Shiny or Glossy surfaces:
The third of our major surface efficiencies is glossy or very shiny surfaces.
The complete opposite of the textured surface, the glossy surface will record the reflection of the light source absolutely. That means we have to be very careful with our light sources… they will be shown in the object.
Umbrellas may be seen in their totality, the studio can be reflected into the camera, busy, confusing surroundings will find their way to our lens via the absolute reflectance of the subjects extremely efficient surface.
Of all the surfaces, shiny will be the most challenging. There is no room for even a bit of sloppiness in lighting angle or source choice. We will actually see the light in the reflection so it is part of our subject.
Where light was used to render subjects with texture and matte, it is itself part of the image when the surface is shiny, or very efficient.
(I am often asked how to light a car. The first thing I say is that you shouldn’t light the car, light what the car is going to reflect… because that IS the lighting on the car. The absolute efficiency of the paint is going to reflect whatever the photographer has put at the angle of incidence in order to present it to the lens.)
Example of a car shot:
In the shot above you can see the reflection of the trees and buildings behind the photographer. The absolute efficiency (gloss) of the paint reflects what it sees (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) and we can see clouds, threes and more in the paint. If we wanted the paint to be more controlled we would have to control what it ‘sees’. And then reflects.
Motorcycle in the sun.
The motorcycle above shows different efficiencies on the surfaces. The sun, a very small light source, provides a diffuse light on the textured leather seat and the brushed metal braking pad in the back. It also provides a somewhat diffused presentation from the black parts of the chrome pipes. But where it is striking the chrome, it is either an absolute specular or there is no reflected light at all. The chrome areas are reflecting what they see, and in most cases, they are seeing a dark void. You can see the street and surrounding area in the curved pipe in the middle of the photograph. Want ‘chrome’ pipes? Put white cards where they will be reflected back to the camera.
Glossy and shiny items are everywhere in our lives. From iPads and computers to glassware and furniture. We must learn the difference between lighting for texture and matte, and lighting for glossy. While both are photographic lighting, they have very different results if approached the same way.
I approach shooting something shiny differently than shooting texture or matte. The reason? Texture and matte will not show my light sources and shiny will – absolutely.
One place that shiny surface exist in an otherwise matte area are eyes. Eyes are quite efficient because they are a glossy surface with moisture. Can’t get more efficient than that.
Eyes absolutely reflect the source of the light. If you are shooting with a big umbrella, it will be seen in the eyes. If the choice is a softbox, it will be seen as a square highlight in the eyes. A photographer can even simulate ‘window’ light by putting black tape in a grid pattern across the softbox diffusion panel, and the eyes will render it as ‘window panes’… pretty cool, eh?
And it is a challenge too. Eyes reveal what the light source is, where it is, and how many lights were used. We can see reflectors and occasionally ourselves, in the reflections from the eyes.
Example of eyes;
As you can see, the eyes are so glossy they reflect the square softbox used for the main light. Look closely and you will see the white card in front of her providing the ‘beauty fill’ to the underside of chin, nose, and eyes. Surrounding the super efficient eyes is a more matte surface that allows the light to be diffused in presentation.
Another area on a face that can become efficient is the lips. We can add lipstick or lip gloss to enhance the surface efficiency of that area. After adding shiny lipstick, the lips will begin to reflect the light source absolutely, but because the area is small, and still has texture, the source is not revealed absolutely as it is with the eyes.
Shiny, efficient surfaces, like glassware and computers, become a challenge because of the rounded edges and absolute reflections of the surroundings.
Controlling the area around the shiny subject can be as important as the lighting itself. I have large black pieces of cloth that I regularly hang to make sure that the studio itself is not registering as a reflection in some of the glossy objects I shoot.
When shooting subjects with high surface efficiency, control is the word of the day; Control of the surroundings, control of the light, and control of the reflection. Other than all those control issues, shooting shiny stuff is a piece of cake.
Just put the light at the angle that puts it where you want to see it reflecting from the subject. Done.
Done.
Well, yeah, there is a little more to it than that.
And we are going to go into depth with all the controls we can use as we progress through the course.
ASSIGNMENT
- Find glossy items and photograph them in the natural world, and then surround them with white cards in such a way they reflect those cards back to you.
- Explore ways to show how glossy something is by using the light source reflecting in it.
- Photograph cars or motorcycles with interesting reflections.
Hey Amazon… REALLY? Are You Kidding Me?
WHAT THE FUCK?. "On March 18, 2014 Amazon Technologies, Inc. (an operating subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.) obtained a United States Patent (8,676,045) for a “Studio Arrangement” and a “method of capturing images and/or video.” ibook-store-widgetMany photographers will...
My Favorite Film Cameras and Film Choices
We do so many cool things in P52 and this idea is one a lot of the photographers are picking up on. We are going to have a fun little 'assignment' to shoot 24 frames of film in May. Just 24... but we want all of them to be 'good shots'. What started as a one shot per...
“Air” by Meggan Joy Trobaugh
At the Project 52 2014 group, the assignment was "Air". There were many wonderful submissions. This one by Meggan Joy Trobaugh was exceptional I thought. She carefully planned out the work and made the elements for the final work with a previsualized image already in...
A Fall Workshop in the Canyons Announced
The workshop is a blast. We all pile into a large, comfortable van and head off to Northern Arizona. Our first night is in Flagstaff, then off to the reservation lands of the Navajo, Vermillion Cliffs, Marble Canyon, Kaibab Plateau and more. We spend an afternoon and...
