How can I recreate this chair photo lighting setup?
Asked 12/3/2018
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I’m trying to reverse-engineer the lighting in a reference image of chairs on a seamless white background. The image shows long, soft-edged shadows cast to one side, while the rest of the scene is filled very evenly with little or no visible secondary shadowing. How would you analyze and recreate this setup in a real studio, and is it possible the reference is actually a 3D render rather than a photograph?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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With either a bright constant light or a flash set behind and to the left of the chairs. Imagine a line connecting one of the corners of the shadow of one of the chairs with its corresponding physical chair corner. Extend that line back and to the left and up, and place the light somewhere along that axis. For more precision, trace several such lines and see where they intersect.
The rest of the lighting in the scene is soft diffuse omnidirectional light (no shadows visible) possibly from low down so that the floor is lit evenly and any shadows that are cast are cast upwards where they aren't captured.
Originally by user68706. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user68706
7y ago
0
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The main shadow suggests a single key light placed behind and to the left of the chairs, and elevated. A simple way to estimate placement is to trace lines from shadow points back to the matching points on the chair; where those lines converge gives the light direction.
The light appears far enough away to create nearly parallel shadows, similar to sunlight, but the shadow edges are softer than direct sun, so the source is likely somewhat diffused or simulated.
The rest of the scene looks filled with very soft, omnidirectional light. In a real studio, that could come from strong bounce/fill in a white room or from lights aimed into walls/ceilings to create broad ambient illumination. That would keep the floor bright and suppress obvious secondary shadows.
Several responders noted the reference may actually be a 3D render rather than a real photo, because the combination of almost-parallel shadows, soft diffusion, and very even ambient light is unusually clean for a studio capture. So the best recreation is: one distant-feeling directional key plus lots of broad, indirect fill.
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