glass, rather than as they appear to the eye from the camera position. Attempt to arrange them so they fill the picture area in an interesting manner. Do not arrange them in a long, narrow line with black space above and below  them. Exploded  view  photographs  provide  the  viewer with positive identification of the many parts and pieces that  make:  up  a  given  machine,  instrument,  or manufactured  assembly.  When  photographed  on  a  light box, you can illuminate the shadows. The various parts, shown in order of assembly, appear to float in the air in correct  alignment  and  perspective. A substitute for the light-box background is a sheet of plate glass firmly supported approximately 20 or 24 inches from the floor. Two floodlights, directed from either side of the glass, bounce light evenly from the white seamless paper on the floor up through the glass. Preparing  the  Parts Disassemble the parts carefully so they can be laid out in order of assembly. Clean each piece thoroughly, removing any lubrication or foreign deposits. Lay the parts out as they are to be photographed, and study each piece before you proceed. Large areas of stainless steel or bright metal should be sprayed with a dulling spray to prevent objectionable “hot spots.” Smaller areas can be treated with an eyeliner. Where edges or screw holes do not show readily, they  can  be  edged  with  a  black  grease  pencil. Conversely, when the part is dark, white pencil or chalk can be used to define it. Setting  Up  the  Parts Place the parts on the glass in order of assembly. To stand small parts up, mount them on a small strip or square of acetate with a little beeswax supporting the piece from behind. Even the smallest screw should be mounted on a base so it can be slid into exact position later. The base should be cut as small as possible so it does not interfere with other parts lined up close to it. Heavier pieces can be mounted on small squares of glass. To obtain an illusion of height, you can move the parts away from the camera There is a limit to this procedure, however, and when a part becomes too small in relation to others, it should be elevated. Various size blocks (painted flat white) and, in some cases, glass shelves or long, narrow strips of glass are sometimes used. Camera  Angle For  the  majority  of  subjects,  the  most  desirable camera angle is 45 degrees above and to the side of the assembly. From this vantage point, you can see the top, side, and end of most parts. PHOTOGRAPHING GLASS In photographing glass, it is the background and reflections from the background that light the glass. Glass objects can be pictured clearly by lighting them in such a way that they stand out as dark outlined shapes against a light background or as a light outlined shape against a medium or dark background. These techniques of lighting are actually variations of a basic silhouette method. The Set The setup for photographing glass products consists of white seamless background paper. The background paper is curved forward on the floor so it is completely underneath the area containing the setup. Place two supports, such as sawhorses or tables, on the forward part of the background paper. The supports should be spaced to hold a sheet of plate glass. The plate of glass gives you a transparent worktable through which light bounced off the background paper in back of and underneath the glass product will pass. Strips of colored or black paper can be attached, out of camera view, to the background paper for edge effects to the glass products. Because the light reflected from the background is usually  the  only  source  of  illumination,  the  film exposure is relatively long. Proper camera equipment and a sturdy tripod are necessary to prevent movement during  the  rather  long  exposure. The  height  or  camera  angle  varies  for  different subjects and showing the ellipse or oval of the rim adds depth and roundness to the picture, since most glass items  you  photograph  are  three-dimensional. Lighting You should be able to darken the studio completely. An overhead light, an exit sign, or even a light leak around a door can cause problem reflections. And not eliminating unwanted reflections results in much time and  effort  wasted. Lighting glass products (fig. 6-15) is mostly a matter of personal taste. It can be learned by practice and by 6-30