how do i take shots of subjects that are reflective in nature?


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erictan8888

Senior Member
Nov 9, 2004
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Singapore
hi,

just like to ask: how do i take shots that are highly reflective in nature, like polished metal surfaces? i mean, is there anyway to avoid having a spot of reflected light on the subject due to my using the flash? (if my current equipment is only D70 and SB600....)


thanks in advance....
 

ask me ask me.... hehehe... i research for 2 years on this... hiak hiak hiak...

if your metal surface is those dull stainless steel, not so mirroring kind, just use a soft box on your flash, use at least 2 flash. den flash from above. 2 corner...

o=flash x=subject...

x

o o

top view

o

x_____level ground

side view...

if taking chrome material, you have to shift your camera towards the angle of the flash. den change flash angle even more, and chrome since like a mirror would suck everything in view, and make it seem like a fisheye lens. you may see your camera on the surface, so adjust your camera & see from the view finder that your reflection is out of the surface, also, it will suck wats on the side as well.

the spot of reflected light is considered very 'simple' as to the surface problem... just a softbox and bounce the light away will do. will post some samples later... hehehe... u wan also can come & try my setup... den u will understand.

*note: strange that the viewer shows some problem with the flash layout thingy, mayb i draw a pic & show u..
 

I am not a digital user. Perhaps digital experts can advise you if it is possible to remove the reflections digitally.

However you can reduce a lot of reflections at the taking stage by using a polarizer. Even so, watch the lights carefully. The polarizer works better at some angles. Experiment! Some reflections are so stubborn that even polarizer cannot help!
 

student said:
I am not a digital user. Perhaps digital experts can advise you if it is possible to remove the reflections digitally.

However you can reduce a lot of reflections at the taking stage by using a polarizer. Even so, watch the lights carefully. The polarizer works better at some angles. Experiment! Some reflections are so stubborn that even polarizer cannot help!

yeap yeap... esp chrome materials... its like taking a picture at the mirror...
 

There is another way. You can buy a can of matt spray, abt $30. Then u spray on the shiny metal surface to make it become matt like, then there is very little reflected flash light. After the photos, use a cloth to wipe off the spray.
 

Astin said:
There is another way. You can buy a can of matt spray, abt $30. Then u spray on the shiny metal surface to make it become matt like, then there is very little reflected flash light. After the photos, use a cloth to wipe off the spray.

a bit like cannot leh... what if i take someone's car... then kanna caught by police for spraying due to vandalism... hee hee :)

anyway, i do some garage kit modelling, like making model kits of figurines, like predator, alien, etc....
the alien i made was coated with a gloss coat.... i wanna photo... but hated the reflection... hmm... very tough like that...

also, i only have one flash... so using 2 flashes is like out....

hmm.... :(
 

a logically arrangement - point your flashes or hotlights away from the reflective surface of the product. guaranteed no hotspots on the product.
 

his models aren't all flat surfaces.. so being rounded, there will surely be lights reflecting off it..
 

meter yr palm face up and minus 1-stop. a reliable "incident" meter. If have, use a grey card. Palm is about a grey card less 1 stop.

i use this quite often and works well, if u've watch national geography on michael yamashita's "marco polo", u will see that he do that w/o using a incident meter for many tricky condition too.
 

whoelse said:
meter yr palm face up and minus 1-stop. a reliable "incident" meter. If have, use a grey card. Palm is about a grey card less 1 stop.

i use this quite often and works well, if u've watch national geography on michael yamashita's "marco polo", u will see that he do that w/o using a incident meter for many tricky condition too.

I think you have confused the issue. The question has nothing to do with metering. The question is how to avoid the bright reflections from a correctly exposed reflective surface.
 

i suggest u make appointment come test my setup, cos i also wanna test those model kits... hehehe... you offer model, i offer place, we see how to take better photo...
 

great !!!
the models are pretty small...15 to 20 cm only one leh....

you name the place....
 

Del_CtrlnoAlt said:
Astin, does the matt spray make the object change color & lose its clarity?
No, it called dulling spray.

Ok, the subject is scale models, dulling spray is not suitable and not necessary.

You can use a light tent set up, the hotspot will become highlights.

What I normally do is use a one big softbox, top lighting, just slightly above the subject. Two white cards as reflector on the subject sides. Very simple setup.
 

bounce flash, bracket the exposure, adjust in Photoshop..
 

erictan8888 said:
a bit like cannot leh... what if i take someone's car... then kanna caught by police for spraying due to vandalism... hee hee :)

anyway, i do some garage kit modelling, like making model kits of figurines, like predator, alien, etc....
the alien i made was coated with a gloss coat.... i wanna photo... but hated the reflection... hmm... very tough like that...

also, i only have one flash... so using 2 flashes is like out....

hmm.... :(

D70 and SB-600... your built-in flash can command the SB-600 right? If can then there's 2 flash liao lor? :think:
 

1) dun use flash...
2) to cut of already there hotspots, use a cir-pl...

cheers...
 

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