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ansku · Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 147 Location: Finland

I make these newbie mistakes all the time. Probably because I am one :-)

But I was shooting this jar home made jam, and didn't realize after when editing that of course the glass has reflections from my soft boxes and windows etc on it. And this particular jar is in Italy, so not possible to reshoot. I have no idea how to clone this in PSE - when I try to clone it, it's such a large area that the end result is just a lifeless surface, not realistic (btw, the crop is not 100%, just wanted to show the problem area a bit closer. but please feel free to say OOF anyway..).

This is probably not a best seller shot anyway, so I might just throw it in the trash, but I was just curious whether this could be fixed using something else than the clone tool, and above all - how to shoot surfaces that are shiny, to avoid reflections?

PS: thanks Jeff, Dave and Barry, I found the Curves tool in PSE! Was a bit disappointed though since it doesn't have channels for each color.

rinder99 · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:56 am

I think I see you also?? the trick is to really look before shooting. Reposition the lights or point them Up.Most pro Product shooters use overhead Lighting and reflectors that are hidden.

jeffbanke · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:02 am

ansku · Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 147 Location: Finland

Great, thanks guys! Good tips.
And yes, that's me there behind the camera..

hhltdave5 · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 12:46 pm

What Jeff mentioned is also called Dulling Spray and you can get it in most hardware or craft stores.

Often a reflection is great for a shot because it will help it pop a bit. Like Jeff said often the goal is to remove the crap you can see in the reflection so what you end up with is a white reflection.

ansku · Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 147 Location: Finland

Yes, I noticed that some kind of reflection would be nice, since the cloning makes the surface a bit dull - not natural.
Hmmm, don't know whether we have Dulling spray in Finnish hardware stores, but luckily there's the internet...

Since reflections aren't always that bad, what do you guys think of this? It doesn't show my reflection (managed to edit it out, there wasn't much anyway), and here I didn't use any umbrellas or other visible stuff. There's just the house and some green trees and the sky, but I think they look kinda OK...?

digigandalf · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 5418 Location: Twinsburg, OH

Not too bad as far as I can tell. Might be better if the reflection weren't dead center in the jug. Also, I'd cut off the whole foliage section at right (as below), 1) to get rid of the blown highlights and 2) to simplify the composition as a whole.

robhainer · Joined: 03 May 2010 Posts: 2769 Location: Dallas, GA, USA

Sometimes when I'm doing flowers in vases, I can use the patch tool or heal tool for a quick, clean fix, but I don't usually have reflections taking up such a large portion of the subject.

rinder99 · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:36 pm

Reflections like shadows are fine unless they control or overpower the subject.

jhuls · Joined: 02 Jan 2012 Posts: 1047

Since you mentioned you can't reshoot a clone can be done if you do it carefully. Try to do smaller areas at a time and then make sure to use a tone and a shade close to what would naturally be there. I also added a bit of dodging when I was done to make it not so flat.

Not perfect but I was just doing a quick edit, I bet you could do better.

markrhiggins · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 2010 Location: Australia

I also think cloning is the answer post shooting. Diffusers and reflectors help on the shoot also next shoot try using a polariser filter. It can be effective.

ansku · Joined: 07 Apr 2012 Posts: 147 Location: Finland

Thank you all!!! And Jenn, you are a genious!!! If that's a quick edit, you're GOOD. I'm so impatient with cloning. I hate cloning, as a matter of fact. But since you showed it can be done, I'll give it a try, patiently this time. And the dodge tool is a very good idea!

I did notice the blown highlights in the foliage... I liked the green color and what it added to the whole shot. But yes, blown highlights are blown highlights. No way around that.

I'd like to ask your opinion about the composition on the jam jar shot (and on the vase shot too, actually). I had an AHA!-moment yesterday, when I realized that I tend to use the same (BORING) composition in all my still life shots. It's like a mug shot but with the rule of thirds, to but it simply. Here's an example, it's my shot that has zero sales in all the 3 months that I've been in SS:

I'm thinking I should try totally different angles, something like these:

What do you think? Time to move on from my "passport shots" to more creative ones? (Although... there are "mug shot compositions" (ha, my own term created here) in the most popular ones when searching jam jars...).

barnabychambers · Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 272

This is one of my more popular pics. I actually took it from this angle to avoid reflections in the glass but I think the angle is what makes it popular. I say playing with composition can only help.

About reflections in glass. I have no lighting equipment at all. I use my loungeroom window and a reflecter. I almost gave up on anything reflective because the cloning is such a pain. Its really hit or miss weather its easy or imposible.

But if you are careful about angles and what you shoot it can be OK. If you choose a jar with a different shape it should be easier. Yours is so round it reflects a lot. If you found jars more like the ones in your later examples the reflections might be more manageable in camera

nadger · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 259 Location: God only knows

hhltdave5 · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:12 am