How can I light embossed glass jars on white so the embossing stays visible?

Question

I need to photograph clear glass jars with embossed lettering/details on a clean white background, then isolate them for later use. My current setup is a Canon 5D Mark II with two studio flashes. I’ve tried backlighting through a white background plus some front light, and I’ve also tried two side lights at roughly 45°. With one setup the jars look washed out and lose shape; with the other, the jar shape is better but the embossing is weak and the reflections are too harsh.

What lighting arrangement should I use to keep the background white, preserve the jar’s shape, and make the embossing visible?

user21789 · Answer

Two things seem apparent to me looking at this setup.

First, the position of the subject appears to be a little further from the camera than the lights. Before you fool with the position of any equipment which can take hours to do or : ( re-do, move the subject slightly to and fro. Once you get the optimal contrast in the edges, you could move your lighting set-up slightly, to and fro without changing the angle to optimize the appearance of sharpness.

Second, the seamless background appears to be white plexiglass with some illumination from the bottom to kill any subject shadows that result from the side lighting.

Let's have a close look at the competition:
– Sorry about the wobbly lines. I ran out of scotch this morning.

1 There is clearly two sources of light. There's a hot-spot in the centre of each one. There are no other highlights indicating no other sources were used in the front of this shot.

2 Here where the X-circled indicates the lens. Down the centre is a dark area that serves two purposes. It hides the reflection of the camera lens; but, more important—It creates a dark accent to the otherwise even high-key illumination.

3 Here's where you'd expect to find a highlight from an overhead light source. No highlight. There's none.

EDIT: Looking at your problem example I've noticed a couple more details. Your photos are hot (slightly over-exposed) AND there is too much ambient light in your studio. The difference between the highlights and the shadow is not as much as the Ball™ example. Darken your studio to remove all sources of illumination you don't control.

EDIT 2.0: Did you notice that the Ball™ example is below the level of the lens. The photographer has a "camera-superior" position looking down (slightly) on the product. You can see the tops of the containers.
Notice that your shots are at the same level as the jar which puts the embossed glass right in the middle of the highlight.
REMEDY: Lift the camera and tilt down to accentuate the embossed texture of the glass

It's not a noob question. Simple set-ups can be tough to shoot.

How can I light embossed glass jars on white so the embossing stays visible?

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