photigy

We introduced you to the Light Blaster when it first came out in July of last year. A neat light modifier, it allowed you to use a lens and flash to project all sorts of patterns, slides and other non-digital backgrounds (or foregrounds) into your images.

The creative possibilities are pretty vast, but if you want to see what happens when a professional studio photographer gets his hands on it and starts experimenting, Alex Koloskov of Photigy is more than happy to oblige.

Last week we shared a video that got both incredibly popular and controversial. It was put together by Photigy's Alex Koloskov, and showed how he created nearly-identical product shots of a glass of whisky using an iPhone and a Hasselblad.

Now he's back to answer some of the concerns that readers brought up after watching that video, specifically regarding how much post-processing went into the image and if it would be printable on the large scale.

We all know that almost any smartphone nowadays can hold its own against a proper camera when given to a real photographer with the proper setup. But is it possible for a smartphone to go head-to-head with the likes of a Hasselblad?

When it comes to taking product shots of glossy items, one of the most difficult aspects is getting the correct amount of diffusion when using softboxes. When the incorrect amount of diffusion is applied (or the right amount is applied incorrectly) this can lead to harsh reflections and minimal gradients, which isn't usually the look you're trying to achieve.

If you're just getting into studio photography, trying to figure out how to light, shoot and set up your shots can be both frustrating and expensive. After all, if you're trying to take high-quality studio shots, you need high end strobes and all sorts of other gear, right?

Maybe not. Of course high end equipment helps, but in the video above, photographer Alex Koloskov of Photigy shows you how you can light studio still life shots using a few $30 dimmable LED bulbs instead of strobes.