Over the last couple of years, I have done glass and mirror photography for a Perth manufacturing supplier based in Malaga. They offer a large selection of coloured and patterned glass, but also a range of core products including float glass, energy efficient glass, laminate and mirror.
My client needs all their glass panel photography done on the same angle, showing the same couch scene in the background, half scene clear and half scene viewed through the glass. This way, their buyers are able to see the difference in transparency, colour and pattern of every different glass panel easily.
Stripped patterned glass panels are by far the hardest to photograph. This is because the camera needs to capture perfectly straight lines with same gaps in-between columns while giving a sense of grove depth in each pattern design.
Mirror sheets are photographed on a white background, with some props at the front. This helps show how the props are reflected in the different coloured and painted mirrors.
Similar to shooting metals, lighting glass is difficult due to the reflections it creates. Care needs to be taken to remove or minimise anything in the studio that may be seen in the images. These can include the camera stand, cords or lens as well as larger things like studio doors.
Shooting glass, due to its transparency and patterns, requires expertise to light and capture photographically. It is the reason clients call commercial product photographers to help them capture such images.
Comments