# Granite slab photography



## emppire1

Hey everyone

Im currently in the process of launching an online showroom for natural and man made stone slabs. Ive been trying to find a convenient way to photograph the slabs for my inventory. There are over 60 slabs and some of them are very polished and reflect all the light in the warehouse. There are skylights and windows everywhere. Im looking for some advice on how to photograph these slabs without seeing the reflections in the photo. Im kinda new to product photography and any advice would be much appreciated. I am working with a nikon d5300 dslr camera and i have some studio lighting. I have a 120 watt external flash and a 40 watt continuous light. I was thinking to create a black canopy and cover the slabs to block the light but that didn't seem to work.


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## snowbear

A polarizing filter (CPL) will reduce reflections on a non-metallic surface.


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## tirediron

This could be a challenge.  If I were doing this, I would probably plan on doing it at night (when the ambient light is 100% controllable) and to use cross-polarized light.  You may need to add a a little to your lighting stable.


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## jeffW

It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer for your project than buying the lighting equipment and spending hours figuring out how to light your company's inventory.  I've done this work before and purchasing a polarizing filter is not going to solve your problems if you don't understand how to light certain material surfaces.

I can work on my car but I'm not going to go out and buy all the equipment just to adjust the timing.


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## 407370

I would approach it a different way.
There are lots of free stone textures that can be used to create photo realistic renders in many 3D editing packages.


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## table1349

If you are showing finished project pieces then a 30-45 degree angle with even lighting from behind.  You will get some reflection but you will be showing how the piece will look in a finished state.  If its full slabs are you keeping all the slabs indoors?  Here the slabs are stored outdoors by type, color etc. so customers can choose their slab/slabs.  Then the golden hours are going do do you well.


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## <error>

jeffW said:


> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...



My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?

I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.


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## tirediron

<error> said:


> jeffW said:
> 
> 
> 
> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?
> 
> I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.
Click to expand...

That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.  To do a professional job on a project like this requires considerable skill and specialized equipment.  Can the OP learn to do it? Absolutely, if he chooses to invest the time and money.  Is it worthwhile for him to do so?  Maybe... maybe not; that's something only he can decide, but at the end of the day, it's often more cost-effective for a business to spend a thousand dollars to hire a professional <trade> as opposed to investing considerable time and money in learning how to do an okay job.


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## <error>

tirediron said:


> <error> said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jeffW said:
> 
> 
> 
> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?
> 
> I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.
Click to expand...


I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?


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## table1349

<error> said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> <error> said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jeffW said:
> 
> 
> 
> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?
> 
> I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?
Click to expand...

I completely understand Iron's position.  Frankly your tone leads me to believe that you do not have a grasp of photography nor do you have a grasp of the importance of good photography in marketing.  

If the OP or any noob wants to know how to get quality shots to promote their business I will explain it for you and them. 

1.  Learn photography, Aperture, shutter speed & ISO.  Not just what they are but how the interact and the Math that goes into using them properly.  Become completely proficient in the exposure and the exposure triangle.  There are no magic car, granite, people, pet, sports, or fromage setting.  The proper setting for every photo is different. 

2. Learn about light, the properties of light and the use of man made lighting.  Not just for one application but for all applications.  No to photographs or setups for that matter are ever the same. 

3. Learn your equipment from the camera body to the lenses, to the lighting equipment.  Front, back. left, right and sideways.  Know every piece of equipments limits, it's good points and it's bad points.  With out knowing these you can't get the best photo possible 

4  Learn composition.  This is a tough one.  Some people have a natural eye for composition, some don't.  Almost all can learn.  

Now that you have at least 2 0r 3 years invested in actually learning and becoming a photographer, you are ready to study your market and produce the kinds of photos necessary for good merchandising promotion.  

For the average business person this is not a true option.  For those that it is that is great.  For those that it is not and want to have a successful business they go with the experts in the field they need.


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## tirediron

<error> said:


> I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?


Fair comment.  One of things about not being an expert in any field is that you often don't realize how much effort, skill and training it takes to produce that effort.  Let's take painting your car as an example.  If you're not familiar with auto bodywork, you might think all that the person is doing is driving your car into the spray booth, filling up a gun and shooting a colour coat and charging you $7500.  In fact, he's spending hours sanding off old clear & paint, filling dings & divots, repairing rusty areas, ensuring everything is straight.. he's got to remove trim, mask, etc...  then there's the skill required to actually mix & lay down paint.  Could you do it yourself?  Sure you could, but it would take hundreds or thousands of hours of practice and a considerable investment in equipment to do the same job.  Alternatively you could watch a few YouTube videos, buy some cheap gear at Sears and do an (at best) okay job.

