How to avoid harsh shadows in product photos

Harsh shadows make a product look cheap and hide detail. They have three common causes: light that is too small, light that is too direct, and nothing to fill the dark side. Each has a fix.

Understand where hard shadows come from

A shadow has a sharp edge when the light is small compared to the product, such as a bulb, a torch, a flash or direct sun. A shadow is soft when the light is large, such as a window, an overcast sky or light passing through a sheet.

So the general fix is to make your light effectively larger and gentler.

Fix 1: Diffuse the light

Put something thin and white between the light and the product. A white curtain over a window, a bedsheet, or tracing paper over a lamp spreads the light. Do not let the diffuser touch a hot bulb. See window light for product photography.

Fix 2: Change the distance

The closer a light is to the product, the larger it seems and the softer the shadow becomes. If you use a lamp, move it nearer, and use a diffuser in front. If you use a window, place the table near the glass.

Fix 3: Fill the dark side

Place a white card opposite the light to bounce light into the shadows. Details are in using a white card or foil as a reflector.

Fix 4: Lift the product off the background

A product sitting close to a wall casts a shadow on it. Moving the product further from the backdrop, or using a sweep that curves down to the table, reduces visible shadow lines. See making a white background at home.

Fix 5: Avoid on-camera flash

Flash comes from a tiny source right next to the lens. It produces flat, glaring light with hard shadows behind the product. Read whether to use the phone flash.

Fix 6: Check the angle

Light coming from directly in front of the product flattens it, and light from directly above can cast shadows down the front. Light from the side, at a gentle angle, gives gentle shadows that show shape.

You will not remove shadows completely

Some shadow is natural and useful. A soft shadow under a product tells the eye it sits on a surface. The aim is a soft, even shadow, not no shadow. Trying to remove all shadows can leave a product looking flat and pasted in.

A quick test routine

1. Photograph the product in your normal setup.
2. Add a diffuser and photograph again.
3. Add a white card and photograph again.
4. Compare all three at full size.

You will often find the second or third is clearly better. For the full routine, see taking product photos with only a phone.