Beginner How do they do that? Circular lighting effect

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Jesster

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Jessica Byrne
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Hey, total beginner, some floundering. I'm wanting to take beautiful photos of my handmade D&D dice. Being polyhedral shapes they look fantastic with this effect, but I have no idea how it's done

SO I'm new to this forum, therefore cannot post links, which is a pickle because I really need to show you what this is..... It's a bit too hard to describe but I'll do my best? Basically, if my product is stationary with a light that circles around it, so it'll showcase its facets and holographic glitter,

So if you were to type into google the following - Kickstarter, Dicebound. Then watch the short video

THIS IS NOT MY PRODUCT NOR AN ADVERT FOR IT- I just want to know how to do THAT lighting effect.

For the equipment I have I'm only taking pics with my phone and a macro lens. I have the cheapest of cheap nasty lightboxes, and tiny tripod.
 
The starting point to work out how something is lit is generally to look at the shadows.
So the main lightsource starts above the dice, but off to the side a bit, then appears to move round in an oval shape to light from above but to the back, then above but to the other side, etc.

One of the several experts should be able to give a more comprehensive reply (or correct me if I've got it wrong!)
 
I actually tried to do something like this with a torch. I put my stuff in a lightbox and tried to circle the torch around them. It just looked terrible! It could just be that I was doing it badly
 
Faldrax said:
The starting point to work out how something is lit is generally to look at the shadows.
Click to expand...

This.

I just looked at the first few seconds and it looks like the light source moves from left to right with a camera-fade-out at the end. I didn't see any rotation, but I am no expert either.

Jesster said:
For the equipment I have I'm only taking pics with my phone and a macro lens. I have the cheapest of cheap nasty lightboxes, and tiny tripod.
Click to expand...

I don't know where your business is coming from but something like this could probably be done quickly and easily with the right tools and experience. Have you considered outsourcing the work and spending the hours you save making more dice to sell, to recoup the cost of the videographer? i.e. you spend your time doing what you're good at.

Just a thought.

[Edit - sorry, it's also not clear whether you're after stills or video....]
 
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Harlequin565 said:
This.

I just looked at the first few seconds and it looks like the light source moves from left to right with a camera-fade-out at the end. I didn't see any rotation, but I am no expert either.



I don't know where your business is coming from but something like this could probably be done quickly and easily with the right tools and experience. Have you considered outsourcing the work and spending the hours you save making more dice to sell, to recoup the cost of the videographer? i.e. you spend your time doing what you're good at.

Just a thought.

[Edit - sorry, it's also not clear whether you're after stills or video....]
Click to expand...

Well, I'm really enjoying taking nice photos of my products. I'm wanting to get better at photography, and expand my skillset so I can continually take good photos of my dice. If I were to hire a photographer every single time I made new dice then that's really not cost effective at all. Also, don't gatekeep XD Can't anyone dip their toe into photgraphy to learn and get better. I can be good at two things ;)

Generally, I take stills, but for special sets I make I'd like to know how to take this kind of video (again I don't think I'm allowed to post links yet, haha so I can't show you it, unless you follow my google instructions)

Eventually if I do a huge launch or a kickstarter I do plan to hire a professional. I really want them to look perfect, and a professional with better equipment and knowhow would do the job then.

But, until that point, just on my own, Imma need some general skills, and a little help to get by and improve!
 
You'll be limited with a phone camera, regardless of extra lenses - Without the control of a "proper" camera (although most modern phone cameras let you set things like aperture, shutter and ISO), and a controllable lightsource, you'll struggle to be in control - and flash photography is all about control.

There's a LOT of different techniques you could try, but I don't know how feasible they'll be on a phone.
One option to consider is light painting: Basically holding the shutter open (or on a phone, setting as long an exposure as you can) with the object in near darkness and using a torch or a flashgun to paint the object with light. Depending on your light source, you can vary the distance, spread and strength of the light, which in turn affects the shadows and highlights. As you're holding the light-source, you're in control of where the light hits (and crucially, doesn't hit), how long for etc.

Edit: This will be tricky on an object as small as a dice!
 
I'm certainly no expert, but it looks to me like that has been done with the light source on a pendulum.

Stationary camera (you could use your phone), stationary dice, but a daylight LED bulb on a weighted, long pendulum going in circles.
 
