From magazine ads to web applications, this instructive handbook details the ever-expanding area of product photography and discusses the unique skills required to be successful. Beginning with the basics for creating professional-looking shots, the qualities of light and the rendering of color and texture are covered while the tools to be used for controlling those qualities is explained through a step-by-step lighting setup.

The latter half of this guide compiles images created on actual assignments, depicting a variety of products photographed in a range of settings. Each image is accompanied by a discussion of the client’s intent and the realization of those objectives. Offering procedural images, diagrams, and set-up shots to illustrate the addition and modification of light sources, problems can be identified and corrected on-set making this an invaluable tool for amateur and professional photographers alike.