Photographing Cellophane Bags

knapph

I am helping a friend with product shots for his family's chocolate business. I have run into something I do not know how to handle and would like to see if anyone has some ideas for us to try. Some of the product shots must be made of gift baskets, think an Easter basket, where some of the candies are in cellophane bags (jelly beans, etc). We are getting too much reflection from the cellophane bags. Using a polarizing filter helps some but does not eliminate the reflections. The reflections are at too many angles for the filter to be fully effective.

We have tried using a light tent and have used diffused light without the tent. My current thinking is that the light tent and the light on the stand are both too small and are giving us too small a light source. The next thing I am going to try is to use a large light source. I will probably bounce a strobe off a bed sheet or fire the strobe through the sheet.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Sam

Can you post an image?

I have two thoughts: First can you remove the cellophane for the photos?

Move your light source way back / shoot outside in the shade. Don't try to illuminate the basket too much. Shoot on a tripod. With low light you will end up with a slow shutter speed, but hopefully the reflections will be minimized.

Sam

knapph

Thanks for the reply. We remove the cellophane when it is possible to do so. Some items such as jelly beans and other small candies have to stay in their bags. The photos are used for wholesale customers and they need to see what the complete product, the basket filled with candies, looks like.

I experimented with moving the light source as far away as I could get it today and that helped some. As for shooting outside that does not work well here this time of year, there is too much glare off the snow (and I get too cold). We are located in Maine.

Art Scott

if your friend is filling the bags with the candies then over fill to get the bags as taught as possible...... use an umbrella or softbox to soften the light even more (I have had to do this even with my WL5K's that are a mere 130ws) or add ND filters to the lights.....are you using studio flashes or hotshoe flashes....use your modeling lights if using studio flash to read the light...do not have other light on in the room, the more dark a room is the easier it is too see reflections before ever taking a shot........keep the flash power as low as possible....and your iso as low as possible............

knapph

Thanks
I like the idea of over filling the bags. Having a smoother surface to the cellophane bag will help. That will give us a better chance of controlling the reflection with the polo filter. He is using a single continuous light source that he can not control the output with. Low budget. It might be time for a trip to a hardware store for more lights. I have suggested he get a few bed sheets to help soften the light more.

I have not used my lights as the point of this is to leave him with a way to do his product shots with the equipment he has or can buy without spending a lot of money. This is a small family business that can not afford to spend a lot of money. They need fast turn around as they will makeup a product mix for a potential customer and need to get the photos out the same day. (I was hoping to get some on-going work out of this but it looks like it will only be some consulting fees).

I will see if he can decrease the room lights. I think they were all off when we were shooting but, there is some light that comes in uncovered windows (time for more sheets or foam core).

Thanks again

Sam

Please note, I haven't tried to shoot a cellophane bag so I am just guessing here, but you could also try dulling spray.

Sam

knapph

Dulling Spray
I'll give it a try - thanks.