5 Common Mishaps in Product Photography Lighting

5 Common Mishaps in Product Photography Lighting

Photos by Lucas Zarebinski

We’re going to give it away right up front: lighting is probably the most important element to shooting solid product photography. When isn’t it in photography? But because getting the nitty-gritty details is often so important, there’s a lot more involved in planning and setting up your product shots.

For some product photography lighting tips and advice on getting those miraculously detailed images, we talked to product photographer Lucas Zarebinski. Lucas is routinely sought out by editorial and advertising clients for his food photography and unique concepts for fashion and electronic products. His edgy work has appeared in magazines such as Men’s Health, Prevention, Bicycling, and Details.

Here is Lucas’ list of some of the most common mishaps he’s seen (or experienced) and how he keeps clients coming back for more:

Being afraid to get up close and personal

Unlike photographing a person or group of people, “It’s entirely up to you to create the photograph – there is no active collaboration between you and the object,” says Lucas. “Product photography requires a greater attention to detail and critical lighting skills since you find yourself a lot closer to the subject than most cases.”

Photos by Lucas Zarebinski

While getting into someone’s personal space during a shoot might be inappropriate for a living subject, it’s encouraged in product photography. “It’s all about styling your subject prior to shooting and coming up with the right approach,” notes Lucas, who carefully studies all the product’s details before even setting up lights.

Familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of the product, and you’ll be better prepared to light it.

Photos by Lucas Zarebinski

Creating a “scene” on set

Lucas points out that the product should be the center of attention. That means the setting should be clean-cut. “I try to work with as little distractions as possible,” says Lucas. “That way I can just emphasize the object without worrying to much about props.”

Photos by Lucas Zarebinski

Avoid harsh shadows and aim for softer lighting (try using a light tent or softbox), which helps the viewer focus on the details. You can start by aiming two lights down on the product, and then adjust the brightness and angle to bring out the right texture.

In most cases, you’ll also want to remove all distractions from the shot and create a simple composition. This is particularly important for editorial clients who will likely want to add text or position several products on the same page.

Photos by Lucas Zarebinski

Approaching it from an expected angle

There’s a simple approach to product photography lighting – don’t take that one. Coming up with new ideas is what makes you stand out and leaves clients wanting more. So, what about lighting from underneath using a lightbox? This is one of Lucas’ favorite techniques, and the result is often a much more interesting image with shadows and texture details that you wouldn’t normally see.

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

“I ended up setting up on a lightbox to give the product a fresh and airy feel,” says Lucas of the above shot. “I was paying close attention to the shapes and texture in the subject to give them colorful and strong impressions.”

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

Acting like a know-it-all

Remember: you’re the photographer on set. So just as you wouldn’t want the stylist or art director on set to interfere with your shooting, be sure to return the favor. Sure, it’s fine to collaborate with them, but don’t step on their toes. Trust their expert and leave it to them to do what they’ve been trained to do.

Though most clients will likely bring along their own people, you should also consider befriending a few good stylists. “I almost always work with a prop or food stylist,” says Lucas. “Concepts are developed as the photographer, client, and stylist all talk about a particular assignment and come up with the best visual solution to the problem at hand.”

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

For the above shots, Lucas let the food stylist pick out and arrange the best looking. “As much as you try to figure out everything before the shoot, you still need to leave room for changes – things might look better or worse from what you planned,” he says.

You still want to maintain your personal style and put your own stamp on the shot. For example, Lucas is known for his stop-motion photos. “I just love freezing motion and capturing moments that you don’t really see in everyday life,” he says. “It’s like magic to me. In a sense it’s like I have the wand and I can stop time.”

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

Demanding that you get everything in camera

Lucas reminds us that it’s okay to do some extra work in post-production. There are always corrections to be made, no matter how good your product photography lighting might be. You might even find that you spend as much time post-processing as you do shooting. “Sometimes it’s just a simple clean-up of dust and scratches, but in most cases things need to be layered, enhanced, and re-positioned,” says Lucas.

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

Photo by Lucas Zarebinski

Other techniques often include color boost, contrast change, and sharpening. Or you might simply want to create a concept that’s impossible to get in real life. “I think these days all commercial photography is retouched to some level,” Lucas says.

If you’ve worked in product photography before, what do you think are some of the most common misconceptions about lighting objects vs. people? Share your expertise in the comments.

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There are 32 comments for this article
  1. Francisco Companioni at 11:01 am

    Great article, I havent done much product photography but Im always looking to improve my weaknesses as I apply everything I learn to all my shoots. This article inspired me, I will def try some product photography soon!

  2. Pingback: 5 Common Mishaps in Product Photography Lighting ‹ PhotoShelter Blog | Steve Troletti Photography and Environmental News
  3. carly at 9:59 pm

    Lucas Zarebenski is highly respected in the industry. We look up to him and get really inspired with this work. The stop motion photos are what I really admire. Takes really great talent to capture those shots.

  4. Jeff Delacruz at 5:49 am

    As someone who photographs product everyday I don’t really agree that these are the 5 common mishaps in product photography lighting. It’s left out one of the biggest mistakes I almost always see ‘Using specular light on specular objects’.

    If I were giving advice to people who are non professionals shooting product i would tell them to use window light with a white reflector card, it’s simple, cost effective and beautiful. If i were talking a someone with photography experience thinking about getting into product I would tell them to learn how to photograph products on a white surface because the whole world is going eCommerce.

  5. digvijay at 6:59 pm

    amazing article really ………….thanks a lot and your clicks are really great
    i am a newbie and this helped me a lot
    i will really appreciate if you can suggest me some more tips and references
    regards

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  15. Damian Smith at 5:56 am

    Almost all eCommerce websites require the product photography service as well as the editing one to attract the customers. You have pointed out some good notes on this. Like your writing. I would recommend to outsource to a professional, if you can afford it, that specializes in product photography. This way you can sell and not have to worry about setting up light tents or if customers are scared away by your poor pics.

  16. Paula at 5:34 pm

    Great article Lauren! Very useful. High-quality white product photography is now very important for any e-Commerce business. It’s the only way the sellers can stand out.

  17. Domnic at 3:07 pm

    Great article. Lighting is very important in product photography and create a lot of challenges for someone who is not experienced with lightings a product on a white background .

  18. Isa Aydin at 4:20 pm

    Sorry, I don’t mean being rude, but I would have to completely disagree with this article. Hard light is one of the most trendy looks as of now. But that’s not the point. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a hard light or soft light, you are using a softbox or bare bulb, you need to know what you are doing. Knowing the physics of light is the most important thing. And as for advice when you build your setup, start with one light at a time and ask yourself if that is what you are looking for. Adding too many lights at the same time will simply confuse you and you won’t understand where is the mistake. And definitely stay away from light tents that spread light all over. Take it under your control. And if you are curious who is advising this, just check my portfolio.

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