Jesster said:
I actually tried to do something like this with a torch. I put my stuff in a lightbox and tried to circle the torch around them. It just looked terrible! It could just be that I was doing it badly
Click to expand...
Was the torch outside the lightbox?
If so, that is probably the problem.
The shadows in the video you linked to are fairly strong, so I think the light is not being diffused.
The pendulum idea of @Sky would probably give the sort of motion that appears to have occurred.
 
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I've shot hundreds of multifaceted products.
In order to be able to light successfully and show off all the different angles in the facets you need to use multiple lights, reflectors, flags, bounces.

You need to mix soft and hard directional light. You need to focus your light.

It's not easy to do successfully you need a large setup.

The absolute worst thing you can do bar none is to use a light tent.
Bury your light tent now like a shameful little secret and never mention it again.
 
OK, just did a very quick test, using just my camera (in video mode), smartphone (as a torch), black mousemat (to sit the dice on), and a few transparent dice.
Set the camera up focused on the dice, set the video going.
Held my smartphone about 10" above the dice (out of shot), and then moved it in a circular / oval pattern (so it stayed the same height above the dice) so the light fell in the dice from different angles.
The result was nowhere near as polished as the video you referenced, but did show the same key features.
Have a go, then it's a case of refining things - which will probably take a lot longer than getting the basics!
As @riddell said, don't use the light tent - it will actually stop you getting the result you want!
 
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Jesster said:
Hey, total beginner, some floundering. I'm wanting to take beautiful photos of my handmade D&D dice. Being polyhedral shapes they look fantastic with this effect, but I have no idea how it's done

SO I'm new to this forum, therefore cannot post links, which is a pickle because I really need to show you what this is..... It's a bit too hard to describe but I'll do my best? Basically, if my product is stationary with a light that circles around it, so it'll showcase its facets and holographic glitter,

So if you were to type into google the following - Kickstarter, Dicebound. Then watch the short video

THIS IS NOT MY PRODUCT NOR AN ADVERT FOR IT- I just want to know how to do THAT lighting effect.

For the equipment I have I'm only taking pics with my phone and a macro lens. I have the cheapest of cheap nasty lightboxes, and tiny tripod.
Click to expand...
They don't look fantastic to me, they look terrible, but you now know how that video was done, if that's the effect you want. Scrolling down that page, there are actually some shots that aren't too bad, far better in my view than the video that heads the page.
riddell said:
I've shot hundreds of multifaceted products.
In order to be able to light successfully and show off all the different angles in the facets you need to use multiple lights, reflectors, flags, bounces.

You need to mix soft and hard directional light. You need to focus your light.

It's not easy to do successfully you need a large setup.

The absolute worst thing you can do bar none is to use a light tent.
Bury your light tent now like a shameful little secret and never mention it again.
Click to expand...
Yes. This subject is far more difficult than it looks to get it right, for a start, it has complex shapes, highly reflective surfaces, and a tiny size, all of which add to the complications.
Can it be done with a phone camera? I don't see why not, although it would be far easier to get acceptable results with an actual camera. And yes, forget about the light tent. Light tents are for people who see them as a solution for lighting challenges, but in fact they are just products that are sold (or mis-sold) as a solution for lighting challenges, and they're useless.
Jesster said:
Well, I'm really enjoying taking nice photos of my products. I'm wanting to get better at photography, and expand my skillset so I can continually take good photos of my dice. If I were to hire a photographer every single time I made new dice then that's really not cost effective at all. Also, don't gatekeep XD Can't anyone dip their toe into photgraphy to learn and get better. I can be good at two things ;)

Generally, I take stills, but for special sets I make I'd like to know how to take this kind of video (again I don't think I'm allowed to post links yet, haha so I can't show you it, unless you follow my google instructions)

Eventually if I do a huge launch or a kickstarter I do plan to hire a professional. I really want them to look perfect, and a professional with better equipment and knowhow would do the job then.

But, until that point, just on my own, Imma need some general skills, and a little help to get by and improve!
Click to expand...
There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn, and we nearly always encourage people to do so, but this is a difficult place to start - a bit like someone wanting to be a HGV1 driver but who hasn't yet managed to pass a driving test on a car . . .

