Product photography
Light a glossy bottle with a window and two cards
A glossy bottle reflects the room around it. The bright stripe you see on the side is often a reflection of the window. To shape it, move a white card or a black card and watch the bottle from the same camera position.
Fix the camera and bottle
Put the bottle on a stable table and mark its base with removable tape. Keep the camera height level with the centre of the label for the first frame. Turn off competing room lights so mixed colours do not move between exposures.
Choose a soft window
Place the table beside a window with diffuse light and observe the outline of the reflection. If a direct patch of sun cuts across the label, move the table or diffuse the window. Take a reference frame before bringing in the cards.
Widen the bright stripe
Stand white card just outside the frame on the shadow side. Slide it toward the bottle until the dark shoulder becomes readable. Watch the label while you move it. A white rectangle reflected through small letters can make the text disappear.
Restore one dark edge
Stand a narrow black card near the side that blends into the background. Look for a fine dark contour along the glass. If the black stripe crosses the logo, move the card farther to the side or narrow the part facing the bottle.
Compare a three-frame strip
Keep one frame without cards, one with the white card, and one with both. Crop a strip from the same part of the bottle in each image. Compare label clarity, edge shape and cap colour at the size of a listing thumbnail.
Record the positions
Measure the distance from each card to the bottle and photograph the setup from above. Mark the camera height and bottle rotation. Those simple measurements help a second scent or flavour match the first image later in the week.
Continue with the exposure check
Check that the highlight on the bottle is still distinct from the white background after editing.