Figure 1

Figure 2

Once everything was in place, we oriented the camera vertically so that the lamp cover was in the center of the frame. We dialed in our camera settings and took a shot.

As you can see from the shot, the scene is fairly well exposed -- the shape of the lamp cover is rendered well because of the side lighting and there is distinct separation between the black Plexiglas and the light gray seamless paper (figure 3).

However, the reflection in the lamp cover is somewhat uneven and bright only at the top of the cover. This is primarily due to the fact that the Umbrella does not provide an even quality of light from edge to edge. After reviewing the shot, we realized we needed to swap out the Umbrella with the Medium LiteDome soft box that comes with the Kit.

Figure 3

Soft Box Lighting Without Diffusion
Once the LiteDome soft box was attached to the StarFlash head, we decided to leave the Interior Baffle and Front Diffusion Face off the soft box to see what the quality of light would be.

With the soft box positioned 90 degrees to the camera, we took another shot (figures 4 and 5).

Figure 4

Figure 5

As you can see from the result, the reflection in the lamp cover is significantly longer than it was with the Umbrella, but now we have uneven lighting on the background due to the fact that there is no diffusion material between the strobe head and the edge of the soft box (figure 6).


Creating Diffused Light with an Interior Baffle
To smooth out the lighting on the background, we next attached the Interior Baffle to the soft box and took another shot (figures 7 and 8).

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

The result shot show a significant improvement in the tonal gradation of the background thanks to the diffusing effects of the Interior Baffle. Also note that the reflection is slightly longer and wider in this last shot and that the Interior Baffle has helped to increase the "wrap-around" lighting effect on the center areas of the lamp cover.

Maximum Diffusion: Interior Baffle and Front Diffusion Face
Finally, we attached the Front Diffusion Face to the soft box for maximum diffusion and reflection surface area and took another shot (figures 9, 10 & 11).

Figure 9

Figure 10

Now, the size of the reflection and the "wrap-around" quality of the light are even more pronounced.

Let's take a look below at each of our results so far. Remember that you can click on any image for an enlarged view.

Figure 11

Image Comparison

Figure 16

Creating a Full-Length Reflection
Even though the last shot is an improvement over the preceding ones, its reflection stops short of traveling all the way down the length of the lamp cover. In this case, where our soft box is large enough to create a full-length reflection in an object this size, it is the positioned height of the soft box which is preventing a full reflection from occurring.

To remedy this, we simply lowered the soft box on the LiteStand until the bottom edge of the face was just below the height of the Plexiglas to allow for a complete reflection. Once the soft box was where we wanted it, we took another shot (figures 13 & 14).

With this result, we can see that the reflection of the soft box travels the full length of the lamp cover, as well as in the reflection of the lamp cover in the Plexiglas. This makes the lighting of the shot look more professional.

But even though the soft box provides soft, even light quality, the center and right sections of the lamp cover are still quite dark, making it a very high-contrast shot overall (figure 14).

To bring the reflection a little farther forward in the lamp cover, we simply repositioned the soft box so that it was a little closer to the camera and took another shot (figures 15 & 16).

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

The result shows that by bringing the soft box forward, we've gained a little more light in the center of the lamp cover. Next, we decided to try and minimize the amount of light falling on the background in order to focus more attention on our subject matter.

Figure 20

Controlling The Spread of Light with Louvers
Without changing the position of the soft box, we simply attached a set of Louvers to the face of the soft box. The Louvers are great light modifiers because they are able to maintain the quality of light falling on our subject but prevent light from spilling onto the background.

Once the Louvers were attached, we took another shot (figures 17 & 18).

The result shows a dramatic difference in the overall lighting. Now our background has a much darker tone and the focus of the shot is much more on the lamp cover.

Let's look at each of our full-length reflection results below.

Figure 21

Image Comparison

You can see how minor repositions of your soft box and added light modifiers can really affect the look of your shots.

Figure 25

Narrowing Your Reflections with StripMasks
In reviewing the shot, we liked the length of the reflection, but thought that maybe its width was a little too overbearing.

To make the reflection narrower, we first removed the Louvers, then added a StripMask to the face of the soft box and took another shot (figures 20 & 21).

See how the reflection of the soft box is narrower than it was before? This is a perfect example of how a StripMask can fine-tune the reflections in your product shots.

Next, we decided to put the Louvers back on over the StripMask. Again, the only thing the Louvers affect is the spread of light on the background (figures 22 & 23).

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

Figure 29

Using a LitePanel to Reduce Contrast
Finally, we decided to address the issue of contrast. Although we had a nice, narrow reflection in the left side of the lamp cover and a dark background, the left side of the lamp cover was deep in shadow, preventing the viewer from seeing it clearly.

So rather than bringing in a second strobe on the other side, we simply set up a 39x72" White/Silver LitePanel (White side facing) on the right side of the set in order to bounce the light from the soft box into the shadow sections of the lamp cover.

Once this was in position, we took another shot (figures 24 & 25).

As you can see from the result, the LitePanel works beautifully to create a mirror reflection in the right side of the lamp cover. And because the LitePanel extended the length of the set, it also bounced a little light on the background as well, which we liked (figure 25).

Figure 30

Figure 31

For a final touch, we decided to pull the LitePanel back a couple of feet so that its reflection would not be so strong. By creating a ratio with your lights, you are typically better able to render your objects more naturally.

Once the LitePanel was where we wanted it, we took our final shot (figures 26 & 27).