How to add specular highlights to mate finish shoes

How do I add specular highlights to the shoes in the first picture just like in the second picture?

first picture

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Here is a quick go at it. Applied Lighting Effects>Masks>Gaussian blur

StanNJ1 wrote in post #8725908
Here is a quick go at it. Applied Lighting Effects>Masks>Gaussian blur

Hello Stan,


Thanks for the feedback. That is not what I am looking for, I am looking for creating a specular highlight, its a lighting effect not a photoshop effect.

You just need a 'kicker' light source, like what a hair light does in portrait work. What you can do with a flash here is to create/use a snoot with probably a grid. By using the flash this way you can narrow the place where it falls. You can also change the zoom on the flash (if it has the capability) to be as tight as it will go, like 105mm.

I have created snoots from cardboard to fit over the flash head. Then you can also create a grid using drinking straws stacked together to fit in the end of the snoot.

Another thing you may need to do is to 'flag' the light used for the kicker so it does not 'spill' onto areas you don't want it.

Dermit wrote in post #8726151
You just need a 'kicker' light source, like what a hair light does in portrait work. What you can do with a flash here is to create/use a snoot with probably a grid. By using the flash this way you can narrow the place where it falls. You can also change the zoom on the flash (if it has the capability) to be as tight as it will go, like 105mm.

I have created snoots from cardboard to fit over the flash head. Then you can also create a grid using drinking straws stacked together to fit in the end of the snoot.

Another thing you may need to do is to 'flag' the light used for the kicker so it does not 'spill' onto areas you don't want it.

What you say makes perfect sense and I have no idea how it never occurred to me. I guess I am just too used to shooting portraits and large objects to have realized right away that a 8" reflector is very large compared to a shoe.

I am going to try your suggestion with a hot shoes flash, but not without first trying my monolights with a snoot and grid. Hopefully that will be small enough.

Thanks

nevermind.

Also, since you have the one shot with the lighting how you like it, why not emulate the environment. You say that brighter spot came from window light. Then recreate that window light. If not with a window, then with a softbox.

Dermit wrote in post #8726814
Also, since you have the one shot with the lighting how you like it, why not emulate the environment. You say that brighter spot came from window light. Then recreate that window light. If not with a window, then with a softbox.

That's the thing, I tried many things but nothing worked. Its note worthy to point out that the window I am referring to is a glass room 20' to the left of the shoe.

it looks like there are about 4 light sources in the image,

what was augmenting that window light?

k_strecker wrote in post #8727405
it looks like there are about 4 light sources in the image,

what was augmenting that window light?

for the window light shot there was the glass room 20' to the left and a standard size window 6' behind the shoe. The smaller window was dimmer because it was in shade. There was also a silver reflector in front of the shoe and slightly to the left and tilted to the top to catch the over head light coming from the octabox. I don't think it had any effect because it was turned away from the main window.

First of all....
Fix your white balance
2) it look like you are shooting way too wide
2 lights..even 1 can do the trick....tin foil here and there and u r ready to go

TheAztech wrote in post #8728346
First of all....
Fix your white balance
2) it look like you are shooting way too wide
2 lights..even 1 can do the trick....tin foil here and there and u r ready to go

Whats wrong with the white balance? Are you referring to the first picture or second? If second picture disregard it because I just did it as a quick shot to capture the specular highlight that I was seeing. I didn't change the WB for natural light or focus properly for that shot. Just quick and dirty.

As for tin foil sounds like a good idea, smaller tin foil pieces should make small reflection, but I wonder if they will produce specular highlights? Since those need to be hotter than the key light.

abdul10000 wrote in post #8728450
As for tin foil sounds like a good idea, smaller tin foil pieces should make small reflection, but I wonder if they will produce specular highlights? Since those need to be hotter than the key light.

specular reflections don't have to come from a source hotter than the key light, they just have to be direct reflections *of* the keylight. And, as such, they will appear brighter than the diffuse, reflected light coming off the rest of the subject. So if you have a large keylight illuminating the front of the subject, but use a piece of foil to bring it back towards the subject from the rear and make sure it's coming in at an oblique enough angle so as to reflect off the subject and back into the lens . . . you'll get a BRIGHT specular highlight and a proper keylight exposure from 1 source.

Specular reflection control is all about angles and less to do with intensity.

k_strecker wrote in post #8728622
specular reflections don't have to come from a source hotter than the key light, they just have to be direct reflections *of* the keylight. And, as such, they will appear brighter than the diffuse, reflected light coming off the rest of the subject. So if you have a large keylight illuminating the front of the subject, but use a piece of foil to bring it back towards the subject from the rear and make sure it's coming in at an oblique enough angle so as to reflect off the subject and back into the lens . . . you'll get a BRIGHT specular highlight and a proper keylight exposure from 1 source.

Specular reflection control is all about angles and less to do with intensity.

Great info, thank you for pointing that out. Now I am going to put tin foil to use!

New question.

Not so related to lighting but I am sure other photographers have to deal with this issue, how can I make the leather parts line up for best display. In other words how can I straighten up the shoe to show the proper form of it?

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR