Lighting is often misunderstood; people tend to think that out and out power (brightness) is the answer to most lighting problems, when in reality it’s the quality of light that matters most.
By Jerry Lebens
Lighting an object with a small light source – such as a bare light bulb – produces harsh shadows and (reflected) highlights that are simply too bright. Photographers call this ‘hard’ light and it’s highly unsuitable for shooting products. However, by passing hard light through a diffuser – such as tracing paper – creates a softer effect.
Diffusing the situation
Introducing a diffuser creates a larger, secondary light source. This wraps light around the subject, softening shadows and reducing those harsh highlights. The ultimate ‘softness’ of a diffuser is dictated by its size relative to the subject.
Anyone who has worked in the creative/artistic professions – such as graphic design – may have an old light box (for viewing transparencies) lying around and this makes an excellent, diffused light source for shooting products.
Professional photographers, on the other hand, use translucent umbrellas and softboxes to create diffused light. Softboxes can cost hundreds of pounds but – with a bit of know-how you can make a perfectly good substitute at a fraction of the price.
Size matters
To do its job, a diffuser needs to be at least twice as big as the product you’re shooting. For small to moderately sized items that will fit on a tabletop, you can create a simple softbox using a cardboard box and some tracing paper.
If your product is bigger, then the answer is to stretch translucent white fabric over a frame, or even to hang it over a ‘washing line’ between the product and the light source.
The only drawback to these methods is that you may need to shade your primary light source carefully, to prevent light from it ‘escaping’ around the diffuser and reaching your product, or the background, causing problems within the image.
My ‘product’, a striped jug, was approximately 15cm high by 15cm wide, so I needed to create a diffuser of at least 30x30cm. An old cardboard fruit box proved to be just the right size. All I did was to cut a 40x30cm hole into its base and then tape a double layer of tracing paper across the hole.
Seamless backdrops
For the ‘seamless’ background I clipped the front edge of a sheet of cream-coloured Daler Board to a worktop, trapping the board lengthwise against the wall and then, by gently pushing downwards in the centre of the board, I produced a smooth, seamless, curve.
If you should need to reproduce this shape of curve at a future date, simply mark the position of the top edge of the board on the wall, or take a measurement and make a note. If your item is too big to fit onto a tabletop, then use an alternative, like painted hardboard which can be bent into shape, or photographic background paper.
Positioning
Since ‘softness’ depends on the size of the diffuser relative to the subject, the best place for it is as close to the product as is possible but just out of shot. Normally, I place the diffuser slightly higher than the subject and set at an angle of about 45° to the camera position.
But all products are different, so it is worth experimenting with this. For items that lie flat, simply position the diffuser directly above the subject. If the shadows are too intense on the side of your subject opposite the light source, simply use a piece of white card to reflect light back – there’s no need to introduce extra light sources.
Jerry Lebens is a commercial photographer, qualified teacher and freelance writer. His courses include workshops and private tuition for retailers, manufacturers and artists on taking pictures for websites and print that really stand out.
