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Photographing glass: Lighting techniques for transparent glass objects

137 points by mdlincoln 8y ago

mdlincoln 8y ago
Just commenting to add this wonderfully succinct summary of the post by John Overholt: >It takes a tremendous amount of work to make the work that goes into photographing this goblet invisible. https://twitter.com/john_overholt/status/991110369082068992 https://twitter.com/john_overholt/status/991110369082068992
kawera 8y ago
For anyone interested in lighting techniques for "difficult" surfaces, including glass, I'd recommend the excellent "Light Science & Magic" by Paul Fuqua & Fill Hunter: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402 https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Phot...
- aaronbrethorst 8y ago
  I wanted to second "Light Science and Magic," and also put in a plug for Strobist, which is where I originally heard about this book: http://strobist.blogspot.com http://strobist.blogspot.com
petepete 8y ago
Really interesting. Even as an enthusiast photographer it's easy to overlook the amount of skill and work that goes into shots like this. For anyone interested, Dustin Dolby's (aka Workphlo) YouTube channel provides lots of information on product photography on a budget https://www.youtube.com/user/DustinDolby https://www.youtube.com/user/DustinDolby
mozumder 8y ago
Photographic lighting is such an overlooked skill. Commercial photographers spend years crafting this skill. You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just on lighting, where one umbrella reflector, with no electronics, can cost $11k. Here's an example of an iPhone product shot: https://fstoppers.com/video/bts-how-apples-product-photographer-makes-iphone-ad-perfect-3321 https://fstoppers.com/video/bts-how-apples-product-photograp... Each specular highlight & complementary shadow contrast is put in on purpose, with its own lighting/card/reflector.
- fredley 8y ago
  I had no idea these were photography, I always assumed they were renders.
  - pasta 8y ago
    Related to this: when Ikea started using 3D models in their brochures photographers were teaching the 3D modelers how to lighten the products. And visa versa a lot of photographers became interested in 3D modeling.
- aw3c2 8y ago
  Why do they bother photographing real models if they end up filling their screens in Photoshop in the end anyways?
  - brudgers 8y ago
    My guess: legal requirements regarding "truth in advertising."

137 points by mdlincoln 8y ago

Just commenting to add this wonderfully succinct summary of the post by John Overholt: >It takes a tremendous amount of work to make the work that goes into photographing this goblet invisible. https://twitter.com/john_overholt/status/991110369082068992 https://twitter.com/john_overholt/status/991110369082068992

kawera 8y ago

For anyone interested in lighting techniques for "difficult" surfaces, including glass, I'd recommend the excellent "Light Science & Magic" by Paul Fuqua & Fill Hunter: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402 https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Phot...

aaronbrethorst 8y ago
I wanted to second "Light Science and Magic," and also put in a plug for Strobist, which is where I originally heard about this book: http://strobist.blogspot.com http://strobist.blogspot.com

petepete 8y ago

Really interesting. Even as an enthusiast photographer it's easy to overlook the amount of skill and work that goes into shots like this. For anyone interested, Dustin Dolby's (aka Workphlo) YouTube channel provides lots of information on product photography on a budget https://www.youtube.com/user/DustinDolby https://www.youtube.com/user/DustinDolby

mozumder 8y ago

Photographic lighting is such an overlooked skill. Commercial photographers spend years crafting this skill. You can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just on lighting, where one umbrella reflector, with no electronics, can cost $11k. Here's an example of an iPhone product shot: https://fstoppers.com/video/bts-how-apples-product-photographer-makes-iphone-ad-perfect-3321 https://fstoppers.com/video/bts-how-apples-product-photograp... Each specular highlight & complementary shadow contrast is put in on purpose, with its own lighting/card/reflector.

fredley 8y ago
I had no idea these were photography, I always assumed they were renders.
- pasta 8y ago
  Related to this: when Ikea started using 3D models in their brochures photographers were teaching the 3D modelers how to lighten the products. And visa versa a lot of photographers became interested in 3D modeling.
aw3c2 8y ago
Why do they bother photographing real models if they end up filling their screens in Photoshop in the end anyways?
- brudgers 8y ago
  My guess: legal requirements regarding "truth in advertising."