Photographing on a white board

Shazland79

Shazland79

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Hi There,
I wonder if anyone can help me?
I have to photograph some jewellery and my client would like me to photograph each item on a white board. I've tried this in a three light studio, but the pictures come out with alot of shadows (mostly around the bottom of each picture). I've tried lightening the pictures in photoshop to get rid of the shadows but the client has complained that this changes the colour of the jewellery too much.
Is there a way I should be lighting the jewellery to minimise shadows. I am currently learning my trade and don't have much equipment etc, so not charging them very much for my efforts. Would a certain lens help me? At the moment I only have one lens and it's a 18-55.
Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
 
you should be able to eradicate shadows pretty well with 3 lights. maybe try one either side, and 1 above, making sure they are all about the same power/distance - and tweak as required. or maybe try a light tent type material and use a light underneath (if that makes sense)
 
What about shooting on some white translucent perspex with a light underneath?
 
karfeef said:
you should be able to eradicate shadows pretty well with 3 lights. maybe try one either side, and 1 above, making sure they are all about the same power/distance - and tweak as required. or maybe try a light tent type material and use a light underneath (if that makes sense)
Click to expand...


Thanks for both of your suggestions!
With regards to putting the light above, would it need to be directly above the item? At the moment it's above but about 6 feet away from the item. If I was to get some perspex from somewhere, would any light underneath work (like a lamp) or would I need to have a proper photographers light?
 
a continuous light could work, but might mess with the white balance, depends on the type of light - it also would need to be powerful enough to not be overpowered by the strobes, otherwise you could still get shadows.

lighting from above would need to be fairly close to dirtectly above, but you could get away with it being more front on. so any shadow that might still be left is at the back. hope that makes sense.

i am of course making the assumption that the 3 light studio you're using is using studio lights, and not just table lamps or similar - if it is 3 studio lights, you shouldn;t need any more to overcome the issue.
 
You have too much equipment! Use one soft light above and slightly behind the subject and a reflector at the front! That's it - give it a try!
More lights = more shadows. How many suns do you see in the sky? :)
 
Also if there is any way you can raise the product above the white board it helps to minimise the shadows. I had a play with trying to take a pic of my paintball marker using an overhead softbox on a big white piece of card and although a not bad first attempt it was the shadows that really annoyed me and this was one comment that was made to help.

If was to get paying gigs taking these kind of pics then I would invest the £30 odd quid in a light tent to be honest.
 
not jewelery but one I did recently one a white board - one brolly and a reflector

awp_14012010_08.jpg


is that the kind of effect you're after?
 
I did this in a simple DIY light tent ages ago:




DIY as below, although the lights were different and I think the cat food box is optional:

2021461269_5b97a006ba_m.jpg
 
As AWP has already said you have too many light sources I would go along with what he has suggested but if the idea is to have very little/no shadows in the image?? then place the light source directly over the subject as close as possible or slightly forward so that the shadows fall behind and out of view..
 
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