One Big Beautiful Light: Week Four

Quick recap

The meeting focused on reviewing and providing feedback on photography assignments involving still life and product shots. Participants shared their setups, lighting techniques, and challenges encountered while capturing images of wine bottles, glassware, and other items. Don offered guidance on improving compositions, managing reflections, and post-processing images using software like Photoshop and Lightroom. He emphasized the importance of understanding lighting angles, using white cards for fill light, and experimenting with different setups to achieve desired effects. Participants discussed specific issues such as dealing with crooked labels, managing background reflections, and enhancing colors in post-processing. Don encouraged everyone to continue experimenting and learning from their assignments, highlighting the importance of practice and attention to detail in photography.

Next steps

• Judy: Later today, work with a card to darken the background and create a shadow that breaks behind the bowl in your still life setup, as suggested by Don.
• LucianaRizzi: Move the cork in Photoshop so it breaks the horizon in your image, and adjust the reflection accordingly, as discussed with Don.
• LucianaRizzi: Lower the exposure on the bright label reflection and possibly the foil in your wine bottle image, as suggested by Don and Steve.
• LucianaRizzi: Reshoot the image with the small white plexiglass using a black card behind the glass to improve the background, as discussed.
• All participants: Prepare two cards (approximately 2×3 feet) with black construction paper on one side and white foam core on the other for next week’s dark field and bright field lighting assignment, as instructed by Don.
• All participants: Source three wine bottles (or three similar shiny objects) for the next assignment, as specified by Don.
• All participants: Arrange for a portrait subject for the upcoming portrait assignment (does not have to be a model, can be anyone), as reminded by Don.

Summary

Photography Lighting Techniques Feedback

Don provided feedback on Christine’s photography assignment, explaining lighting techniques and composition principles. He demonstrated how to adjust the setup to improve the lighting on a bottle, suggesting moving the light source closer to the subject and using a white card for reflection. Christine shared her attempts with different lighting setups and backgrounds, including using a flag and a whiteboard. Don praised her efforts and explained the concept of angle of incidence and reflection. The discussion highlighted practical photography tips that could be applied to product photography.

Photography Setup and Technique Feedback

Don provided feedback on Christine’s photography setup and techniques, suggesting she use a higher shutter speed of 250 and maintain an F8 aperture or above to minimize ambient light interference. He recommended adjusting the camera angle and using the 105mm macro lens or an 85mm lens for better results. Don also praised Inge’s black and white photos, noting the effective use of color grading in Apple’s Photos app.

Product Photography Lighting Techniques

The group discussed photography techniques for product shots and still lifes. Don provided feedback on various photos, suggesting adjustments like darkening backgrounds, creating shadows, and enhancing label visibility. He emphasized the importance of making labels pop in product photography. Judy and Lael shared their setups and received tips on improving their shots. Don advised using gradients and Photoshop for post-processing. The discussion focused on practical lighting and composition tips for commercial photography.

Photoshop Masking and Software Updates

Don demonstrated how to use Photoshop to adjust the brightness of a bottle in an image, showing the importance of masking and local adjustments. He emphasized that every photograph needs a mask at some point to enhance the image. The group discussed software updates and their impact on functionality, with some members expressing frustration over lost actions after upgrades.

Lightroom Gradient and Photography Tips

Don provided guidance on using the radial gradient tool in Lightroom, explaining how to intersect it with objects to cut off backgrounds and achieve desired effects. He advised Robinson on handling label issues in product photography, suggesting masking techniques and noting that specific instructions might vary depending on the client. Luciana shared her experience with photographing a product, mentioning challenges with reflections and her decision to add a light under the table for better lighting. Don clarified that this setup did not count as a proper light source, emphasizing the importance of lighting techniques that focus on the subject.

Photography Horizon Line Adjustments

Don provided feedback on LucianaRizzi’s photography, specifically regarding the placement of the glass horizon and cork in her images. He explained that the glass should be raised slightly to better capture the curve and avoid dark areas, and suggested moving the cork up to break the horizon line and add dimension. Don also demonstrated how to adjust the image in Photoshop, recommending LucianaRizzi move both the cork and its reflection together to maintain consistency.

Product Photography Feedback Session

Luciana presented her product photography work to Don and the group, who provided feedback on lighting, composition, and post-processing techniques. Don suggested adjusting the exposure and clarity settings in Lightroom, and recommended using a black card for better reflection control. The group discussed the benefits of using a reversible background for versatility in product shots, with Luciana sharing her experience using a large, foldable backdrop.

Wine Photography Lighting Techniques

Luciana discussed challenges with photographing wine and glass items, particularly with background enlargement and lighting techniques. Don advised on using Photoshop layers and expanding background images, and explained that for wine photography, real wine must be used for wine-specific shots, while colored water or food coloring is acceptable for other beverages.

Photography Composition and Lighting Tips

Don and Robert discussed photography techniques, focusing on composition and lighting. Robert shared his experience with a challenging photo setup involving a leather apron and a bottle of peanuts, and Don provided feedback on improving the composition by aligning key elements with the center line. They also discussed the use of a double net to reduce unwanted light reflections and the importance of choosing the right color for ambient lighting.

Product Photography Lighting Techniques

The group discussed lighting techniques for product photography, with Robert demonstrating a setup using white cards and a scrim for a bottle shot, while Steve shared his approach using natural window light and a homemade scrim. Don provided feedback on Steve’s romantic-looking flower photograph, suggesting compositional improvements and a technique for adjusting exposure using smart objects in Lightroom. The discussion concluded with Don sharing tips about using cards at angles for more controlled lighting and emphasizing the importance of understanding how light falls across a scene.

Product Photography Lighting Techniques

The group discussed photography techniques, focusing on lighting and reflection in product shots. Don provided guidance on using white and black cards to control light and shadow, explaining how to experiment with different lighting setups. They also discussed an upcoming assignment involving three wine bottles and shiny objects, with Don emphasizing the importance of fill light for this shot. The class agreed to work on portraits for the next assignment, with Don suggesting they could use anyone as a model.