Studio Anywhere: A Photographer’s Guide to Shooting in Unconventional Locations

9. Shooting Product

When it comes to shooting product, specifically reflective product, large light sources are ideal, if not necessary. But, that does not mean that you need strobes. Whether you’re doing a food shoot next to a large, north-facing window (which creates soft light at any time of day) or, as in this case, a bottle of Gucci cologne in your backyard, available light works just fine.

In Figure 9.1, you can see my, ahem, modest setup. It’s essentially two white V-flats, taped together to make a square. In the bottom I laid a 12x18-inch sheet of black plexiglass, which creates a nice reflective surface. I prefer using black plex over white because it’s a bit more forgiving: It’s dark while still being reflective, which helps keep it ...