Yes, Alex Koloskov is an absolute gem to share such tips with us …

Originally shared by Alex Koloskov

#ProPhotoTips: How to shot and reproduce glossy chrome look of the product

When shooting chrome glossy products, sometimes it is quite a task to correctly show the glossiness of the product:

If you use softbox to directly lit your subject, the reflection from it will produce white lines on the subject (let’s say subject has cylindrical shape), which might misrepresent the actual look of the product .. and this is not good.

On other hand, if you use diffuser panel(s) between softbox(es) and subject, it may produce too soft, almost matte look on a glossy surface. Again, this would be a misrepresentation of the product.

So, what to do? I solved this dilemma by using both, diffuser and bare stripbox. Look at the image below: left side of brushes reflects stripbox and right sees the light through a diffuser. Brushes are reflective, but not too soft or zebra-like from harsh reflections.

P.S If you want to see the lighting setup of this shot, it is here: http://goo.gl/x8sJK