How can I get a shot like this?

[Duradrum]

I love this style of photography, and am looking to get a shot like this with my 300d. I'm not sure on how this was done. Can anyone help? Thanks.

[dsze]

I believe this could be referred to as product photography, which I am not into at all, but you could certainly do this with your 300D. However, asking how you can do this is a very broad question. I might narrow it down to 2 main factors here that you'll need to consider and seek more knowledge on:

1. Background/reflective base
2. Lighting

This was not done with "the light coming in the window." This involved some very deliberate/specific lighting.

-daniel

[Pekka]

Product/still life photography is all about patience to set things up for that ultimate result. You can control everything from light to object surface retouching for the best look. Just pick a subject a start doing it!

[tim]

Like Daniel said, the key is in the lighting, the background, and the reflective thing they're sitting on. You can tell where the lighting is by the shadows, to me it looks like it's above and slightly behind the fruit. There could be a fill light to lighten up the bottom of the fruit too.

[mbze430]

2 light source for this shot. On from a near 45 degrees, than there is also a light source from above. I would have used a louve to control the light from hitting the background.

Probably a reflector from the left of the camera view as well.

As for the reflection either a plexiglass or just a plain glass over the black back drop.

[PhotosGuy]

Here's a place to start:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66140

[J Rabin]

IMO, this is likely "dark field photography" using black plexiglass, likely with softboxes and spot lights off on angles. And PhotoShop manipulation. Something about the over sharpened imaged and reflections looks like more than photography. J.

[Jon, The Elder]

Used this technique back in 1975/76 for product shots. First glance, people thought it was a mirror.

I used a material called 'planished vinyl' fancy term for polished black plastic. You can buy some from an industrial plastics wholeseller.
Second choice is good quality 'water clear' plate glass with a sheet of black matte finish crescent board.

Lighting gets tricky in that you don't get direct light onto the "table". Scrims, flags, and snoots are your answer.

You can do interesting things with colored gels and mirrors too - but that's for the next seminar. (HaHa)

Hard work but worth it.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Take a look t J.A.F. Dorhoff's threds in "people" and Glamour" forums..

Although he is using living models.. his lighting techniques, backdrops and ground surfaces he uses in the studio give very similar results.

[BrandonSi]

I love this style of photography, and am looking to get a shot like this with my 300d. I'm not sure on how this was done. Can anyone help? Thanks.

http://photos.photosig.com/photos/99/94/479499-2aec10b648070c99.jpg

I'm not sure if you have a lighting setup, but a very inexpensive way to play around with it can be found here.. I used it with my 300D.

http://www.pbase.com/otfchallenge/light_box

basically just building a PVC frame, throwing a bed sheet over it to act as a diffuser, using regular desklamps for lighting and colored poster board for backgrounds. I built mine for like $35 including the lamps. It's not professional by any means, but the results for what you pay can be great, plus you get to play around without the big $$ investment.

here's the dpreview thread about it

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=11905876