product retouch help: stainless steel

[murimurano]

Hi all,
I'd like to see if anybody here can help me improve on touching up stainless steel.

Please see attached image of a stainless bowl.

As you can see, it was shot on a table top. You can see the table, the scrim frames, the bowl in front of it and the black gap showing the camera in the center. The black bottom of the bowl is the rubber bottom which is not a reflection but actual part of the bowl.

The goal is to remove all reflected objects, including the reflection of the other bowl, then create a smooth realistic metal surface across the entire bowl while maintaining some sort of gradient to give it shape (you can see that the bowl has darker edges and goes lighter towards the center, which is what i meant with gradient). It is also important to keep the measuring mark numbers on the bowl.

I have yet to perfect this and would appreciate any comments/suggestions as to how to achieve this. I would also like if someone can show me how to create realistic highlights in metal using photoshop.

Thank you

[Flashtones]

I'd probably path around each element of the measuring scale with the pen tool and jump it to it's own layer so as to work behind it. Then path the area of the bowl you want to draw in your gradient (most everything between the upper lip and rubber base). Select tones that exist in the bowl as your foreground/background colors (ie, the deeper gray sides and the whiter center,) and redraw the area using the gradient tool. Add additional stops in the gradient for shine and directionality. Consider using the "reflected" gradient. Add some dodging and burning as needed to enhance roundness/contour.

[murimurano]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

I'd probably path around each element of the measuring scale with the pen tool and jump it to it's own layer so as to work behind it. Then path the area of the bowl you want to draw in your gradient (most everything between the upper lip and rubber base). Select tones that exist in the bowl as your foreground/background colors (ie, the deeper gray sides and the whiter center,) and redraw the area using the gradient tool. Add additional stops in the gradient for shine and directionality. Consider using the "reflected" gradient. Add some dodging and burning as needed to enhance roundness/contour.

do you mind showing me a sample of the gradient you are suggesting using my sample? to save time, disregard the measuring marks. Whenever I do a gradient to mimic steel it always looks fake.

[Flashtones]

It'd need more work to sell the effect but this is one direction.

[murimurano]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

It'd need more work to sell the effect but this is one direction.

wow that looks amazing. I see the layers you used. Can you go into a little bit of detail on how you achieved this. I understand the gradient, but what did you do with those contrast layers and D&B?

Really great, thanks for taking the time by the way

[Flashtones]

No prob. Best is probably to see it with and without the additional layers.

The additional layers primarily darken to add some depth/contouring to bring back the roundness of the bowl. And the curve on the measure scale was mostly to clean up the edges of my sloppy pathing. The paint layer was a light gray to darken (primarily the whites of) the bottom of the bowl.

What's needed now it to clean up mask edges and add some shadow under the lip of the bowl, up top.

Edit: the effect of the contour layers is a bit stronger when viewed in the PS file than appears in these screen grabs.

[0lBaldy]

murimurano, Welcome to RetouchPRO
Hope you enjoy your stay here and make lots of friends.
Poke around, have fun, feel free to contribute!

I have noticed that for highly reflective wares they are sometimes grouped to reflect each other or an object like a cup, apple or whatever is placed prominently between the lens and subject to emphasize the reflective properties

I had to work on your image just to try out a few things.. this is my first try at something reflective.. or for that matter any type of a product.. so it may not be what you are looking for...

[murimurano]

Originally Posted by 0lBaldy

murimurano, Welcome to RetouchPRO
Hope you enjoy your stay here and make lots of friends.
Poke around, have fun, feel free to contribute!

I have noticed that for highly reflective wares they are sometimes grouped to reflect each other or an object like a cup, apple or whatever is placed prominently between the lens and subject to emphasize the reflective properties

I had to work on your image just to try out a few things.. this is my first try at something reflective.. or for that matter any type of a product.. so it may not be what you are looking for...

Thank you for working on this image.

Your retouch actually looks very natural. The only thing that I would say is missing is a little bit of texture, metal actually has a little texture. Can you elaborate on what you did here exactly, especially with the layer called "gradient map"? Thank you.

[Tony W]

The real problem IMO is that the photographer has left a lot to do here (ok if for you if you are charging by the hour though!) by shooting a highly reflective surface without considering the reflections.

What I think should have been done at capture is to shoot properly through a light tent and add dark strips to change the reflections at strategic points.

The bowl itself is highly polished SS and would catch bright mirror reflections. So if the goal in removing the reflections is to make it look like brushed stainless steel the followng is one way to do it (Note: I have made no attempt to show the markings, but you could add a mask and reveal them):

• Create a new layer and either gradient fill or fill with grey and Burn dark shading areas
• Add noise Gaussian, monochrome and adjust size to taste
• Add Blur >Motion Blur set angle at either 0 (as example) or any other suitable angle for object. Experiment with distance
• Use Warp tool to distort your layer to fit shape of bowl
• Reduce opacity to taste

[Pics2]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

No prob. Best is probably to see it with and without the additional layers.

The additional layers primarily darken to add some depth/contouring to bring back the roundness of the bowl. And the curve on the measure scale was mostly to clean up the edges of my sloppy pathing. The paint layer was a light gray to darken (primarily the whites of) the bottom of the bowl.

What's needed now it to clean up mask edges and add some shadow under the lip of the bowl, up top.

Edit: the effect of the contour layers is a bit stronger when viewed in the PS file than appears in these screen grabs.

I just have one (probably stupid) question, since I'm so bad with gradients:
How did you make this complex gradient in the second layer from the bottom?
Thanks!