I have an upcoming project where I need to shoot models wearing reflective tribal jewelry. i.e. theres this necklace made of carved pieces of wood that has been varnished and polished, so it has a sort of reflective coating.
How would you shoot a model wearing that necklace without it reflecting too much light? I currently don't have soft boxes, just direct 500W floods.
Any suggestions? This is my first time, and any thoughts would be more than welcome!
put the model in the middle of room and hang around her white sheets - put the lights behind the sheets (they will diffuse the light) and you shoot thru a gap in the sheets. the only reflection will be the white sheets.
it's essentially a large softbox.
you can get white flat sheets at walmart - twin bed sheets are under $3 each
The polarizer MAY not be a good idea. It can give skin a funny hue. If you are doing B&W, no big deal, but be wary in color.
Diffuse light is your best friend here I think. It can be something as simple as bouncing a flash of the ceiling or using reflectors. Reflectors can be as simple as sheets or foamcore.
Here's a simple idea if you can find a good location. Use morning light on a strongly sunny day to bounce the sun off a sheet onto the subject who is in shade. Here is a quick example:
Jenn and I are sitting in the shade of the wall with the sun behind (it was like 9:30AM). The sun was strong with no clouds. We simply had a sheet in front of us about 6 feet away bouncing light onto us. The PP is a bit rough (at least I feel I've learned a ton in the last year and a half). Just looking for low budge options for you.
You can purchase products that reduce reflective highlights for that purpose, but I use hairspray. It cuts the glare and you can wash it off. I don't know if that will be acceptable in this situation, but keep it in mind.
