Shadow with reflection behind an objet

[MelanieT123]

Hi everyone,

I'm struggling with a final result I'd like to get with Photoshop.

I'd like to add a drop shadow behind a cosmetic product (no problem for that) but this is not just a simple shadow, there is a light reflection of the object which is actually on the shadow (if that make sense). I know that some photos are shooted with specific light set ups to get this beautiful reflection but I'm also pretty sure that PSD has his tricks to get this result :

Does anyone know how to proceed ?

Thank you very much for your help 🙂

M

[Leslie Moak Murray]

I think that, rather than a drop shadow, it's that he duplicated the main image layer, reduced the opacity, and placed it behind, then applied the drop shadow to the duped layer. The reflection is only in the image itself. A drop shadow will never have a reflection in it.

[EuanWilliamson]

Is this the sort of process you were thinking of?

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/106014/photoshop-how-to-make-shadow-more-realistic

[MelanieT123]

Thank you very much, I've never heard about the term "Caustics" mentioned is this tutorial and it is very interesting because this is really really close to the effect I'd like to get behind the product.

Thanks again ! 👍🏼

[EuanWilliamson]

Yes, trying to get a photo realistic 3D image with a 2D paint program is difficult and very time consuming.

Here's the amazing Unmesh Dinda showing how to deal with transparency and lighting with PS

which is sort of the process that you might use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX_iinoB1fA

[MelanieT123]

Thank you very impressive tutorial and helpful ! Thanks 🙏🏼

[davescm]

You might want to consider making a 3D model and rendering in a 3D application with a render engine that supports caustics.

This is Blender 3D but using the LuxCore render engine rather than the native Cycles or Eevee engines. The reflective and refractive caustics are taken care of in the render.

Dave

[MelanieT123]

Wow thank you, very impressive as well. This is exactly the effect I'm looking for. Definetly going to train with Blender that I've absolutely never open in my life !

Thanks again

[davescm]

@MelanieT123  If you need the Blender file just PM me. It will need the installation of the LuxCore render engine though as Cycles and Eevee do not render caustics realistically.

Dave

[EuanWilliamson]

Hi Dave,

How easy is it to set up that LuxCore render engine on a Mac using Blender 2.8?

I'm slowly learning Blender but still at early stages.

How would you compare render times for Luxor over Eeevee?

[EuanWilliamson]

Very nice @davescm 

Perhaps you could post that blender file in case Melanie wishes to customise it?

[Michael J. Hoffman]

Davescm, I'm curious about the colored contents of the bottle. Does the bottle contain an inner colored transparent object? Or is the inner surface of the glass colored differently from the outer surface?

[davescm]

Hi Michael,

The "glass" bottle is clear, but I added an additional object inside the bottle to represent the liquid, and gave it a coloured volume material with an IOR of 1.35 (the glass bottle was 1.50)

Dave

[Ussnorway]

good question if you want reflection then maybe Dimension is what you need to make your Psd images?

• Shadow = when a light hits an object and is blocked i.e, dirt simple and most any 3D software can make shadows

• reflextion = when light hits and object and bounces back, the key here is the light itself is not as important as what material it hit... stone, paper, plastic, metal and the glass have zero to 100% reflextion \ metal

Photoshop is the only software I know that actually has both metal and reflextion because its older and in theory you could have a mat surface which reflexs but its more or less the same slider

distance and light do affect how shiny the surface is or if the reflextion is clear | out of focus but they don't make as much difference

• Tranlucence = when light goes into an object and changes dirrection as different to opacity which is just show or hide without change of dirrection... this takes the most time to rendor and as a Mac users you should prob ignore it but Dave and I both have it in our images

models and Adobe Stock

p.s, 3D vs real life

when the client says hay Dave can you make the bottle float in the air or Graham can the bottle be bigger and add bubbles is where 3D has the edge. yes we can add wires or have a guys drop power into the bottle... we can even send to China for a new bottle but that takes time

however ime humans have this little toggle inside their mind that says yuck when they see an image which isn't possible, no girl is that thin and no surface is so clean so little touches like dust or a drop a rain \ water can really help

[EuanWilliamson]

Very impressive, I'd forgotten all about Dimension.

What's the learning curve like 🙂

[Ussnorway]

What's the learning curve like 

simple to average

Blender is more powerful as an 'all around' 3D tool much like Photoshop is a general image editor but that also makes them a bigger investment to learn than Dimension

[davescm]

Whilst Dimension is good for rendering shadows, translucence and reflections, similarly to Blender,  it is not good for accurate caustics (both reflected and refracted) . The calculation of caustics adds a significant overhead to render calculations. Hence the advice, if you need those caustics, is to use a 3D application where you can plug in an optional render engine that does calculate them (such as LuxCore as a plug in to Blender).

Dave

[MelanieT123]

Thank you very much, I have Creative Cloud but never thought about trying Dimension.

I'll start with getting comfortable with Dimension in a first place, which seems to be easier. But definetly will have a deeper look into Blender and this LuxCore add-on to see where I can get 😁

All of these are very interesting !

Many thanks!