Photography is no different.  There's been lots of advice provided to the OP already, but the simple fact is, to do a professional job on something like this is not as straight-forward as it may seem.  Lighting something like marble or granite, particularly when highly polished can be VERY challenging, and will require certain specialized tools to do even a mediocre job. 

I appreciate your position, but I respectfully and very strongly disagree with your statement that "It is only concerned about showing supremacy".  To explain how do this fully would require many pages of text, diagrams and equipment lists as well as knowing exactly what the conditions are at the location.  There's a reason that there are professionals, because not everyone can be an expert in everything.  Can the OP teach himself enough to produce a satisfactory result?  Absolutely.  Is that a viable option, or might it not be cost effective?  Only he can decide.


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## tirediron

gryphonslair99 said:


> <error> said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> <error> said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jeffW said:
> 
> 
> 
> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My layman interpretation of such a statement is that this part of the forum is pointless. A professional photographer won't ask the question, and everybody else should hire a professional. Is it this what you want to say? Because if it's not, then it's your contribution that is pointless : It does not help the OP and it just adds noise. Maybe you have something else to add ?
> 
> I am a noob, and I have no clue. So I know from a personal viewpoint how this kind of snobby reply affects me: Not much, but I still dislike kindergarten replies.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That's not a snobby reply, that's a very appropriate reply.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I beg to differ. The question was NOT: "Should I hire a professional". It was a how-to question. The OP maybe (presumably) is aware of his shortcomings, and he is looking for aid. "Hire a pro" is not an answer, it's an insult : It does not take the question into account at all. It gives a **** about the question, actually. It is only concerned about showing supremacy : "I am a professional. I know how to do it. But I won't answer your question.". And you call that "a very appropriate reply" ?!?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I completely understand Iron's position.  Frankly your tone leads me to believe that you do not have a grasp of photography nor do you have a grasp of the importance of good photography in marketing.
> 
> If the OP or any noob wants to know how to get quality shots to promote their business I will explain it for you and them.
> 
> 1.  Learn photography, Aperture, shutter speed & ISO.  Not just what they are but how the interact and the Math that goes into using them properly.  Become completely proficient in the exposure and the exposure triangle.  There are no magic car, granite, people, pet, sports, or fromage setting.  The proper setting for every photo is different.
> 
> 2. Learn about light, the properties of light and the use of man made lighting.  Not just for one application but for all applications.  No to photographs or setups for that matter are ever the same.
> 
> 3. Learn your equipment from the camera body to the lenses, to the lighting equipment.  Front, back. left, right and sideways.  Know every piece of equipments limits, it's good points and it's bad points.  With out knowing these you can't get the best photo possible
> 
> 4  Learn composition.  This is a tough one.  Some people have a natural eye for composition, some don't.  Almost all can learn.
> 
> Now that you have at least 2 0r 3 years invested in actually learning and becoming a photographer, you are ready to study your market and produce the kinds of photos necessary for good merchandising promotion.
> 
> For the average business person this is not a true option.  For those that it is that is great.  For those that it is not and want to have a successful business they go with the experts in the field they need.
Click to expand...

Precisely... I am a photographer, but I have need of legal services.  Could I teach myself everything I need to know to ensure my contracts, agreements, etc are the best they can be?  I could.  Is it worthwhile for me?  Absolutely not.  Spending $500 to have a contract reviewed and amendments suggested is a worthwhile and sensible expense.


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## <error>

Edit : Sorry, Iron, the below is a reply to Gryphonslair99. I should have quoted better. Sorry again

///


Oh yeah, another pro.

So what we have up to now, just to summarize:

1/ A forum called 'the photo forum'
2/ A sub-forum called 'product photography'
3/ A lot of very competent photographers
4/ A couple of people with questions
4a/ pro photographers
4b/ learning photographers
4c/ people not belonging to 4a/ and 4b/ with a problem

Over and over, 4c/ gets the reply "hire a 4a/".

Why don't you guys just don't shut this forum down for public usage? Seriously! There was a thread about marble photography where the guy was already a 4a/. He got tips and help and support.

If this is closed-shop forum, make it one. But don't pretend to be one, hoping to convert 4c/ into a client.

'Nuff said.


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## tirediron

You might want to review the replies; of the first five replies, four contained information on how to achieve the result the OP asked about.


