Problem
Occasionally you may be asked to photograph a product with a range of different surface finishes. This might call for soft, hard direct and angled lighting to get the best out of different parts of the product.
Solution
Painting with light is a technique of lighting a subject at very close quarters and involves multiple exposures. Commonly a continuous fibre optic light source is used, but electronic studio flash can also be used.
Method
This is how it works. With your camera mounted on a sturdy tripod, you make a series of different exposures, with the camera being triggered remotely usually using a radio transmitter.
You will need to work in near complete darkness and select a slow shutter speed 4-10 seconds.
During each exposure you fire your flash or use your fibre optic device over one section of the product before moving on, and repeating the exercise in the next section of the product. It is a good idea to ensure that you overlap the areas you are lighting to ensure all areas are covered.
Load all your images into one multi-layered file and select the ‘Lighten’ layer blending option. Each layer will then reveal any lighter ‘bits’ in the layer below it. You can now select and edit each layer individually.
Special Tip
Once you have focussed your camera, switch the focus to manual. This stops the camera from ‘hunting’ or re-focussing as you are working in front of the camera and ensures that all images align correctly.
Your image is your future: trust it to a true professional!
Bernard O’Sullivan ABIPP