“Black Angels” – An Assignment for a CD Cover
This week the Project 52 PROS for 2014 are working on an CD album cover for a faux assignment. The music is George Crumb's "Black Angels" for Electric String Quartet. It is very challenging music. The students for this morning's Friday class really knocked it out of...
A Life, A Lifetime, and a Tie
John Thomas Banta had over 200 ties. Most were bold, loud, occasionally whimsical and always hard-to-miss. In short, they were very much like him. He dressed for occasions, often wearing his wildly interesting ties. And he lit up the room with his presence. He was a...
Is Giving One’s Images Away for Free a Brilliant Marketing Move?
... or a very very bad idea? Trey Ratcliff (Lost in Customs) has always given his images away on the Non-Commercial Creative Commons License. What is new today is his link to grab ALL of his favorite 500 images for free and download them in full high res form. See...
“What Should Photographers Charge in 2014?” – A Discussion with Rosh Sillars
My bud Rosh Sillars' recent article on "What Should Photographers Charge in 2014?" really hit home with me and a lot of my Project 52 PRO's. Pricing and figuring out what to charge is always a very difficult part of starting a photo business, and Rosh takes a very...
Shooting a Beer with Rui Bandeira
We have so many talented people in the Project 52 PRO group. Meet Rui Bandeira. He shared this shot with my last night and I knew I had to share it with you all. Here is Rui: "Hi, I had 3 goals for this shot: 1) it had to be fresh and make the viewer desire to drink...
Photoshop Repair: Bri in the High Desert
I like to play around in Photoshop a lot, and when I do I am going to start sharing what I do with my Project 52 Pros. And anyone else who wants to know what I do. I am not putting myself out there as a Photoshop Guru by any stretch of the imagination. I am simply...
WHY I AM CHUCKING ALL MY GEAR AND RETURNING TO SAND PAINTING AS MY VISUAL MEDIUM.
I have always loved sand. When I was a kid I would play in it, except when mum let the cat play in it first, and then it smelled sort of like my little brother, but... I digress. Cameras are obsolete. We hear every day about this new gizmo and that new gizmo, and how...
Project 52 Summer Group Opens For Registration
More Information on this page.
Book Ideas: “What If…”
What if. What if you created a magazine instead of a book? Told a story or two in the magazine, showed a subject in depth, then printed 10 copies for influential art directors in your town and offered all who came to the site a PDF? (Blurb does magazines for as little...
ISLA: A New Book by Ernesto Bazan, Photographer
"No, I don’t [do assignments]. I stopped doing that, more or less, when I decided to become a teacher in 2002. Because of my workshops, I had to leave Cuba in 2006, which is ironic. I fund all my work thanks to the generosity of my students. This will be the third...
What Is The Biggest Problem with Your Photography?
The biggest problem may also be the one that most people focus on. No pun intended. "So let’s get the elephant out of the bag most of you keep it in and into the room where we can discuss it: most people are complaining about their cameras because otherwise they’d...
Photographs = Communication = New Creative
Photographs as communication. The new uses of photography continues to grow. "It’s not that my memory improved but, instead, that I started archiving these events and ideas with my phone, as photographs. Now, if I want to research the painter whose portraits I admired...
Omaha
I have been asked by Christopher Tierney to come out to Omaha for a workshop. I have not done workshops for a while, but I really like the midwest and look forward to spending some time there. REGISTRATION PAGE IS NOW READY. For more information, please click on the...
Documentary Photography with a Fresh Twist
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL DAVID FRIBERG Michael Friberg and Benjamin Rasmussen find a fresh way to explore the conflict in the Middle East. Part reportage, part editorial, they create a powerful new way of communication on a contemporary problem. “The way that we shoot...
The Last Project 52 Assignment for the 2013 Group
"Cooking With Chili" is the name of the faux cookbook. The assignment was to shoot to the layout. The students did a magnificent job with this, and I want to share the work with you all. You can see the layout, and it was provided as a layered PSD file to the...
Irene Liebler’s “Cooking With Chili” BTS Work
Irene Liebler is a photographer/designer in Connecticut. She is also a Project 52 member and has developed quite a unique style. This is a recent image for an assignment on P52, a "Cooking With Chilis" Cookbook Cover, shot to layout. In this post, she walks you...
Art And Its Detractors
"How has your art been received in your community? Do you have any detractors?" "Oh, yeah. That comes up all the time. If you really, really commit to something, someone will hate you for it. And that’s ok. But the further you pursue your art, and the more you come to...
“NO” versus “YES” – Which Got The Most Response?
On the previous post I mentioned, almost in passing, how negative articles and stories are more highly engaged than are positive ones. A few minutes later, this catches my attention: Just Say NO "So, one answer to my student’s rhetorical question is “Just say NO.” As...
On Change Changing What was Changed…
... or something. My friend Jan Klier (NYC) and I were discussing the recent Getty move to grant access to millions of images for only a byline. He feels it is a good move for photographers, and while I am still somewhat ambivalent we both agree that the worst thing...
Chocolate: Two Shots
Photographer David Price shows us two ways to light chocolate. In the first shot, he is using a very large light source. The source is above and behind the chocolate, and that masks the individual color of the items. This is because the specular - the reflected light...