Labography: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Studio Lighting

Why Labography Matters

Labography focuses on control: consistent lighting, precise color, and repeatable setups. That control matters because:

Consistency builds trust for brands and e-commerce platforms.
Accurate color reproduction prevents returned products and unsatisfied customers.
Clean, well-lit images showcase details and craftsmanship, improving perceived value.

1. Essential Gear

Camera and Lenses

Camera: A mirrorless or DSLR with good dynamic range is ideal. Full-frame sensors help with low-light and depth control.
Lenses: Macro lenses (60–105mm) for small items; a 50mm or 85mm prime for medium objects. Use tilt-shift lenses if you need perspective control for larger still-life scenes.

Support and Stabilization

Sturdy tripod: Essential for sharp images at low shutter speeds.
Remote release or camera timer: Avoid camera shake.

Lighting

Continuous lights or strobes: Strobes give power and freeze motion; continuous LEDs make visualization easier.
Softboxes, umbrellas, octaboxes: For soft, even light.
Grids, snoots, reflectors, and flags: For directional control and contrast.
Light modifiers like diffusion panels and bounce cards.

Accessories

Light meter: For precise exposure and flash power settings.
Color checker and gray card: For accurate white balance and color profiling.
Backdrops: Paper, fabric, or acrylic for different looks.
Props and clamps: To position and support subjects.

2. Studio Setup and Backgrounds

Background Choices

Seamless paper: Clean, simple backgrounds for product catalogs.
Textured paper or fabric: Adds character for lifestyle or editorial still-lifes.
Acrylic sheets: Great for reflections and floating effects.
Matte vs. glossy: Matte reduces unwanted reflections; glossy surfaces create dramatic highlights and reflections when controlled.

Surface and Placement

Use sweep-style setups (curved background to floor) for invisible horizons.
Elevate small objects on clear acrylic or stands to isolate and control shadows.
Position backgrounds farther from the subject to reduce color spill and shadow intensity.

3. Lighting Techniques

Basic Two-Point Lighting (Start Here)

Key light: Main light (softbox) placed 30–45° from camera axis and angled down slightly.
Fill light or reflector: Opposite side to soften shadows; lower intensity than key.

Three-Point Lighting for Dimension

Key: Defines subject shape.
Fill: Reduces contrast.
Rim/backlight: Separates subject from background; adds a highlight to edges. Example ratios: Key 1.0, Fill 0.5, Rim 0.3 (adjust to taste).

Beauty/Product Glow (Soft and Even)

Large softbox close to subject for smooth wraparound light.
Use diffusion panels and bounce cards to remove specular hotspots.

Controlling Reflections on Shiny Objects

Use large, soft light sources to produce soft highlights.
Position black flags to subtract unwanted reflections.
Employ “tent” setups: place the product inside a shoot-through tent or DIY diffusion box for extremely soft, even light.
Use polarizing filters (on lens or lights) to control glare; rotate to find optimum reflection reduction.

Creating Mood with Directional Light

Use grids, snoots, or hard light for high-contrast, dramatic still-lifes.
Side lighting emphasizes texture and form; backlighting can create silhouettes or rim light.

4. Composition and Styling

Basic Composition Principles

Rule of thirds, leading lines, and negative space guide the viewer’s eye.
Balance and symmetry are powerful for product shots.
Use depth by arranging foreground, subject, and background layers.

Styling Tips

Keep props relevant and scaled correctly to the product.
Use color palettes that complement rather than overpower the product.
Textures (wood, fabric, stone) can add context and tactile cues.
Pay attention to edges—clutter or distracting shadows near frame edges reduce perceived quality.

Micro-Adjustments

Slight rotations and angle tweaks can reduce reflections or show brand elements better.
Vary camera height: eye-level for portraits of products; slightly above for flat-lay presentations.

5. Camera Settings & Focus

Exposure Basics

Shoot in RAW for maximum tonal and color information.
Use low ISO (100–200) for clean images.
Aperture: f/5.6–f/11 for small-to-medium products to keep them sharp while preserving subject isolation when needed.
Shutter speed: long exposures are fine on a tripod; sync speed matters for strobes.

Focus Techniques

Manual focus when lighting/reflections confuse autofocus.
Focus stacking for deep, edge-to-edge sharpness on macro or complex setups—capture multiple frames at different focus distances and combine in post.

6. Color Accuracy and White Balance

White balance: Use a gray card to set custom WB in-camera or correct in RAW.
Color checker: Create custom profiles for consistent color across sessions and cameras.
Monitor calibration: Calibrate your display to ensure what you edit is accurate for print and web.

7. Post-Processing Workflow

File Management

Batch rename and organize with folders by client/date/product.
Keep RAW + exported TIFF/PSD masters.

Essential Editing Steps

Import and cull: Remove near-duplicates and obvious rejects.
Global corrections: Exposure, contrast, white balance.
Local corrections: Dodge & burn, spot removal, edge cleanup.
Color management: Apply camera/profile-specific ICC profiles.
Retouching: Remove dust, seams, and unwanted reflections; reconstruct missing details when necessary.
Background cleanup: Smooth gradients or remove color casts.
Sharpening: Apply output-specific sharpening (web vs. print).
Export: Save web-optimized JPEGs and print-ready TIFFs as needed.

Focus Stacking and Composites

Use tools like Helicon Focus, Photoshop, or specialized plugins to merge focus stacks.
For complex lighting, shoot separate exposures for highlight control and blend them using layer masks or luminosity masking.

8. Practical Examples & Setups

Example: E-commerce White Product Shot

Background: Seamless white paper.
Light: Large softbox key at 45° + fill reflector below/left + hair light to remove shadow.
Camera: 60–90mm lens, f/8, ISO 100, tripod.
Tip: Expose for highlights on white background to keep it pure white while retaining product detail; use clipping warnings carefully.

Example: Shiny Metal Object

Background: Neutral gray or black.
Light: Large diffusion panel close, with black flags to define edges; small rim light from behind for separation.
Camera: Polarizer if needed; manual focus; focus stack for depth.

Example: Artistic Still-Life

Background: Textured paper or wood.
Light: Hard side light with fill at lower intensity; rim light for separation.
Styling: Complementary props, layered depth, intentional negative space.

9. Troubleshooting Common Problems

Harsh reflections on glossy products: Soften or move lights; use diffusion tents; change camera angle.
Color casts from background spill: Move subject away from background; use flags; correct in RAW using sampled neutral points.
Loss of detail in highlights: Lower flash power or reduce exposure; bracket and blend exposures.
Uneven background: Use larger seamless paper, feather the lights, or retouch cleanly in post.

10. Workflow, Efficiency, and Consistency

Create templates for lighting and camera settings for repeatable sessions.
Build an asset sheet: include filenames, shot lists, hex color values, and retouch notes for each product.
Maintain a physical test chart in-studio for quick checks of color and exposure.

11. Advanced Tips

Use tethered shooting for immediate feedback and faster culling.
Create LUTs or presets for brand-consistent color grading.
Invest time in mastering retouching brushes, frequency separation, and non-destructive layer workflows.
Consider 360° product photography rigs for interactive online product experiences.

12. Final Notes

Mastering labography is a balance of technical control and creative problem-solving. Start with reliable setups, document them, and iterate. Over time you’ll build a personal library of lighting patterns and presets that make producing high-quality product and still-life images faster and more consistent.

If you want, I can convert any of the example setups into a step-by-step checklist or create a printable studio cheat-sheet for your specific camera and lighting gear.