photographing translucent plastics?

[diskojerk]

I am using an old cannon D30 and a light booth to photograph product. Every now and then I have to photograph this translucent plastic material. The problem with the translucent plastic is i can't get any detail because the materials tends to absorb light as opposed to reflect it. I'm using the booth flash and have tried every shutter speed and f-stop on the camera to try and find a combination that will get me some detail. Nothing ever really seems to work. If anyone has any experience with something like this or some ideas, please let me know.

thank you

[Titus213]

All I know about this type of photography has been acquired by looking at a tent in the photo shop so.....

Can the product be lit from the side opposite the camera? Make it glow?

[robertwgross]

I don't know exactly what kind of plastic you are dealing with. However, for some types of plastic, you can apply a polishing wax to it, or even furniture or floor wax, and then buff the hell out of it. That makes it more reflective.

---Bob Gross---

[PhotosGuy]

You should try to bounce light off a "flat" which can be just a 30X40" piece of white, or colored, cardboard so that that light reflects in the plastic. Take a look at some of these:
Lighting Set-Up Links –illustrations of real world examples (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66140)