Product Photography Studio Lighting Techniques 2

Question 1

What does a 'clamshell' lighting setup use to illuminate a product?

Accepted Answer

Two lights placed directly above and below the subject

Answer

Clamshell lighting uses two light sources — one above and one below the subject — to create even, flattering illumination with minimal shadows.

Question 2

Which modifier produces the hardest, most defined shadow in product photography?

Accepted Answer

Small bare strobe or direct flash

Answer

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.

Question 3

What is 'feathering' a light in product photography?

Accepted Answer

Angling the light so the edge of its beam, rather than its center, hits the subject

Answer

Feathering means rotating the light so its edge illuminates the subject, providing softer, more gradual light than the hot center of the beam.

Question 4

A photographer wants to photograph a dark-colored leather wallet with visible texture. Which lighting approach best reveals surface texture?

Accepted Answer

Raking light placed at a very low, oblique angle to the surface

Answer

Raking or grazing light at an oblique angle skims across the surface, casting tiny shadows in texture details and making them visually prominent.

Question 5

What effect does increasing the distance between a light source and a product have on the quality of light?

Accepted Answer

Light becomes harder and more directional

Answer

As distance increases, the light source appears smaller relative to the subject, producing harder, more directional light with sharper shadows.

Product Photography Practice Test

Product Photography Practice Test

Product Photography Studio Lighting Techniques 2