BetterPhoto Q&A
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To photografh small technical objects

For my company I have to take photo's off our products. The products are of stainless steel and after taking the photo I want to finish the photo in photoshop, for example removing the background. Now the combination of stainless steel and light/underground is where my problem occurs. I have much difficulty in finding the right color of underground and lightsettings to make first a good picture but secondly also a picture which can be manipulated in photoshop.
Perhaps there are readers who have a solution for me or helpful suggestions.
Thanks in advance.

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June 01, 2001

First lets look at what problems that we may face. One problem with photographing highly reflective objects is that they can appear dirty and scratched, even when freshly polished, if directional lighting is used. Shadows are also distracting, especially if you are trying to remove the background. Lastly, if a reflective object has multiple surface planes that are not facing the same direction then one surface may reflect light from the light directly into the camera, grossly over-exposing that surface. A second surface may be reflecting a dark corner of the room and appear dull and not very metallic at all. A third may be reflecting your pretty face back to the camera, not a desireable thing in general. So lets see how to fix this.

Note: This will only work well with an SLR or a maybe a digital camera.

A tent made of translucent paper or matte acetate is created to surround the object. An easy way to do this is to make a cone of a large sheet of thin paper, and fit the small end to the lens of your camera. The base should extend to the tabletop holding your subject, leaving it completely enclosed. I also recommend placing the subject on heavy black felt to eliminate any background. Light(s) are then directed at the tent. Since the paper is translucent it will create a very soft, diffuse light wich seems to eminate from almost everywhere. One light is generally sufficient, but a second can be added to the opposite side if the light is still too directional. The intensity of the light can be controlled by moving the light source closer or further from the setup without affecting the diffuse nature of the light too much.

I hope this helps out Thierry. Let us know how it goes.

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June 01, 2001

Thanks a lot for your response. The objects are not large, they vary from 1/4" to about 2". Because i'm running my company through the day I will need some time to set this up. As soon as I have, I will let you know the results of which you suggested. For now thanks again.

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June 04, 2001