lighting technique and memory loss...

[Christian Tanner]

hi guys,

a quick one...
i can't seem to remember the name of the technique to shoot transparent objects - like glass bottles.
dark horizon something maybe?

thanx in advance!

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

There isn't one technique to light glass with.

Usually you use a combination of techniques.

Underlighting, backlighting, negative fill are common.

I don't know any technique called anything like "dark horizon."

 

[Christian Tanner]

too bad - thanx for the effort though, alexander.

 

[Mike Lary]

Do you mean 'dark field' lighting?

 

[Christian Tanner]

i think that's it. yeah - thanx mike.

 

[Erik Bien]

Well, dark field and bright field lighting setups are commonly used to shoot things like bottles and glassware ...

 

[David Rasberry]

Well, dark field and bright field lighting setups are commonly used to shoot things like bottles and glassware ...

Thanks for the link. Love the Pringles can snoots.

 

[Stefan Antonescu]

Well, dark field and bright field lighting setups are commonly used to shoot things like bottles and glassware ...

Cool link ! Thanks !

 

[Timur Civan]

speaking of memory loss.... this one is added to my memory....

Thanks.

 

[Alexander Ibrahim]

I should have thought of this possibility!

The author of that article (and possibly the book they based it on) is wrong ... those aren't the names of the lighting techniques.

"Dark field" and "bright field" both refer to the luminance of the "field" aka the "background." Its an archaic usage though ... I first read it in some older books on lighting. (I think its in Alton's book) Its a general jargon for any photography, not specific to lighting glass.

The link above simply uses backlighting for the dark field, and negative fill with lit background for the light field examples.

Both good examples of technique ... but remember that any lighting you do against a dark background is "dark field", and any lighting against a bright background is "bright field"

You can use the exact same principles on a day exterior when looking at a subject against a bright background ... say the sky. Next time you have to do that drag out some 4x4 floppy solids and cut some of the reflections or sky off a subject for a more dramatic look.

Love the Pringles can things. I once built one of the snoots ... but, predictably, it caught fire with incandescent lighting. It did last long enough for the take though - barely.

The reflector is new to me though, as is the revelation that with CFL the can might not catch fire ... now I got to get some Pringles!