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## table1349

<error> said:


> Edit : Sorry, Iron, the below is a reply to Gryphonslair99. I should have quoted better. Sorry again
> 
> ///
> 
> 
> Oh yeah, another pro.
> 
> So what we have up to now, just to summarize:
> 
> 1/ A forum called 'the photo forum'
> 2/ A sub-forum called 'product photography'
> 3/ A lot of very competent photographers
> 4/ A couple of people with questions
> 4a/ pro photographers
> 4b/ learning photographers
> 4c/ people not belonging to 4a/ and 4b/ with a problem
> 
> Over and over, 4c/ gets the reply "hire a 4a/".
> 
> Why don't you guys just don't shut this forum down for public usage? Seriously! There was a thread about marble photography where the guy was already a 4a/. He got tips and help and support.
> 
> If this is closed-shop forum, make it one. But don't pretend to be one, hoping to convert 4c/ into a client.
> 
> 'Nuff said.


I think you stated it best in your first post. _"I am a noob, and I have no clue."_


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## Designer

emppire1 said:


> Hey everyone
> 
> Im currently in the process of launching an online showroom for natural and man made stone slabs. Ive been trying to find a convenient way to photograph the slabs for my inventory. There are over 60 slabs and some of them are very polished and reflect all the light in the warehouse. There are skylights and windows everywhere. Im looking for some advice on how to photograph these slabs without seeing the reflections in the photo. Im kinda new to product photography and any advice would be much appreciated. I am working with a nikon d5300 dslr camera and i have some studio lighting. I have a 120 watt external flash and a 40 watt continuous light. I was thinking to create a black canopy and cover the slabs to block the light but that didn't seem to work.


There is a fine line between getting a straight-on shot of the surfaces, while minimizing the reflections.  If you have the time, read 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...ce+and+magic&sprefix=light,+science,+,aps,158

which will help you in setting up your camera and lights.  

With reflections coming from just about everywhere, you might have to do as tirediron has suggested, and shoot them at night with the warehouse lights turned off.


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## ronlane

I would agree with John's comments about helping the OP. This does help in answering the question the OP asked. Instead of taking out just one line take the entire comment in context. JeffW suggests that it may be cheaper and easier and explains some of the things it will take or could be used and rightfully says that it will take time (which could equate to money) to learn before getting the product shots that are needed/required.

I would offer this suggestion to the OP to answer their question. IF you want to learn how to shoot a reflective surface, going to Amazon or a book store and purchasing the book Light Science and Magic.



jeffW said:


> It might be easier and cheaper just hiring a professional photographer for your project than buying the lighting equipment and spending hours figuring out how to light your company's inventory.  I've done this work before and purchasing a polarizing filter is not going to solve your problems if you don't understand how to light certain material surfaces.
> 
> I can work on my car but I'm not going to go out and buy all the equipment just to adjust the timing.


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## Designer

Either that or a book that I linked to.  

Here's why he probably should learn it himself:

He has a camera.
He has lights.
His inventory will (presumably) keep changing.
Learning how to deal with reflections is not rocket surgery.


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## robbins.photo

tirediron said:


> You might want to review the replies; of the first five replies, four contained information on how to achieve the result the OP asked about.



There you go, expecting people to read and stuff.  Sheesh.


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## Dave442

Should try some very diffused or bounced lighting (lighting the surface you see reflected by the object). 
Keep track of what works so the rig can be moved around to where the different slabs are located.


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## pixmedic

I actually did this exact thing. 
I worked with granite and marble for 12 years. 
a few of the places I worked for wanted to photograph full slabs as well as finished kitchens. one company needed full slabs photographed because they went into a computer system for the CNC machines .  
we had very high ceilings due to the overhead crane system with a LOT of  fluorescent lighting. 
we set up the slabs on one end of the warehouse and turned the lights OFF that were directly overhead. at the time, we were just using a point and shoot camera to take the pictures. with the direct overhead lights turned off, there was still enough light to get the picture, but not get a ton of glare. im sure with a better camera, actual lighting equipment, and an editing program you should be able to get usable results with what you already have.


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## table1349

One other thing to keep in mind when shooting stone, is the quality of stone you are shooting.  If we are talking about contractor grade granite, just get a good photo of the general pattern.  Contractor grade is nice but has the least amount of movement.  If you are talking higher grade you may again may want to crop to a larger section that fully represents the movement in the stone.  If you want to shoot full slab, depending on you building setup.  Granite 90 degrees horizontal to the floor, about a 15 degree back end tilt away from the camera and nice defused back light.  Shoot from the middle height of the granite slab and kill any overhead lights behind you that may be causing reflections.

Like I said you may want to consider if you need to show the whole slab.  This is the granite in our kitchen.  You get a good understanding of the colors and movement from the cropped photo. This is going in the guest bathroom.  The wife decorated it in an ocean theme.


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