That probably sounds negative, but I do see a possible solution that will get you started . . . 360 Photography.
This involves placing the product on a revolving turntable, lighting it carefully to show the product at its best for the first shot, and then taking another 35 shots at 10 degree movements as the turntable revolves. With the right software, you'll then end up with a short video of the product making a complete revolution, and as the lighting doesn't move with the product, every shot will be lit differently and will create very attractive, dramatic results.

There are a lot of commercial firms that offer this service, in my experience most of them just surround the products with light and do a pretty awful job, but even lit badly, a product of this type will still look far better than with the effect shown in the link.

You could almost certainly get much better results by doing it yourself, but there's a sharp learning curve, you'd need a decent camera, proper lights, the right software and a lot of experimentation.
 
Jesster said:
plan to hire a professional. I really want them to look perfect, and a professional with better equipment and knowhow would do the job then.
Click to expand...

Then you are better of changing tactics. Stop wasting time struggling to photograph, instead make a few dice and then get a professional photographer.

Professional photos will make a difference to the number of sales. I've had many customers report instant 20-30% + sales by doing nothing more than adding pro photos.

As others have said it good to learn, but you need a huge investment in both time and equipment. Unfortunately you are clearly right at the start of a photographic journey and most worryingly is when someone looks at not very good photos, thinks they are good and then tries to copy. That takes years of experience to get out of and most starting that angle never make it.
 
Thanks for the advice guys! I have learned many things, such as: throw my lightbox in the toilet! I will, I wasn't really enjoying the results and needed to edit a lot anyway. It was just for a clear 'product shot' in the beginning with no flair. I have learned that these photos from the example are bad (not what I asked, but, fine. Just wanting to know how its done, but I have also learned these are no good bad photos). You helped me get an idea of how it's done so now I can muck around and see if I can get it to look good! I have learned that among people people kind, insightful and helpful are incredibly condescending gatekeepers, who think that people can't ever start doing a thing? Like I must be good immediately or don't bother, like you were, I assume, hopped out the womb with a camera and equipment I bet! Curse these non Photoborn genes of mine!

Thanks, lads! I'll see what I can do
 
Jesster said:
Thanks for the advice guys! I have learned many things, such as: throw my lightbox in the toilet! I will, I wasn't really enjoying the results and needed to edit a lot anyway. It was just for a clear 'product shot' in the beginning with no flair. I have learned that these photos from the example are bad (not what I asked, but, fine. Just wanting to know how its done, but I have also learned these are no good bad photos). You helped me get an idea of how it's done so now I can muck around and see if I can get it to look good! I have learned that among people people kind, insightful and helpful are incredibly condescending gatekeepers, who think that people can't ever start doing a thing? Like I must be good immediately or don't bother, like you were, I assume, hopped out the womb with a camera and equipment I bet! Curse these non Photoborn genes of mine!

Thanks, lads! I'll see what I can do
Click to expand...
I'm glad that you've gained something from your question.

But, please don't make the mistake of assuming that the people (including myself) who advise against you doing your own photography are acting as gatekeepers. Speaking for myself, the opposite is true, I have always encouraged people to learn, shown where the start line is and provided them with the info they need, and so have the other people who advise you against doing it yourself. I've even made my books available free to established members of this forum, and one of those books sets out in detail the reasons why most people should do their own product photography. And, if you look in the tutorials section here you'll see loads of articles by myself and others explaining exactly how things are done.

No, the reason why I've advised you against attempting this yourself is that
1. You're starting from -273.15c and need to learn every single aspect from scratch. And, if that allusion has passed you by then you need to appreciate that some knowledge of physics is needed for this type of subject.
2. it's a much more difficult subject than most, partly because of the tiny size, partly because of the highly reflective surfaces and their angles.
3. Your skills obviously lie in other areas, so it makes sense to stick to what you know.
 
Jesster said:
Thanks for the advice guys! ...
Click to expand...
@Garry Edwards has relied while I was typing a reply, but what he said is very much what I was going to say.

Some may come across as negative, but in the main any 'negative' advice is aimed at moderating your expectations - the last thing people here want to do is to go out and spend several hundred pounds on camera, lights, etc, only to then decide you are not getting the results you want, and to have wasted the money.

Spend the same on getting an experienced photographer to take the photos and you get the images you need to sell your dice for top prices.

If you do decide you want to continue to explore creating the images yourself, people here will certainly help you to do that, but be aware that it might take some time to get to a level where you can showcase your dice , and the time spent doing so might be better spent creating more dice instead.
 
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