Studio Photography - Glass Unit 25

                  When it comes to shooting glass in the studio one of the first things I'd recommended considering is rogue reflections. Now it isn't something you can often spot when looking through the view finder but it is definitely something you should be aware of because by the time you get to the editing stage there's every chance you wont have a suitable image to display. Some reflections such as those from soft boxes and windows, can often add to an image if controlled , but others, such as a photographer, assistant or say a light stand, can ruin the shoot, so be aware of your surroundings. 
                     If I had to choose a photographer of influence, then I'd go down the commercial route and select images from someone such as Fleur Olby as she tends to keep it simple and yet get the best from her given subject as you can see in the clarity of her glass product photography but you'll have to click on her name for the link as they aren't readily available for reproduction. With that in mind I've decided to include something by Simon Bruntnell because I appreciate the use of the reflective table here and goes someway to explain what I was trying to achieve in my final submission.

                                                    
                                            


                   The set we used for shooting glass initially started with 2 soft boxes and a light table which was also lit from below plus several pieces of black card used to reflect outlines onto the clear glass. 

                                                

                       You can see in the image below how the reflected surface of the black card is visible in the glass and helps define the outline yet more care was needed to get an even balance of light across the product table as I'm not too happy with the gradients in this one and only used it to show how the card works. 

                                       
                              Because softboxes produce a grey background it may be necessary to adjust the white balance accordingly and the inclusion of a coloured liquid or even a flower can add something to the image. When shooting coloured glass you can experiment by swapping a softbox for a honeycomb with shutters so it lights through the glass and shows textures and creates shadows.

                                      

                             For my final submission I'd decided to include something that, although it was rather bland, it does show that I was prepared to experiment with reflective surfaces by means of the acrylic table with a light set up underneath and adjusted so as to remove the major traces of the table edge at the back of the shot. Again, when it comes to shooting glass in future, I'll take some time out to consider composition and reflections as I'm not too impressed with the way the soft boxes are prominent features but not in a natural fashion. One of the suggestions offered to create a false impression of a window reflection in glass, is to simply tape a cross onto one to the offending soft box.