How to take pictures of granite without reflections?

I took some Granite Slab photos. I have a problem with reflections. Dark color granite slabs act like a mirror

They reflect everything. If white background behind you, you can see it, also if you wear white shirt you can see it on that slab.

How can I shoot without getting a reflection? and how can I remove the reflections I currently have?

A polarizer should help with the reflections. You also might want to try different angles for your shot. Can't really help you with removing reflections after the shot.

Pay close attention to the direction that you're lighting the subject from. Try lighting from the side.

gusnelsonphotography wrote: A polarizer should help with the reflections. You also might want to try different angles for your shot. Can't really help you with removing reflections after the shot.

on the polarizer.

Biggest problem is, every slab located different place. Sometimes I am preparing stage for photography. Like black shirt + Black background, Good lightning. Sometimes I don’t have those options. That reason I am asking is there any way to make it.

I'll pick up a polarizer and see if that helps.

A polarizer will only help when certain conditions are met. The reflection must be a somewhere near a 45 degree angle. When you shoot directly into the surface a polarizer will be of little or no help.

The only practical fix is to take control of the environment. Arrange the shooting site so that there is absolutely nothing that is not a deep black on the camera side of the slab within the range where the reflections are coming from. Hang a black fabric drape behind the camera, use a black tripod, a black camera, and either where black or use a remote release and stand way to the side.

Ednra wrote: A polarizer will only help when certain conditions are met. The reflection must be a somewhere near a 45 degree angle. When you shoot directly into the surface a polarizer will be of little or no help.

The only practical fix is to take control of the environment. Arrange the shooting site so that there is absolutely nothing that is not a deep black on the camera side of the slab within the range where the reflections are coming from. Hang a black fabric drape behind the camera, use a black tripod, a black camera, and either where black or use a remote release and stand way to the side.

Get a sheet of black foamcore (or poster board). Cut an opening just larger enough for your lenses.If you make the opening exactly the right size you won't have to hold the board. Shoot through the opening and there will be nothing to reflect back to the camera.

Your question reminds me of a shot that is on my bucket list. The Wall, in Washington DC is highly polished and being outside is subject to the whims of outdoor lighting. Getting the reflections out of the way might be the main challenge or... (Thinking outside the box) Make the reflection as part of the composition. In the case of the Vietnam wall I might pose a flag reflection or given a big budget how about an honor guard. OK - I might take a flag along as a prop but the honor guard would be a post production challenge.

Polarizer lens would certainly be in my arsenal when attacking the wall.

Baydream wrote:

Ednra wrote: A polarizer will only help when certain conditions are met. The reflection must be a somewhere near a 45 degree angle. When you shoot directly into the surface a polarizer will be of little or no help.

The only practical fix is to take control of the environment. Arrange the shooting site so that there is absolutely nothing that is not a deep black on the camera side of the slab within the range where the reflections are coming from. Hang a black fabric drape behind the camera, use a black tripod, a black camera, and either where black or use a remote release and stand way to the side.

Get a sheet of black foamcore (or poster board). Cut an opening just larger enough for your lenses.If you make the opening exactly the right size you won't have to hold the board. Shoot through the opening and there will be nothing to reflect back to the camera.

John are you beginning to think I am stalking you this morning?

Read the book "Light, Science & Magic". Particularly the stuff on the family of angles (or google this).

Henry Peach wrote: Read the book "Light, Science & Magic". Particularly the stuff on the family of angles (or google this).

Thanks Matt...

There is a review of this book available...

chasrich wrote:

Baydream wrote:

Ednra wrote: A polarizer will only help when certain conditions are met. The reflection must be a somewhere near a 45 degree angle. When you shoot directly into the surface a polarizer will be of little or no help.

The only practical fix is to take control of the environment. Arrange the shooting site so that there is absolutely nothing that is not a deep black on the camera side of the slab within the range where the reflections are coming from. Hang a black fabric drape behind the camera, use a black tripod, a black camera, and either where black or use a remote release and stand way to the side.

Get a sheet of black foamcore (or poster board). Cut an opening just larger enough for your lenses.If you make the opening exactly the right size you won't have to hold the board. Shoot through the opening and there will be nothing to reflect back to the camera.

John are you beginning to think I am stalking you this morning?

Just start acting odd and the security folks can sub for your "honor guard". They're watching you anyway.

chasrich wrote: Your question reminds me of a shot that is on my bucket list. The Wall, in Washington DC is highly polished and being outside is subject to the whims of outdoor lighting. Getting the reflections out of the way might be the main challenge or... (Thinking outside the box) Make the reflection as part of the composition. In the case of the Vietnam wall I might pose a flag reflection or given a big budget how about an honor guard. OK - I might take a flag along as a prop but the honor guard would be a post production challenge.

Polarizer lens would certainly be in my arsenal when attacking the wall.

This is a terrible scan of a print, originally shot on film.. I incorporated the reflection to make the Wall look like a piece of translucent glass..

Good idea Dave. Poetic in a way. I know a lot of Veterans from that era feel like they've been translucent for many years.

Did you serve in that theater?

Danang 67-68

I've only came across black granite as grave stones. Every time I end up take a shot, always get a reflection. For me, it's really no big deal, but it sounds like you are doing some sort of product photography.