Easy as Trash!

Our model for the morning, with no special lighting technique.

     "It's a pile of trash," she began.

     "Huh?'

     "No, really, I mean it is a pile of trash collected from the landfill from the 1970's arranged as a sort of sculpture," the client continued.

     They needed a picture for the center spread of an annual report for a trash management organization in the Valley.

     I can hear it now, its a pile of trash, how hard can that be? Some might even call it a snapshot.

     But this is for an annual report, she wanted it done right, photographed beautifully. 

Bottles show when light is pushed through them.

     You're thinking, "ick, a pile of trash," I'm thinking, this will be fun.

     It really is a fairly straightforward approach.

     Very simple, anyone could do it.

     It's only four lights and two umbrellas.

     And a gobo.

     And a foam core background.

Testing the rim light

     My plan, create a dramatic rim light to make it pop, to add that sense of something special to the objects while showing the bottles' color and transparency.

     The only way to really light glass is from above and or behind.

     Two lights with grid spots, done.

Every client needs options, so vertical
as well as horizontal with room for type.

     Next, with so many facets to the object I need to use two lights in front, to my left and right so that the viewer may see details. This light also needs to be soft and creamy to contrast with the rim light and create that sort of soft, inviting quality, so, that front lighting is fired into umbrellas.

     That said, I also don't want flat, no-texture lighting, so I set one umbrella dimmer than the other, allowing shadows to remain while still allowing visibility.

     That done, I need to reevaluate the difference between the rim lighting which should give some sense of crispness and sparkle, so I have to be sure that it's a little bit brighter than the umbrellas. 

     One more thing.

     Lens choice. 

     We're shooting in the middle of an office, so I'm looking for the narrow view of a longer lens to be sure I don't see extra stuff. Also, my background of foam core may show subtle texture, I want it completely blurred out. So I have to adjust the stobe power settings so that I can use a low enough aperture, be sure that only the trash focused.

Two backround/rim lights, two umbrellas and a gobo, right,  to keep out lens flare from the light on the right. O yeah and a couple of traffic cops to secure the location at the intersection of two hallways. 

     Once I start shooting I realize I have one more problem to solve. One of the rim lights, is spilling onto my lens, causing flare. No problem, clip a piece of foam core to another stand and position it close to the camera. This blocks the path of light from the strobe itself to my lens, while still allowing me to see my subject just fine.

     What I knew a long time ago, but what I discover with each shoot, is that the simplest thing, requires a great deal of effort and technique to create a great photograph.

      My client expressed surpise at all that went into the image. She was also very pleased that she chose a pro rather than making the image herself.

     Piece of cake. Anyone could do it.

The final image with room for design, as requested.