Studio Lighting Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real Product Photography practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Studio Lighting Techniques flashcards as text
What does a 'clamshell' lighting setup use to illuminate a product?
Answer: Two lights placed directly above and below the subject
Clamshell lighting uses two light sources — one above and one below the subject — to create even, flattering illumination with minimal shadows.
Which modifier produces the hardest, most defined shadow in product photography?
Answer: Small bare strobe or direct flash
Smaller, undiffused light sources like bare strobes produce the hardest shadows because the light is concentrated and has a small effective size relative to the subject.
What is 'feathering' a light in product photography?
Answer: Angling the light so the edge of its beam, rather than its center, hits the subject
Feathering means rotating the light so its edge illuminates the subject, providing softer, more gradual light than the hot center of the beam.
A photographer wants to photograph a dark-colored leather wallet with visible texture. Which lighting approach best reveals surface texture?
Answer: Raking light placed at a very low, oblique angle to the surface
Raking or grazing light at an oblique angle skims across the surface, casting tiny shadows in texture details and making them visually prominent.
What effect does increasing the distance between a light source and a product have on the quality of light?
Answer: Light becomes harder and more directional
As distance increases, the light source appears smaller relative to the subject, producing harder, more directional light with sharper shadows.
Which of the following best describes 'negative fill' in product photography?
Answer: Placing a black card or flag to block reflected light and deepen shadows
Negative fill uses black flags or cards to absorb light that would otherwise bounce back onto the product, increasing contrast and depth.
In studio product photography, what is the primary purpose of a hair light (or separation light)?
Answer: To separate the product from the background by adding a rim of light
A hair light adds a highlight rim around the product's edge, visually separating it from the background and adding dimension.