Lighting

I do a lot of photography, but mostly wildlife images. I have done a lot of macro work as well, but not on products. I am getting ready to sell about 20-30 watches in my collection and am curious what some people use for lighting?

I have a macro tent I purchased and it comes with 2 lights, but they seem to be a little bright even being diffused through the tent. Someone told me a flashlight for selective lighting...not sure if that works well. Any help would be appreciated.

I use a regular desk lamp and a flashlight. Works OK for me.

As Elvis would say "Thank ya...a, thank ya very much"

I really like my setup:

I have a light box similar to the one shown. It helps to take macro shots but I seem to have trouble eliminating reflections using it. Anymore, I seem to get better results setting up a table right by a window using natural light. Unfortunately, the sun rarely makes an appearance in Oregon this time of year.

Blocking reflections is almost always needed, especially from the crystal so you can see the dial clearly. I have an old badminton racket covered in black as a large paddle that I can position above the watch to block reflections. I also find it is best to work at night and wear black so I don't see too many reflections of myself in the stainless steel.

SynMike wrote:Blocking reflections is almost always needed, especially from the crystal so you can see the dial clearly. I have an old badminton racket covered in black as a large paddle that I can position above the watch to block reflections. I also find it is best to work at night and wear black so I don't see too many reflections of myself in the stainless steel.

Good idea, I may try that. I have gone so far as to use black posterboard with a hole large enough for the lens to fit through. Too many moving parts can make my method unwieldy.