Shooting reflective tape with flash !??

[Manfred M]

John - this is not sloppy shooting. This is unavoidable with on-camera flash, or even off camera flash that is still close to the optical axis of the lens.

Reflective tape is designed to mirror light back in the direction it has come from. It does so extremely effectively. Even in your underexposed image, it is clearly the brightest object (in fact the whites from the tape are blown out). The only way to correct this is to clone it out. If you look at your image carefully, the blown highlights extend into the girl's hair.

How to avoid it? Don't use on-camera flash.

[Hevii Guy]

... take a look at the well know photographers out there. These are wide open, not locked down websites, like yours...

Thank you for your response, Manfred. I appreciate and will consider your qualified suggestions.

I find your comments about my gallery somewhat arrogant and even on the verge of being offensive. My site is only intended for friends and associates. I have no need for the ego gratification so desperately sought by many on sites like this and others. Hence, just as my front door is, my site is indeed locked-down.

[Manfred M]

I find your comments about my gallery somewhat arrogant and even on the verge of being offensive. My site is only intended for friends and associates. I have no need for the ego gratification so desperately sought by many on sites like this and others. Hence, just as my front door is, my site is indeed locked-down.

I'm sorry if you feel my comments are arrogant or offensive. You are certainly taking them the wrong way.

I looked at your work in an effort to understand your level of photography; the comments are not judgmental, but my reading of your photographic knowledge so that I can try to craft an answer that is suitable to your current skill level. This is based on what I see posted on your website. If you disagree about my assessment, please correct assumptions.

Solving problems requires information. You have been particularly vague in providing us anything useful information to go by. In fact I suspect you gave us information that was in fact incorrect. I suspect that you are not photographing in an industrial site, but rather a museum. The approaches for doing these types of photographic work are complete different. Guessing is not a particularly productive way of solving problems.

As for the comments about protecting your intellectual property, that is also factual. What you have written in this reply and what you have posted on your homepage are not the same. Again some integrity on your part would be appreciated.

[Hevii Guy]

Fortunately, the following photo, taken on one of our many project sites around the globe, was captured using ambient light. Had this not been the case and supplementary lighting was required, the subject's tape would have been blinding.

Sometimes we shoot the results of our work in wide-open areas while at other times our environment might be similar to the enclosed spaces of museums. There was no intent to be misleading and secretive. Anything more than I had originally noted would have been irrelevant to the humble request for help, regardless of where our photos are taken.

[Inkanyezi]

So, the ambiguity of the original question is whether you would actually want the reflective medium to stand out bright or be subdued.

Any light on camera or close to the optical axis will be reflected back to the camera, while light from other directions will not.

So, when you do not want the reflective tape to stand out as a beacon, at some occasions you can use a flash that is not close to the optical axis. At close distance, this can be done by holding it at arm's length.

When you really want the reflective tape to show its reflective property, flash is unsuitable, as you cannot see to what extent it would brighten the tape just as much as you want. A continuous light source from the direction of the camera can do it, and ambient light then would be preferred.

One situation where flash might be useful then is when you want to compare the visibility in darkness when reflective material is used and when not.

[Hevii Guy]

So, the ambiguity of the original question is whether you would actually want the reflective medium to stand out bright or be subdued..

I don't see how my question was ambiguous. I thought that it was quite clear that I was looking for suggestions to quell the harsh reflections.

I am still not clear about this. Are you saying, Inkanyezi, that merely using off-camera strobes or speedlights will prevent such reflections? Please expand. Thanks in advance.

[Inkanyezi]

I don't see how my question was ambiguous. I thought that it was quite clear that I was looking for suggestions to quell the harsh reflections.

I am still not clear about this. Are you saying, Inkanyezi, that merely using off-camera strobes or speedlights will prevent such reflections? Please expand. Thanks in advance.

As the reflection stems from light that comes from the direction of the observer, any other light will not be reflected toward the observer.

• On camera flash, or flash close to the camera or its optical axis, will be reflected back to the camera.
• Flash widely away from the optical axis will not be reflected toward the camera, but back toward the flash.
• Reflection from the tape will always be directed toward the light source.

So indeed off camera flash that is placed widely away from the camera's optical axis will not cause the reflective tape to shine.

There are means to shoot with auto exposure and flash without the flash on the camera, but not all cameras/flashes can do that.

[Hevii Guy]

Thanks again Inkanyezi. You've been a tremendous help.

[Manfred M]

Thank you for posting this image. It does give us a clear indication as to how this issue might be approached.

Given the distance you are shooting from, I suspect that any flash is going to cause you problems because the shot is quite wide and some component of the light is bound to be reflected back at the camera. You may or may not be able to clean that up in post. I see the issues in using flash as it will be difficult to place lights and appropriate light modifiers in locations like this; the gantries are narrow and the scale of the equipment is large.

I will assume the shot is taken during non-operational hours as the man is standing there and is not wearing any visible signs of hearing protection?

Fortunately, the person in the shot is wearing a standard, off the shelf industrial safety vest, so making modifications to the vest (previous suggestion of using ordinary tape to cover the reflective material) would work. I suggest that a second approach would be to use a photography dulling paint. http://www.krylon.com/products/dulling-spray/ These sprays disrupt a reflective material's ability by scattering / diffusing the light. This would probably be a less expensive and faster way than trying to apply tape. If this is a frequent exercise, as you imply, a set of these vests could be prepared ahead of time and brought out for the shoot. The spray can be removed afterwards. The only issue would be to keep these prepared vests out of circulation when not used for the shoot. Again the Mill's safety officer will be able to provide guidance and direction on this. This would be a generic solution that should work in the various situations you are suggesting. I would suggest getting some spray and a vest and do some testing.

A second approach that I sometimes use in complex shooting situations is to "cheat" using Photoshop. Put the camera on a tripod in a position where there is no risk of moving it. Put the people in the scene with any lights, light modifiers and ancillary equipment required. Take a properly exposed shot and move all of the people and equipment out of the scene. Then take a shot of the scene without anything in it.

Import both shots into Photoshop and use a layer mask to erase anything you don't want, like the lighting equipment, cables etc. that are in the scene. That way you have properly exposed people and a properly exposed work area.

[drjuice]

Hello, Hevii -

One thing if you don't have a proper softbox, you can use masking tape to tape a Kleenex-style tissue around the front of whatever you're using for a light. You can also use a white cloth like a handkerchief if you want it to be a little more permanent or you're working in wind or rain where a Kleenex might get washed or blown away.

I was stuck once trying to photograph a piano that had lots of shells and other beach debris decorating it and the Kleenex in my car saved my bacon, so to speak. It was part of a project to celebrate the 15th anniversary of a conductor who will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Thirty-one pianos were decorated in all different kinds of ways by artists who were commissioned to celebrate his anniversary. I submitted one to these forum threads about two years ago as an example. I hope everything worked out for you.

virginia