Photographing a Bottle: A Lighting Tutorial

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By Jay P. Morgan.
This video is part three in a three part series about soft boxes. In this video we use soft boxes to light the Rocket Fizz Bottle. There are a lot of ways to light a bottle but we chose to show yo how to accomplish it using soft boxes as part of our series. This finished bottle was then com-posited into the image of our talent. By going to our Facebook page you can see the lighting buildup. I posted the images there that show the lighting step by step. Keep on click'n! 
Jay P. Morgan.
Mastering Studio Strobe Lighitng: Beginning to Advanced Photography Instruction by Jay P. Morgan
 
 
#1 This is the third part in a three part series about soft boxes. Shooting a bottle with soft boxes is only one of many ways to shoot this bottle. Its a bit over kill but works just fine. This first image shows the overall lighting for the Rocket Fizz bottle shoot. 
 
 
#2 The first thing we did was place a black piece of foam core behind the bottle. You can see it in the frame camera right. This give us a black background for the bottle. This is critical because the black needs to reflect into the sides of the bottle giving us the nice black lines.
 
 
#3 The first light we place was a medium strip box. We wanted it to be narrow so that will not block out the black on the right and left sides of the bottle.
 
#4 Here is our first shot of the bottle. You can see the nice glow in the bottle caused by the strip box and the black lines created by the black background. The farther we move the strip box away from the bottle the larger the black lines become. The closer we move it toward the bottle the smaller they become. 
 
#5 We added a medium strip box for our key light. 
 
#6 It was to large and the reflection was overwhelming to the bottle so we turned in on its side so the box was 18 inches tall making a nice highlight.
 
#7 Here is our bottle with the key light. We can see the label now and the bottle has surface dimension from the high light. We're getting closer.
 
#8 Our next light was a medium strip box camera left and slightly to the side of the bottle.
 
#9 This creates the main highlight on the bottle.
 
#10 Here is our bottle with the 3 lights. The label is flat looking and not rounded. 
 
#11 We added a piece of foam core as a reflector to create a highlight on the camera left side of the label and make it look more rounded. 
 
#12 Here we have all the lights in place including the fill card. It does not feel cold and refreshing. 
 
#13 We need moisture on the bottle to give it a refreshing  and inviting look. This is done using water and Glycerin. I mix it 50/50 and put it into a spray bottle. You use Glycerin so that it stays and collects on the bottle. This looks much better.
 
 
#14 This view is looking back toward the camera. 
 
#15 Kessler Cine Slider at work.