Lighting Advise needed????

[USAFVET98]

OK everyone, I am convinced that my lighting stinks for taking pictures.
What lighting should I get. I have a small phot tent and thats about it. I needed to know about the lighting and also, how do you guys get the photos so good on the mirrors? I read the tutorials and a lot of great info, but a few things are left out..

 

[gketell]

Get a 18% grey card from a photo retailer. That makes everything easier. including being able to use any lighting you want as long as all the bulbs are the same.

What you need is 3 bulbs, one from each side through your tent and one from the front above your camera to create the shine line that shows off your finish. Once you have them setup so you like the lighting lay the 18% card over your pen at about 45 degrees to the camera so all the lights hit it just as they will hit your pen. Zoom in so it fills your viewfinder from edge to edge. Use manual camera settings to adjust aperture and shutter speed to correctly light the card. Keep these settings.

Take one picture of the card. Use it to set custom white balance in your camera (if you have it) or to manually adjust color in your software (if you don't).

Remove the card and shoot the picture of your pen. Lighting and color will be perfect.

As for the mirror, if you use a real mirror you will have double images in the reflection from the reflection off the top glass and the reflection off the bottom mirror. You need something with single reflection like high-gloss acrylic.

Give it a shot (pun intended) and then we can go from there with more help.

GK