What are the best practices for shooting products with reflective or transparent surfaces?

Shooting products with reflective or transparent surfaces requires careful handling of lighting and reflections. Use diffused lighting to minimize harsh reflections and glare. Softboxes or diffusers are ideal for creating even, soft light. Position lights at angles to avoid direct reflections, especially in the camera's line of sight. Utilize polarizing filters to reduce glare and enhance clarity. A clean, neutral background helps keep the focus on the product. For transparent objects, backlighting can highlight shape and texture. Use black or white cards to manage reflections and define edges. Shooting in a controlled environment, like a light tent, can be particularly effective.

The most important technique for lighting glossy and transparent objects is to first understand how to use a scrim to create gradient lighting. A soft box along doesn’t allow for much control over reflections and hard edges of light that can be distracting. Using a scrim allows for a luxurious look and fine control of the light's gradient that reflects off the glossy surface. The second thing you must understand is how light refracts through a transparent object, especially if there is liquid inside. A strong understanding of these two things, along with knowledge of calculating angles of incidence, is vital to controlling which light shines through or reflects off of the product in the right places to achieve the desired effect.

In the age of digital photography, light meters are overrated. When shooting products, the best way to ensure correct exposure is to tether your camera to your computer and view the images on a color-calibrated monitor. Trust your eyes, as the final result is all that matters. Product photography typically requires a deeper depth of field, so shooting at f/11 and above is very common. Focus stacking and tilt and shift techniques may be necessary to capture the entire product in focus. If you’re not using strobe lighting, a timer is useful to avoid camera shake. A focal length between 70mm and 135mm is excellent for most products to appear natural and undistorted.

In product photography, it's important to think of each photo as having a Hero and Supporting Cast. If you choose to incorporate patterns or props, make sure they don't distract from the Hero. In product photography, the brand should always be the primary focus. Ensure that the feature you want to highlight catches the eye first. Keep the Hero brighter and more contrasted than the Supporting Cast. And remember, simpler is often better. If you're unsure about the Supporting Cast, consider minimizing or eliminating it altogether.

When it comes to product photography composition, whether the object is reflective or transparent or not, the most important thing is to showcase it as desirable for the buyer. This often means taking a straight-on shot of the subject, slightly below eye level to make it look larger. However, there are no hard and fast rules to follow. The most effective way to consider composition is to understand your client's intention and study the object to develop a strong concept that achieves your end goal for the image.

When approaching any kind of photo shoot, always strive to capture everything in camera that you can. The less post-production work you have to do, the better the end result will be. If you need to composite the image, plan ahead and capture the correct assets. Keep your product as clean as possible, reduce any unwanted reflections when possible, and minimize the work required in post. Always check that your product is level in the shot. Use keystone correction to fix perspectives if necessary, and always take a shot with a calibrated gray card for setting white balance. There is always a way to improve a shot in camera, so it is up to you to determine where to draw the line.