claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

These parts are designed to be used in optical experiments where stray reflections need to be avoided. These are old, bad photos (sorry, no RAW files), but hopefully give a sense of the challenges trying to photograph these. HDR makes them just look unnatural.

Any ideas to make these not so boring?

(Download)


(Download)

Designdweeb Loc: Metro NYC & East Stroudsburg, PA

Use the soft light as fill and edge-light the vertices, use one light or individual spots. Try a soft metallic surface or maybe a color. Dulling spray? Increase the angles, 30 or 45? Shoot one at a time, budget permitting. Fire off one sample or more and show them the difference. You need highlight to make black blacker, contrast!

claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

Thanks, Do you think a black background, possibly a glossy black base would help?

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

Be careful introducing more reflective surfaces. Doing so means complicating your lighting and flagging. If you mean a black glossy surface and not a background, the surface will reflect whatever the background is (depending on camera angle)... meaning a white background will produce a white table surface.

claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

Thanks, I'm thinking a flat black background, fairly far away, with glossy black base under the part. Umbrella to both sides 45 and high, and at least one snooted flash on the black parts.

Does this sound like a good plan?

Designdweeb Loc: Metro NYC & East Stroudsburg, PA

I’m back from diving into work for a few days. How did your samples turn out?

claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

Haven't had a chance to try yet. Right now, my camera (D750) is off at Nikon for repair. It has been locking up when running tethered to my PC, then displaying ERR. I'll update here when I have a chance to try it.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The best lighting for that type of product is a soft box elevated on a boom stand (of possible) or somehow suspended directly over the product. Fill in with a white or "silver" flat reflector. A bit of a drop shadow is nice- you can use white seamless paper. If you want the item to "float" on a clean field of white- place them a sheet of white (sign-white) Plexiglas and trans-illuminate it from beneath the Plexiglas.

This will avoid the multiple shadows and the wrinkled background you are getting now.

A black background will be problematic because the product itself is black so you will need more separation or blending in will occur. If you want a black background, place the products on a sheet of glass or clear Plexiglas and elevate the set over a sheet of black seamless paper of black velvet material. For separation, bring in another light from below to edge light the product. The main light is still that overhead soft box- for a product of that size a 30 inch soft box should work well.

I'll prep a diagram and post it for you!

claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

Thanks for the tips! I'll give that a try.

Designdweeb Loc: Metro NYC & East Stroudsburg, PA

Yup, what E.L said, he’s more thorough in his answer. In my reply, I left out softbox lighting as I saw you had that rigged as the starting point.

claytonsummers Loc: Orange County, CA

Thanks guys, busy with other stuff at the moment, but I'll post the results when I get a chance.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Clayton, that's an easy one.
With your camera on a good tripod, you take two shots.
One shot exposes the black metal as you need it and the other shot exposes the bright metal as needed.
Then in PS you simply cut, say the bright metal and put it onto the black metal layer, depending on which shot has the background you want. Or shoot a 3rd shot for the background.
This IS the digital world, not film!!! Good luck
SS