How do you deal with harsh shadows and reflections in metal surfaces?

Choose the Right Time and Location: When shooting metal surfaces, the time of day and location can significantly impact the quality of your images. Opt for early morning or late afternoon to take advantage of softer, more diffused natural light, which helps in minimizing harsh shadows and reflections. Alternatively, overcast days provide even lighting that reduces glare and hotspots on metal surfaces. If shooting indoors, position your subject away from direct light sources and use diffusers or reflectors to control the lighting environment. This approach ensures your metal subjects are captured with balanced highlights and shadows, enhancing their texture and detail.

There are a few things that can be done to address this. One is to know the site/location and scope it out ahead of the photo shoot. This was you can get a feel for objects nearby that can either reflect or cast shadows where you intend to shoot. Beyond that you would avoid mid day or try to shoot when it is overcast. If those cannot be avoided then bring a scrim or reflector, bounce card or black card. You could also bring a few diffused strobes to balance things out.

While polarizers can be great for cutting off axis reflections, they struggle to deal with on axis light. For tricky or high reflective products, I will often shoot a series of exposures with different polarizer settings. And then with slightly different light angles. While doing this, I'm looking at highlights in specific parts of an image. The idea is to composite the exposures into one perfect image in post.

Use a Polarizing Filter: One of the most effective tools in managing harsh shadows and reflections on metal surfaces is a polarizing filter. This filter helps reduce glare by blocking polarized light, allowing you to capture the true colors and details of the metal. When positioned correctly, it can significantly minimize unwanted reflections and enhance the contrast and saturation of your images. Additionally, it provides more control over the lighting, enabling you to achieve a more polished and professional look in your commercial photography. Incorporating this simple yet powerful tool into your workflow can greatly improve the quality of your metal surface shots.

Utilize a Softbox or Diffuser: Employing a softbox or diffuser effectively minimizes harsh shadows and reflections on metal surfaces. The soft, even light they produce reduces the contrast between highlights and shadows, creating a more balanced and pleasing image. Adjust Lighting Angles: Position your light source at an angle to avoid direct reflections. Experiment with different angles to find the optimal lighting position that diminishes glare while highlighting the texture and form of the metal. Polarizing Filters: Use polarizing filters on your lens to control and reduce reflections. This technique is particularly useful when shooting polished or highly reflective metal surfaces.

One tip that changed the way I shoot product was feathering your softboxes behind diffusion paper. It can give you beautiful highlight fall off when needed.

This is obviously great advice anytime you are using artificial lighting but it would depend on the size of the object. Diffusing the natural sun light with a scrim or putting the object in the shade can also help (you might need to add flash/strobe light the object so your background doesn't go too bright).

If you are shooting in a controlled studio environment, sheet of diffusing paper/thin plastic in front of your light will certainly help, though if you use LED light, you need to make sure the tiny glowing points do not, in fact, still reflect (might happen with thinner diffusers). Also, depending on the size of the object in question, a diffusion cone is a great way to kill all unwanted shadows.

Both of these are viable solutions to add light and reduce contrast or to absorb too much light from a reflection or other light sources and help balance out the overall exposure.

Use a Diffuser: Place a diffuser between the light source and the metal surface to soften harsh shadows and reduce reflections. Employ a Polarizing Filter: Attach a polarizing filter to your camera lens to minimize glare and reflections from metal surfaces. Adjust Light Angles: Position your lights at an angle to the metal surface to control and minimize reflections. Use a Reflector or Black Card: Use a white reflector to fill in shadows or a black card to absorb unwanted reflections, creating a balanced and flattering light. Experiment with Multiple Light Sources: Utilize multiple light sources from different angles to evenly illuminate the metal and avoid harsh shadows.

When it comes to product, foam board cards are your best friend. You can completely change the character of a product by manipulating the highlights and shadows with light and dark cards. I also use card frames with diffusion paper for a softer look.

Low Angle & Long Focal Length: Shooting from a low angle with a long focal length minimizes harsh shadows and unwanted reflections on metal surfaces by reducing the reflection of light sources. This technique creates a more even lighting distribution and enhances the subject's details. Diffused Lighting: Use softboxes, diffusers, or bounce cards to spread light evenly across the metal surface, reducing the intensity of reflections and shadows. Polarizing Filters: Employ polarizing filters to control and reduce reflections on metal surfaces, enhancing the clarity and quality of your photographs. Strategic Light Positioning: Place lights at angles that avoid direct reflections.

Harsh shadows and harsh reflections can be good things. I personally like them in product photos since they can make objects really pop. The biggest challenge is using them correctly so they're not distracting or "too much" - that's where the artistry comes in.