AI product lighting: build a repeatable commercial setup

Material determines the lighting problem

Glass needs controlled edges and transmission. Brushed metal needs long readable gradients. Coated paper needs enough frontal light for the label without flattening the package. Define the material response before choosing dramatic mood language.

Describe lights by function

A repeatable setup explains what each source does.

• Key: direction, size, softness, and height.
• Fill: how much shadow detail remains visible.
• Rim or strip: the edge or material plane it separates.
• Practical: visible source that motivates color and direction.
• Negative fill: where contrast is deliberately protected.

Carry the setup across shot sizes

A hero, macro, lifestyle frame, and vertical crop can change composition while preserving key direction, highlight shape, shadow density, and color temperature. That continuity makes the set feel photographed in one production.