and work my way out. Again till I get the desired results. I like the down and, dirty methods. Good Luck!
 
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